Day 30 of Thankfulness

Well, I did it! Today is the last day of Thankfulness. Next month I will be posting daily advent activities that I have planned out for the kids to do.

Today I am thankful for this blog. I actually started blogging back in 2008. Most people don't know this, but this is not my 1st blog. I started a blog that is completely private right after I found out that I had an ectopic pregnancy. It was an excellent release of fears, frustrations, and sadness. Then I started a public blog ,(this one) about 6 months later. The blog now has become my window for our family that lives farther away, a great "baby book", and just another way I can express myself creatively. I hear a lot of comments that they enjoy reading it (even if they aren't left on the blog). I have actually taken the time to read everything back over and take a trip down memory lane sometimes! So today I am thankful for this blog! Thank you all for taking the time out of your schedule to read up on the Nowells!

Day 29 of Thankfulness

Today I am thankful for my first child, my fur child to be exact, Trapper. He came along on our first Christmas as a married couple. He has been excellent learning experience on having kids!! He has been very loyal, loving and protective. Now, he also knows how to push my buttons! I've lost several kid cups, pictures, and clean floors, but hey...who is perfect? We love him so much! So today I am thankful for Trapper!

Day 28 of Thankfulness

Today I am thankful for our Church Choir. I must be honest, we visited a LOT of churches when we moved here to Mooresville. Almost all of the churches have moved to a contemporary band (don't get me wrong, nothing wrong with a band), but there is something about a church choir to me! When we visited First Baptist, I immediately fell in love with the choir! So we came back. I joined the choir back in January of this year and I have roped Michael to join in August. When we have practice until late, they provide a nursery to watch the kids. Most of the time it is just our kids in the nursery. I mentioned earlier about how someone came to pray with us before Zack's surgery, well...that person was our Choir Director. They are all just wonderful people and all incredibly talented. I just love being apart of it! We are doing a very LARGE musical this year for Christmas and I can't wait to show it off! So today I am thankful for our Church Choir!

Day 27 of Thankfulness

Today I am thankful for those that go to school for several years and become health physicians!! When we are sick we know we have some one to call on! If we need a surgery performed we have those that know what they are doing to perform them. We have the good fortune to be in some great doctor's care over the last few years, so today I am thankful for doctors!

Space Day

Today is Space Day at school. I didn't want to go out and buy anything so, Cousin Aaden let us borrow his Buzz Lightyear costume and I turned an Ariel costume into an alien princess costume with some stickers and antenna. So here they are:

Day 26 of Thankfulness

Today I am thankful for Family Traditions. (Honey I know currently you are singing the song in your head.) Everyone has something they do because that is what their parents did and they just continue passing it along. Growing up we always put up our Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving. We always went to designated family houses on Christmas Even and then Christmas Day. We always went on one family vacation the week of the 4th of July. So, once we started having kids, I was so excited to start our own family traditions. I think they are sooo important. So today I am thankful for Family Traditions!

Decorating for Christmas

My ultimate goal in life would be that I had a Christmas tree in every room at Christmas!  Yes, it is a crazy dream.  So...I went out and got the kids a tree of their own and let them decorate it.  They picked out their own ornaments and everything.  So here is the video of them decorating their trees.

North Pole Breakfast

Here are some pictures from our North Pole Breakfast. Enjoy!

Day 25 of Thankfulness

Today I am thankful for the gift of music. God blessed me with the ability to carry a tune and boy am I glad he did. Music is one of the most awesome gifts there are. It can change your mood and it can even send you back in time with a memory that reminds you of the song you hear. When you here a peppy beat you more than likely will nod your head or tap your feet. Powerful ability music has! Today I got to sing at church and I am thankful to God he blessed me so! Over the next few weeks we I will be singing a lot (with the help of The Lord) hopefully I will remain healthy and the lyrics of our music will speak to those who need it! So today I am thankful for the gift of music!

Day 24 of Thankfulness

Today I am thankful that the countdown to Christmas has started. I posted earlier about how Dash has come back for December. I am such a big kid that Christmas is by far my most favorite time of the year. I could care less about presents. I love the singing of carols, decorating, the Christmas joy, having loved ones nearby, the movies, and of course celebrating the birth of Jesus! I have so much planned for this coming month and I hope to be posting about most of these activities! So today I am thankful for the fact that Christmas season is upon us!

North Pole Visitors

Our elf (and our nephew's elf) has arrived!  We had a North Pole breakfast this morning, curtesy of our elf, Dash!  Welcome back Dash!!

Day 23 of Thankfulness

Today I am thankful for spending time with family! Over the last few days I have thoroughly enjoyed spending time with my family! We even have stayed up almost all night shopping Black Friday deals and we still are enjoying spending time with each other. God blessed me so much with my family! So today I am thankful for spending time with family!

Day 22 of Thankfulness

Today I am thankful for Thanksgiving. I love Thanksgiving! I love gathering as a family and giving thanks to God for all the MANY blessings he has bestowed upon us. Today I am thankful for Thanksgiving!

From our family to yours...we hope everyone has a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving!

