Texas Lou

Archive for the ‘Holidays’ Category

Hello and happy New Year! It’s been a while, but I’ve had a resurgence in my gratitude practices, so I want to keep writing here as well!

1. I am thankful for another new year and a fresh start! This year, I am trying to have more self-compassion, go easier on myself, and forgive and let go of some of the hard things I’ve faced since March of 2020. Luckily, I’ve learned a lot about myself and others, but I’ve also carried too much pain and think I’m finally coming to realize that letting go and forgiving is much easier than holding on to the hurt. I am grateful for this realization!
2. I am thankful we are all starting to feel better after both the flu and strep welcomed us into 2024! I’m also thankful for access to medication and doctors!
3. I am grateful for an amazing Christmas spent with my mom, sister, brother, and our families! This was the first time we’ve been together for the holiday in 5 years and we’ve had 4 new family members since then!
4. I am so grateful for my little boys who teach me to be a better and more patient person every day!
5. I am thankful for my amazing mom who always welcomes us into her home for as long as we want!

Wishing you all a happy and grateful New Year!

Happy New Year friends! I’m starting out 2023 with lots of gratitude.

1. I am beyond grateful for a wonderful birthday, Christmas, and New Year spent with my family and my mom. She was here for 2 weeks and we had such an amazing time. I am so grateful I got to spend so much time with my best friend and that my kiddos got to spend time with their grandmother who is such a positive influence.
2. I am thankful we all stayed healthy over the holidays and during our travels for Thanksgiving. Trying not to worry too much about all of the bugs going around was difficult but I am grateful none of us were sick beyond a minor cold.
3. I am thankful for the ability to take plenty of time off from work over the holidays to spend with my family.
4. I am thankful for a new year and a fresh start!
5. I am grateful for a determined growth mindset and the ability to keep learning and improving myself.

Wishing you all a happy 2023!

Happy New Year Friends! I really have so much to be thankful for lately!

1. I am sooooo very thankful that we got to spend a long 2 weeks with my mom and extended family for Christmas! We had the most wonderful time and I’ll always remember this trip!
2. I’m grateful that some of my family members who were very sick in the hospital with Covid are all home now and seem to be doing better.
3. I’m grateful for a safe trip to and from Texas. We drove for the first time and I’m glad we made it safely without any incidents. I’m also thankful for my husband who quickly and gracefully handled the minor car trouble we had on the way home as well as for the Honda service center, especially their employee, Carlos, who were able to quickly get our car checked out and ensure it was safe to continue driving (all with a fun kids waiting area too)!
4. I’m thankful for my boys’ school and that they are able to continue to attend in person and learn with their friends and teachers.
5. I’m thankful for the vaccines for Covid that are now becoming available and for all the people who have put their hard work, time, and expertise into developing and testing them.
6. I’m grateful that Ben, the boys, and I already had Covid and recovered without any issues. It is because of that, that we have been able to have some sense of normal back in our lives including getting to visit my family and meet my new nephew, traveling for Christmas and getting to see family we have missed so much, and having less interruptions or worry when it comes to school and protentional exposures.
7. I am thankful for hope for the future. I am very hopeful that this spring and summer, most of us can hopefully try to get back to somewhat of a normal life.
8. I’m grateful for my husband for agreeing to drive to Texas with 3 young children with me. He surely knows the way to my heart.
9. I’m thankful for my best friend Lindsey who checked on our house and kitties while we were gone and has never judged me or been scared to be around me throughout the Covid crisis. I may not have made it through the past few months as gracefully without her!
10. Lastly, I am grateful for life and love. I love life and I love all the people in my life whether I see them every day or once a year. I’m so blessed to know so many wonderful and kind people.

Sending wishes of love, happiness, and health to you all!

Although I haven’t been keeping up with these posts regularly, I do practice gratitude and gratitude journaling daily and have even incorporated it into my parenting so I can teach my boys the value of it. I am extra thankful that I started writing these posts several years ago because it was one of the first things that introduced me to how being grateful can help me live a happier life.

