Gratitude

You ever look back at a time period and feel even more grateful for something someone did for you then? I often look back at my pregnancy and marvel at the help that I got from Alice. She came over daily to help with Max so I could stay on bedrest, and she was with me the day that they finally said my at-home bedrest was over--and admitted me to full hospital bedrest. She looked after Max like he was her own son and if she found all the helping any kind of a trial, she never let on. She must have, it was a tremendous amount of work. I never found a way to thank her properly except to try to be someone that others can count on to help.

Thanksgiving often takes me back now to Thanksgiving 2001. The twins were 6 days old and my step-mother was visiting. She needed to go home for her own Thanksgiving, and honestly, I wasn't getting a lot of sleep at that point. My c-section recovery wasn't going as well as it could. Well, really, my recovery from 17 weeks of bedrest was just . . . tough. I had no muscles and you need muscles to stand and walk and hold two babies.

And so Donna came out and she really did an amazing job of holding down the fort at home. She visited the hospital, too, but I think she spent a lot of time with Max. That period of time is very blurry. One thing I know for sure was that she made sure we had a Thanksgiving meal before she left. I think it was a Turkey breast and I don't remember the rest, but I was very touched that we had turkey for dinner. She also did most of the shopping for the twins' newborn wardrobe. We hadn't done any of that, so without her doing that, the twins would have been the naked babies in the NICU. Anyway, I'm still thankful for her efforts to care for us all that year. We really needed her.

This year I'm thankful for having Gaye around. I almost said something to her the other day when we were out at lunch and she was feeling so sick, but I didn't. She's been so supportive of us throughout our marriage, and she only grows more so. We lean on her, and I hope she leans on us some, too. I hope I'm a good mom-in-law when the boys grow up. I certainly have a wonderful example of what it looks like to be a great one.

I'm also thankful to my brother, Jason, and my mom, Judy, who are coming up to visit on Friday. I appreciate all the effort they are going to to come visit. We'll have a nice lunch of leftovers and enjoy the nephews--his and mine.

Finally, I'm grateful to my husband who is being so incredibly supportive as I pursue this idea that I could go back to school and get that Master's I've been wanting since forever. I feel strongly that I've found the right program and I am trying to temper my hope, but it would be fantastic if it works out. He has so much faith in me.

Happy Thanksgiving to Me!

I rocked the Miller Analogies Test today. I couldn't be happier.

My Christmas gift from my MIL arrived today--a new skirt and jacket set to wear to the Interview. It's beautiful AND comfortable, and after the interview I'm totally wearing it to work and to church.

Chris and I are going with friends to the Washington D.C. temple on December 19 and 20. It will be all decorated for Christmas, so hopefully we'll find a tripod and take some good pictures while we're there.

We're supposed to get almost 6 inches of snow over the next three days. Not enough all at once for a snow day though. Bummer.

Thank You to My Sister and BIL, Vlad!!

A huge public outpouring of gratitude to my sister (and her hubby, Vlad) who braved the San Diego post office for me today not once, but TWICE!! She went once to mail a massive package of goodies to the twins for their birthday and then went back AGAIN after learning that I was taking the GRE later this month--she has the GRE study book and is going to save me the cost of buying it. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!

I'm off to bed

In the morning the kids and I will go vote.

After that the day is full of work and meetings and more work.

So just to be safe, first thing in the morning, the kids and I will vote.

And I hope it's the same for you.

Hope Floats

Anyone see that movie? I never did, but I always loved the title. It's true; hope floats.

Yellow is the color of hope. If I could, I'd go out and buy a whole wardrobe of yellow (winter, long-sleeved) dresses. I'd get yellow fleece tops and yellow cotton skirts (but it's cold out, so I'd probably wear tights on under them). Since that's not in the cards right now, I'm knitting the kindergarten teacher a buttercream yellow scarf in a soft, warm wool. I write a grammar activity, knit a few rows, write another activity, knit another few rows. It makes for some knitting progress and my editor says the grammar is some of my better work.

Wednesday I spoke with the director of the Math Ed program at PSU. The conversation went well and I will be going in December for an interview. There is a possibility of an assistantship.

At first I felt guilty. It is soooo Chris's turn to have something wonderful happen to him. But he's been reassuring and supportive and I can't help it. Hope keeps bubbling up to the surface. A math ed degree would be a dream come true and there are so many opportunities in the field right now, especially in Pennsylvania. When I'm done, there are jobs with BENEFITS.

In the few days since then I've contacted a few people about recommendations for the application. I need five people in all--three for the general graduate school application and two for the program-specific application. Everyone has been so enthusiastic in response.

I keep telling myself that maybe nothing will come of it. That I'd better keep focusing on what's in front of me and not worry too much about the future. It's all true, and very important that I make the deadlines I already have. But just in case, I picked my husband's birthday as a great day to submit the application. And just in case, I registered for the GRE; I will have taken the test before I meet with the faculty.

I keep plugging away at my grammar and my geometry and the wills and whatnot at the attorney's office. But in the quiet spaces in between I knit on the kindergarten teacher's yellow scarf and let hope bubble happily up. It just feels so good.