Day 22 of Thankfulness

Today I am thankful for my health. I am in no means the best shape, but I am healthy. I know several people in this world that are currently dealing with chronic illnesses, and I pray for them daily, but I thank God that I am very fortunate for my health! So today I am very thankful for my health!

Day 20 of Thankfulness

Today I am thankful that the Mooresville Christmas parade was a big success. We were invited to ride the BB&T float again this year. The kids did really well for being on the float from 2:30-5:30. We actually waited to get on the Main part for over one hour. So today I am thankful for parade success!

Preschool Thanksgiving

Today was the kids Thanksgiving Feast at preschool. The kids dressed up as Indians and made some really cute art work! It was a blast!

Day 19 of Thankfulness

Today I am thankful for my Bible Study group. These ladies have come to mean a lot to me. We have a lesson every Monday night and we pray for each other and allow each one of us to vent about our frustrations! So today I am thankful for my Bible Study ladies!!

Day 18 of Thankfulness

Today I am thankful for our church! I can honestly say (after moving so much) a home doesn't feel like a home unless you have a church family to call on. When Zack had his surgery earlier this year, we had a visit from one of our leaders to pray over Zack before his surgery. When we had a scare last October and ended up in the hospital, our Sunday School class (that we had attended a few times and were not yet members) immediately reached out to us to see what they could do. I love our church family so much! So today I am thankful for our church!

Day 17 of Thankfulness

Today I am thankful for my little family activities. Today we surprised the kids with tickets to Disney on Ice. They enjoyed it and mommy loved seeing how excited they were. I hope to post pictures and video soon (been having computer issues the last few days). So today I am thankful for family activities!!

Day 16 of Thankfulness

Today I am thankful for Pinterest. Yes, it is a website that seems so minuscule in the scheme of things, but today I am thankful for the site. Currently, I am preparing for my busiest time of the year! I want to create more family traditions... So where do I turn for inspirations? Pinterest! I have been invited to be a part of an ornament exchange party for a "Meaningful Christmas" (more on this later)...ornament ideas? Pinterest! Coming up with MOPPET craft ideas? Pinterest all the way! It is definitely my number one site for party inspirations too! So today (after making 24 ornaments) I am thankful for Pinterest!

Day 15 of Thankfulness

Today I am thankful for Maddie and Zack's preschool. They have learned so much in the last year and love it, which means mommy loves it too! I have gotten to work there a lot lately and I just adore everyone there! Their motto is to teach kids in education, but there is also a huge emphasis on the love of God and that is such a great thing to me! So today I am thankful for Maddie and Zack's preschool!

Day 14 of Thankfulness

Today I am thankful for my MOPS group! What is MOPS? It is Mothers of Preschoolers. I joined in February of 2011, which was right after we moved here. I am certain that this group kept me from crawling in a corner, crying, waving my white flag! I love this group! I have met some amazing women and have learned so much from them! We do Moms Night Out about once a month, we have play dates, and two meetings a month. I love them so much that this year I became a leader. So today I am thankful for my MOPS group!

Day 13 of Thankfulness

Today I am thankful for our house. When I write these blogs I really don't want to sound like I am bragging. I am genuinely thankful for each thing that I write about. There are millions of people, probably billions, that do not have a roof over their head in this world. I am very blessed. I not only have a roof, but heat and air conditioning when wanted. My house is far from perfect. In fact I unfortunately complain about it constantly (needing repairs, leaking, etc). I do know that I am very fortunate! So today I am thankful for my house!

Day 12 of Thankfulness

Today I am thankful for my college friends! This past weekend I got to catch up and hang out with all my old roommates, fellow choir members and friends from school. It was great! I really do miss all of them. College would not have been the same without them. They helped me relax when needed, study when needed and get me up if I over slept (never over slept mom if you're reading this, lol). I thank them all for helping me get through school and I hope to hang out with them all soon!! Today I am thankful for my college friends!

Day 11 of Thankfulness

In honor of Veteran's day, today I am thankful, grateful, indebted to all the men and women who have and continue to serve our country! Our freedom has come at a very heavy price and I am in awe of those that volunteer to serve our country. I am deeply connected with the Armed Forces, with members of family representing almost all of our military branches. In the Army - one grandfather fought in WWII and Korean War, another grandfather in the Korean War, a cousin who did two tours to Iraq, and a step-brother in-law who fought in Afghanistan. In the Navy - several uncles who have served as well as cousins, currently my brother-in-law is serving and is out on deployment. In the Coast Guard - another step-brother in-law is currently serving. In the Marines - both grandfather-in-laws served, father-in-law fought in the Vietnam War, and a cousin currently flying a fighter jet in the Marines.

So, thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the past and present veterans! We are grateful for your service and sacrifices! Today I am very thankful for our veterans!

Day 10 of Thankfulness

Today I am thankful for my best friend Crystal! We met in 6th grade. We both swear that under our breaths we hated each other because we were jealous of each other's talent. Then in 7th grade we were thrown together in class and we became best friends ever since. So I have been lucky enough to have her in my life for over half my life. We have been through sooooooo much together. We have one of those connections that if you play games against us that requires you to have inside gags that means your going to lose against us!!! She is the type of friend if I don't call in a while and then call up, we pick up like it was the next day. I love her so much and don't know what I would do without her! So today I am thankful for my best friend, Crystal!!