Here’s what I’m thankful for today:

1. I’m thankful for having tomorrow and Friday off of work to spend with my family for Thanksgiving.
2. I’m thankful for fun plans over the long holiday weekend with family and friends.
3. I’m thankful that our internet seems to be back up and running smoothly.
4. I’m grateful for my husband who does so much to help our family and save us money. He seems to have become a very talented Mr. Fix-it over the past few years.
5. I’m thankful for my family’s health.

Happy Thanksgiving friends! Remember what it truly is all about!

Happy New Year friends!  So far 2019 is off to a great start for me!  I’m learning, reading, moving, and improving!  Here are a few things I’m thankful for today:

1. I’m so so so grateful for a wonderful long vacation in Dallas visiting my mom and extended family!  We had such a wonderful time celebrating Christmas and seeing everyone and I’m grateful my mom has plenty of room for the whole family to stay when we all visit.
2. I’m grateful for easy traveling, on-time flights, and safe travels over Christmas.  Our biggest travel woe was a screaming toddler on an airplane which is to be expected and I’m so thankful we didn’t have to deal with any delays or cancellations.
3. I’m grateful my mom, sister, brother, and I and all of our spouses and kids could be together for Christmas for the first time in 3 years.  We are rarely all together in one place so it was a blessing that we were all able to come together for a couple of days to celebrate Christmas.
4. I’m thankful for my husband who puts up with my incessant requests to travel to Texas.  I know traveling with young children can be grueling and I’m so grateful he understands how important it is to me to spend time with my family despite them living far away.
5. I’m grateful for a fresh start.  I love new beginnings and the new year certainly seems to be the ultimate new beginning.  I am really taking the bull by the horns in 2019 and trying to be a better person in all aspects of my life!

Wishing you all a happy and grateful 2019!

Although I didn’t celebrate Thanksgiving this year, I have so much to be thankful for:

1. I’m so grateful to my in-laws for taking care of my 3 boys (and my 2 nieces for helping) so that Ben and I could attend my brother’s wedding in Costa Rica.  Although we wanted to take them with us, we just couldn’t make it work and I’m so glad we didn’t have to miss the wedding and I didn’t have to go alone.  Thanks so much to my in-laws for all of their help!
2. I’m thankful for 5 days in paradise with my family.  This was the first time in 11 years I’ve been with my family on Thanksgiving.  And even though we didn’t have Thanksgiving dinner, we definitely had a celebration!
3. I’m grateful that my brother found his best friend and soul mate in Erin.  I’m so happy for them as they start their lives together.
4. I’m thankful that we made it through all of our travels safely.  Traveling to a foreign country can be scary and full of anxiety but we were lucky to be safe and not have any hiccups along the way.
5. I’m grateful that I get to see my family again soon for Christmas!

Happy day friends!

Hi friends!

Once again, I have so much to be thankful for!

