You guys! We're home. We are finally home! No, we haven't moved back from Kuwait for good yet (I know some of you have been asking), but we will be here in the states for a month-long trip, in order to get Liam's doctor appointments taken care of, and we're also looking to buy, maybe even start building a house, so that we're all set when we move back in April.
We spent our first weekend in downtown Chicago with my family. It's funny how I lived in Chicago for the first eighteen years of my life, and yet I've barely experienced what this city has to offer. So we stayed at a beautiful downtown hotel, and explored this amazing city.
So many things to be thankful for this week, that it's hard to narrow it down to just ten. But I'll try my best.
1. I'm thankful for planes that land safely.
2. I'm thankful for a three-year-old, who not only behaves himself on very long flights, but actually LOVES to fly. Like, when we're landing people always turn and look at him with a smile, because he always laughs and says "WEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!" as the plane is descending and landing. Although, depending on the pilot, he can also sometimes be heard saying "Oh, what was that?!" or "That was a little scary." Those comments get little smirks as well.
3. I'm thankful for in-flight entertainment in the form of drunk adults. This woman got up multiple times as we were landing, even after all of the flight attendants were seated and buckled in, and even had to be told via intercom to sit down. And during the flight she got hushed no less than ten times by others on the plane. Total Kristen Wiig Bridesmaids style.
4. I'm thankful that my husband gets along so incredibly well with my family. Take this picture, for instance. Just two brothers hanging out in the hotel hallway with absurdly large beers, purchased on a layover in Germany hours earlier. Don't mind our crazy niece hovering above.
5. I'm thankful that I get to see what amazing human beings my nieces and nephews are growing up to be.
6. I'm thankful for Chicago deep dish pizza.
7. I'm thankful for U.S. Dollars. It is so, so nice not having to do quick conversions in my head every time I make a purchase.
8. I'm thankful for large suitcases. Wanna know what packing for a month-long trip looks like? This. Although, truth be told, this is also what a weekend trip to Dubai looks like. I can't help myself.
9. I'm thankful for hotel sleepovers.
10. I'm thankful for cousins who absolutely love and adore Liam. I mean, you can actually SEE the love in this picture. Melts my heart.
Ten Things of Thankful Hosts:
A Fly on our (Chicken Coop) Wall, Considerings, Finding Ninee, I Can Say Mama, I Want Backsies, Steps into Parenthood, Thankful Me, The Wakefield Doctrine
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$75 Cash Giveaway to Celebrate The Pink Roller Coaster's One Year Blogiversary!
This giveaway will end at midnight on Saturday, September 28.
Winner MUST have a PayPal Account. You must be at least 18 year old to enter.
Giveaway is worldwide. Void where prohibited by law.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
This giveaway is open worldwide. Void where prohibited by law. You must be at least 18 years old to enter. Winner MUST have a PayPal account. Winner will be chosen at random by Random.org and will be notified via email. Winner shall respond within 48 hours or a new winner will be chosen. Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Bloglovin, Pinterest, and Blogger are in no way associated with this giveaway. I do not share or sell any information you provide.
“If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is 'thank you', it will be enough.”
-Meister Eckhart
1. I'm thankful that our mail no longer consists of piles upon piles of medical bills, only lots of credit card offers.
2. I'm thankful that because Liam's medical bills are finally paid off, and because we've saved money by living in Kuwait for the past year, we're now in the position to buy, possibly build, our first home.
3. I'm thankful that someone from the Spina Bifida Association contacted me a couple days ago, asking if they could feature Liam's SB Story in their October fundraising appeal. I said yes, of course, even if my husband does occasionally call me a "stage mom," and jokingly refers to me as "Kris Jenner." But it's like I tell him: whatever we can do to raise SB awareness (and funds) is fine by me. If it's wrong, I don't wanna be right.
4. I'm thankful that Liam no longer needs my help getting on and off his Plasmacar. I'm thankful that he's learned how to climb onto his slide AND turn his body around so that he can slide down on his butt, instead of just his stomach. These little bits of independence make my heart swell.
5. I'm thankful that I have a mom who loves me so much that she called me last week and actually said this: "I need you to buy a box of dark hair dye and a head covering just in case DeMarko has to get you out of the country quickly. He and Liam can blend in, you cannot."
6. I'm thankful that Liam has started talking -- really, started talking. I am aware that not all parents get to experience this joy, and I feel grateful for it every day.
7. I'm thankful that my husband passed another one of his computer certification exams last week. I'm thankful that he's working hard to enhance his resumé, in preparation for our move back to the states (and trying to find a new job) next year.
8. I'm thankful that despite being born with Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus, Liam is as healthy as a horse. This isn't always the case, and I am fully aware of what a real blessing it is.
9. I'm thankful that we'll be heading back to the states in less than a week. I'm thankful for upcoming date nights with my husband, lots of time with family, and a much-needed girls' night out.
10. I'm thankful that readership of my blog is growing, as my husband says, exponentially. I'm thankful that people actually care about what I have to say, and that so many of my friends and family, along with some new bloggy friends, have been so supportive. In fact, I'm so grateful that I am running a $75 Cash Giveaway, as a way to say thank you to my readers AND celebrate my one year blogiversary. Can you believe September 28th marks one year since I started blogging?! And, okay, so maybe another reason I'm doing a giveaway is to increase traffic to the blog and gain some new followers -- but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do, am I right?! You can enter the giveaway in the Rafflecopter below.
Ten Things of Thankful Hosts:
A Fly on Our (Chicken Coop) Wall, Considerings, Finding Ninee, I Can Say Mama, I Want Backsies, Steps into Parenthood, Thankful Me, The Wakefield Doctrine
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
$75 Cash Giveaway to Celebrate The Pink Roller Coaster's One Year Blogiversary!
This giveaway will end at midnight on Saturday, September 28, 2013.
Winner MUST have a PayPal Account. You must be at least 18 years old to enter.
Giveaway is worldwide. Void where prohibited by law.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
This giveaway is open worldwide. Void where prohibited by law. You must be at least 18 years old to enter. Winner MUST have a PayPal account. Winner will be chosen at random by Random.org and will be notified via email. Winner shall respond within 48 hours or a new winner will be chosen. Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Bloglovin, Pinterest, and Blogger are in no way associated with this giveaway. I do not share or sell any information you provide.