Day 9 of Thankfulness

Today I am thankful for technology! Technology is an awesome thing when used for good. Currently, Mike and I are heading to Chapel Hill for UNC's homecoming this weekend. Mamaw and Papaw offered to watch the kids, however, Mamaw also promise to watch Aaden and Bentley for Aunt Stacy. So Mamaw asked if she and dad could take the kids with them to GA. So, last night I got a message that Zack needed mommy. Thankfully Aunt Stacy and I have an iPhone. So we were able to do Face time with each other. For those that don't know what face time is, it is pretty much the same as Skype, but directly through the phone. So he got to see mommy.

Also, each week we Skype with Grammy & Pop and Grampy & Grandma. It is such a blessing to have this, because we might get to see them in person about once every 3-4 months. However, thanks to technology the kids see them at least once a week. So today I am thankful for technology!

Day 8 of Thankfulness

Today I am thankful for sibling-inlaws. I counted up and I have eleven sibling inlaws. That is amazing considering I have one sister!!! Granted some of these inlaws are step inlaws and I don't get to spend as much time as I would like with them, but the others are like my own siblings! They have helped my hubby (again perfect for me) to be the man he is! I love each and every one!! So today I am thankful for my sibling-inlaws!!!

Day 7 of Thankfulness

Today I am thankful for my sister! I still remember the day I was told I was going to be a big sister, the day I found out my sister was born, and almost all the days since (well the important ones anyway). She has been such a blessing in my life. Even though I am older and suppose to be the "teacher"; I have learned so much from her and continue to daily. She is beautiful inside and out, courageous, and thoughtful. I love her so much! So today I am very thankful for my sister!

Day 6 of Thankfulness

Since today is voting day, I thought it would be appropriate to write about what a blessing it is to live in a democratic country with a freedom to vote! I get to go to the voting polls today and cast my vote for several elected officials. I don't have to be in fear, disguise my face or worry about my safety like majority of the world (those that have elections that is). I think it is a privilege to be able to vote, especially being a woman! Most people forget we (women) were the last to be allowed to vote. I don't want to get on my soap box so I will just say this, no matter your voter affiliations, please get out and vote! This is what our forefathers fought so hard for us to be allowed to do! So today I am very thankful to live in a country where my voice matters!

Surprise Concert

A few months ago, Uncle Michael came to us and asked if we would like to go to a Carrie Underwood concert with him and Aunt Amy.  We said "Of COURSE!".  The only catch was that we had to keep it secret, because it was a surprise for Amy.  So, we had Grampy and Grandma come down Saturday to watch the twins so we could go to the concert (Thank you Grampy and Grandma!).  We headed to Charlotte to meet Aunt Amy and Uncle Michael for dinner before the concert.  Somehow Michael was able to keep everything a secret up until about an hour before the concert.  I was quite impressed!  Amy went to use the restroom and saw signs posted about Carrie everywhere, so she put two and two together.  I think she enjoyed it though!  We loved it!  It was GREAT to get a chance to hang out with them!!  After the concert we went to Howl at the Moon for a little bit and enjoyed some dueling piano playing.  Thanks again for allowing us to share an awesome night with you two! 

Birthday Shout

Today we wanted to wish Great-Aunt Madelin a happy birthday!! We love you and hope you have had a WONDERFUL birthday!

Day 5 of Thankfulness

Today I am thankful for my parent-inlaws. I am lucky enough to not have just two inlaws, but four! Each one has welcomed me into their family as if I was their own child. They raised my husband to be the man he is (perfect for me). They too are all wonderful grandparents and in a moments notice would drop what they were doing and run to help us out in anything! So today I am very thankful my parent-inlaws!

Day 4 of Thankfulness

Today I am thankful for my parents. I have two amazing, hardworking, loving, Godly parents. They raised my sister and me in a nurturing, loving, Christian home. They have made sacrifices for us and will do absolutely anything for us. They are also two fantastic grandparents too! So today I am very thankful for my parents!

Day 3 of Thankfulness

Today I am so Thankful for my two wonderful, beautiful, healthy children. God entrusted me to be their mother and even on our worst days, I know that I am so thankful to God for allowing me to have these two precious miracles! They are such wonderful blessings from God! So today I am very thankful for my two beautiful children!

Day 2 of Thankfulness

I am soooooooo thankful for my husband. He works so hard for me and our family! He allows me to be a stay at home mother. He loves me and our kids fiercely! He is our protector and provider. So today I am very thankful for my husband!

30 Days of Thankfulness

I have decided to join the crowd and do 30 days of thankfulness for Thanksgiving. It started yesterday, so I am a day late and will do two posts.

Day one, I am thankful for my God. My God is an awesome God. He loves me unconditionally even though I certainly don't deserve His love. He sent his Son to die a horrible death for my sins. I am very thankful for my God!

Birthday Shout

We want to wish a Happy Birthday to Papaw!!!  We love you!!!