1. I’m so grateful for amazing friends who love and care about me!  On Saturday afternoon, some of my closest girlfriends surprised me with a baby shower/luncheon.  I had no clue that they were planning it and thought I was just meeting a couple of girlfriends for an early dinner and movie.  I was overwhelmed by love and gratitude for this sweet gesture!  Whenever I am feeling down or distant from my friends, I need to remember times like these that prove how loved I am and what wonderful people I have in my life.
2. I’m thankful for good friends who make the effort to stay in your lives despite busy schedules and the chaos of raising children.  We have friends with twin kiddos around the boys’ age that we became close with over the past couple years.  Last summer, I was so sad to learn that they were moving to Florida.  However, we’ve kept in touch and they were in town visiting yesterday and we got to spend a great day with them!  We had coffee and play time at the park and lunch and ice cream in Crozet.  After the kiddos napped, our friends came over for dinner and more play time.  It was so nice to see our friends and I’m so grateful for the effort they have put in to stay close despite the geographical distance between us.  I hope we stay good friends for many years to come!
3. I’m thankful for my husband, my dad, and my father-in-law.  We celebrated Father’s Day on Sunday and while I try to remember to be grateful for these awesome men every day, the day is always a nice reminder to reflect on how much they do and have done for us.  I love you Dad, Ben, and Peter!
4. I’m grateful for exercise and the ability my body has to perform it.  I have been trying to exercise this pregnancy with occasional walking, light running, elliptical training, and some light weight training.  With my twin pregnancy and all the complications that came with it, exercise for me was pretty much non-existent.  However, since I’m just having one baby this time with hopefully a normal pregnancy, I’ve been trying to stay more physically fit, especially since I want to be able to keep up with my boys during pregnancy and after.  I’ve noticed that on the days I exercise, my pregnancy aches and pains are much less bothersome if not non-existent so I’m so thankful I am able to still be exercising in my third trimester.
5. I’m grateful for my husband.  He just gets me and it’s nice to have someone who gets you and knows you better than most people.  Thanks for being one of my people Ben and for never putting up with my bullshit!  I love you!

Have a grateful day!

Happy New Year Friends!

I’m wishing everyone peace, prosperity, health, and happiness in 2017!  Here’s what I’m grateful for today:

1. I’m grateful for an amazing Christmas holiday celebrated in Texas surrounded by so much family!  I’m so thankful that we were able to travel and spend time with so many of the people that mean the most to me!  I hope you had a great Christmas too!
2. I’m thankful that I work for a great company with an awesome employee discount benefit!  Our 10 year old TV finally kicked the bucket last night and I was able to save almost $500 on a new TV with my employee discount.  Thanks Crutchfield!
3. I’m grateful for my mom.  She always does her best to make sure that her family has a great Christmas.  She outdid herself this year by providing a big and beautiful festive home for us all to convene for the holidays and by cooking some amazing holiday meals!  Thank you Mom!
4. I’m grateful for my husband who spent his first Christmas away from his parents so that we could spend the holiday in Texas (my first time in 5 years!).  I know it wasn’t easy for him or his family to be apart on Christmas so I want to say a special thanks to them all for being cool with it.
5. I’m grateful for a fresh start and the new year.  There are exciting things coming for my family this year and one of my goals is to try and remain grateful with a positive attitude and to also raise my boys with that same mindset.

Happy 2017!  Love you all!

Hi friends!

It’s a new year and with a new year, comes the inevitable new years resolutions.  And one of my many resolutions is to practice being grateful more often which includes *attempting* to keep up with my weekly “Thankful Monday (or whatever day it happens to be)” posts.  So here’s my first thankful post of 2016:

1. I’m so grateful for modern medicine!  I hurt my back badly the other day due to a combination of overzealous New Year’s Day workout, slipping and falling at the park, and constant lifting and carrying of a combined 55 pounds of toddler boys.  While I am most certainly not grateful for the injury, I am so thankful for my doctor, my doctor’s office’s ability to get me seen very quickly, steroid/numbing shots, and medication.  Here’s hoping I can be grateful for a quick recovery next week! 😉
2. I’m grateful that thus far, my boys have not caught the stomach virus that Ben and I endured over the holidays.  I’m hoping they both stay healthy!
3. I’m thankful for my family, who spent lots of time and money to travel to Virginia to be with us for my birthday and Christmas.  We had a blast together despite above mentioned stomach virus.
4. I’m thankful for our secure jobs and enough income to not only give our boys a good life but also a very nice Christmas filled with more toys than they could play with in a day.  I’m also thankful for these gifts, the bulk of which came from family.  The boys are blessed as are we!
5. I’m thankful for the opportunity for a fresh start.  Every new year brings with it the chance to reflect on the past and try to improve upon our mistakes and misgivings.  Here’s hoping 2016 will be an amazing and grateful year for us all!

Wishing you all a wonderful year ahead!