Thankful...

This year we have so many wonderful things to be thankful for.  I never used to be one to find the silver lining in things, but I have learned to finally do that this year.  We have grown so much this year in all of our experiences, both good and bad.  Gratefullness is a quality learned, something not simply acquired automatically.  The most simplest of things I am now very grateful for.  Things I took for granted in the past are now relished rather than forgotten.  That in and of itself is a huge blessing. 

I am grateful and thankful that...

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  We move into our new home in December.
  
  
  
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  Brayden is healthy and happy, and so full of life and pure joy everyday.
  
  
  
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  I have the most wonderful family and friends any one woman could ever ask for.
  
  
  
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  I have the opportunity to go back to college this year-and it's completely paid for.
  
  
  
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  I have a new set of goals, and dreams that I feel confident I can accomplish.
  
  
  
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  I have a wonderful husband that is the greatest father a little boy could ask for.
  
  
  
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  I no longer feel like the doors and windows of my life are closed.  They are open, the sun is shining in, and I can feel the breeze now.
  
  
  
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  God is a very big part of my life and I am learning more about my faith every single day of my life.
  
  
  
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  I am confident, strong, independent and a little wiser than I was this time last year.
  
  
  
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  I will soon have health insurance back, and that means getting off Prednisone...finally. {and that has soooo many positive outcomes for me and my health...and appearance;-) }
  
  
  
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  I am blessed more than I feel I deserve.
  
  
  

Life is full of beautiful moments to embrace if we take the time to recognize them.  It  is full of opportunites to do the right thing, and encourage others to do the same.  Hug the ones you love, tell them you love them all the time, always end on a good note, be honest, sincere, compassionate and understanding.  Bite your tongue even when you don't want to.  Everything else will fall into place...eventually ;-) 

Hoping everyone has a most wonderful, thankful and blessed Thanksgiving.

-The Snow Family

Realms of Color...

Brayden has his own idea of fun when it comes to coloring.  He will generally start out scribbling on paper, coloring books, and anything around not under cover {furniture and walls included}!  He soon gets bored with all that, and starts standing all of his crayons up on end, in various patterns. 

Many fall as he tries to line them up.  He is patient and says "ahhh Mannn", picks them back up and continues on his mission.  He concentrates very hard, and is so methodical about it.  He insures even space between them, and has even begun counting them as he lines them up. Other times he will attempt to sing Happy Birthday, and will pretend to blow out the candles with said crayons.  Once he has them all lined up he starts clapping, smiling ear to ear shouting "I do it", and "yayyyy".

He is inventive, creative, and theatrical in his endeavors with his little Crayola friends. 

I love it.

I love watching his precise and steady chubby little fingers stand the crayons up on end as he sticks his tongue out and scrunches his little eyebrows.  I love watching what new pattern he will create and try to follow those wheels that are turning a mile a minute in his head.

 He amazes me. 

It is so fun to watch him explore, and find new ways to entertain himself.  It's interesting to me that he is exhibiting his free and un-inhibited creativity realizing crayons could be used for things other than just coloring with.

  It's either that, or he's obsessive compulsive! 

I'm hoping it's just a very eccentric creative streak he is expressing.

I think this quote below sums it up perfectly! 

The whole world, as we experience it visually, comes to us through the mystic realm of color.

-Hans Hofmann

If your happy and you know it...

Brayden found some fun little stickers today.  Happy faces :-)  Gotta love that he felt compelled to stick them all over his face...all of them...one.by.one. 

He was so very adorable and proud of himself.

 Looks like he got in a sticker show down with the Wal Mart greeter...

and won!
All while sporting his t-shirt Daddy got for him that says;
 "DUDE-your girlfriend keeps checking me out"
{Ha Ha}

Once in a Lifetime...

I remember the day Brayden was born.  We woke up at 4 am to be at the hospital by 5:30 am to start Pre-Op for my scheduled C-Section.  We took pictures that morning of my belly, gave the dogs lots of loves, made sure the house was perfect for his arrival at home, and went out the door with bags packed, raring to go. 

For the first minute or so of our ride to the hospital, the car was silent.  We were both so nervous.  We were worried about Brayden's lungs possibly not being developed enough once delivered, and what that could mean for him.  I think we were both quietly praying in that moment of silence. 

Ron reached over and turned the radio on.  Then he held my hand.  The sun was just starting to shine as we drove down the street headed toward the hospital. 

I am a firm believer in signs.  Signs from God, and our Guardian angels.  There have been many times in my life when a song will come on the radio that just literally speaks volumes to me.  I know it's a sign.  It's something grand in the works of the scheme of things going through my mind at that moment.  It's my reassurance at that time things will be fine.  It gives me relief, and stronger faith. 

This was the song that started to play just moments after our hands intertwined as our stomachs were both in knots.  Knots of fear, excitement, and the unknown.  I happened to look right at a ray of sunshine peaking through some trees in the car that morning just as the lyrics sang "the sun is shining, on a brand new day".

I looked at Ron and had tears in my eyes and said..."this is like the most perfect song we could possibly hear right now, don't you think?"  He gave me a very scared, timid, sensitive look back and nodded his head yes with a set of his own tears.

We were silent once again just taking in the words and meaning for us from this song. It was a perfect moment, in our once in a lifetime day.
 It was in fact a brand new day for us, like no other we had ever experienced, or that we would ever experience again. 

The day our first born was delivered as healthy as can be to us from God.

To this day, this song can instantly bring me to tears.

 It's beautiful.

"Keith Urban-Once in a Lifetime"

CLICK HERE TO HEAR IT

Shabby Hair...

Brayden was in desperate need of a haircut last week.  His hair grows so quickly!  We took him to a local salon to have his hair done.  He was exceptionally polite, saying thankyou, welcome and please to the hair dresser.  She gave him a sucker, and we did not hear the end of that sucker until we left and were able to confiscate it from him.  He was a sticky mess from head to toe.  Oh well...at least his hair looks better now than it did like this....

{although HE does not seem to mind by the look of this expression} :-) 

We love you and your silliness Brayden.

Mommy's night out...

Mommy went out last weekend, and oh.my.was.it.fun!  Some old girlfriends of mine called and asked me to meet them at the local Rod and Gun club Saturday night for some birthday fun-ness!  My dear friend Marcy {who I have known since 4th grade, yes 21 years!!!} and I share the same birthday-November 11th. We wanted to celebrate our birthday together! Stacy and I and Marcy all went to prom together way back in good ol' 1996.  Oh the years, the memories.  We have all grown up so much since then, married, had babies.  Unreal it seems.  We had a ton of fun talking about all of our old moments, laughter, funny times and triumphs.  We giggled like school girls, danced, took crazy pictures, danced some more, and just had a great time.
 Here is a normal photo from our night out.

Cheese!!!!!!!!!!!!

The other day it suddenly became VERY quiet in the house.  I saw flashes of light coming from the corner, and I heard Brayden shouting "cheese"  over and over again.  Yes...he found Mama's camera, and was actually pointing it AT himself taking pictures.

 You'd think he was 2 going on 20 making a Myspace page for himself or something!!!

 Too funny.