Thanksgiving!!!

We had a nice relaxing Thanksgiving this year. We spent most of the day relaxing at home. We had to be to Aunt Tammy's about 230 for our first dinner. It was nice to just hang out with everyone. Then we went to my parents house for our 2nd dinner. I didn't eat much at Aunt Tammy's so I could save room to eat over there! The boys watched football while my mom and I looked through some old family photos. It was a box from my grandpa's house that had pics from when my dad was born. It was really neat to see them all. It started getting late by this time, and since our kids are in bed at 8 every night they were starting to get tired and cranky so we headed home. We thought we were going to get home and be able to just go to sleep, but Tasia wasn't having it! She didn't sleep most of the night! She was up crying every hour or 2. She must have been having a hard time breathing, because she was congested. Our nice relaxing Thanksgiving ended with Anthony and I being completely exhausted, and we laid around and did a lot of nothing on Friday. Hope everyone had a good day with their families!

I'm thankful for....

I decided to follow in my friends footsteps and take them time to list a few of the things I am thankful for. With Thanksgiving being this Thursday it's the perfect time to be able to reflect on those things...

1. I am thankful for my husband! He is an amazing man! He takes such good care of me and our kids, and he works so hard everyday to provide all the things we need. He has changed so much in the last 2 and a half years, and it has all been for the better. I couldn't imagine my life without him!

2. I'm thankful for my kids! They are the cutest little stinkers in the world, and they bring me so much joy. They know just how to put a smile on my face, and they are all such big helpers. I love to watch all the new things they learn on a daily basis. Their eyes light up when they have something new to show me or tell me about. They have made my life so much better than I ever could have imagined!

3. I'm thankful for family! Anthony and I have the most supportive family I know. They are there for us when we need them. We love to hang out with all of them! Most of the time when we hang out and do anything it's with family. Some of our most memorable moments are with our families, and I wouldn't change that for the world!

4. I am thankful for our friends! We don't see them all very much, but we always know we can count on them to be there for us. Most of our friends are people we have known for a long time, so they feel like they are a part of our family.

...there are many other things that I am thankful for such as a roof over our heads, food to feed our family, nice clothes to keep us warm, a nice car to get from place to place. Those are all materialistic things though, and I felt that the real focus of this blog should be the people who mean the most to us because you can lose material things but true family and friends will always be there for you. I want to say thank you to all the amazing people in my life. Every last one of you means the world to me, and I hope none of you ever forget it. Have a Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

YAY!!!

For those of you who don't know Anthony was laid off from his job 2 weeks ago, and obviously this is not the time of year I would wish that on anyone. We have put him in for literally 17 different jobs since the day he was laid off, and finally it paid off!!! He is starting a new job tomorrow, and lucky for us it isn't going to require that he takes any sort of pay cut. I am so relieved! It feels like a major weight has been lifted off our shoulders. Thanks to all of you who said prayers for us. It definitely paid off!

Considering going private....

We are considering making our blog private, so those of you who want to still be able to read it please let us know. I will send invites to everyone that I want to be able to read it also. Thanks everyone :)

Tis the season....

....for sickness :( My kids have all been cranky and congested the last 3 days, and of course I caught the bug yesterday. We have had a miserable household this weekend, but I had to expect it. A lot of people I know are sick. I was even suppose to go to one of my best friends baby shower yesterday, but unfortunately I woke up congested, coughing and achy. I feel bad (sorry Chas!), but I didn't want to get anyone else sick especially her since there isn't much you can't take when you are pregnant. Hope everyone had a better weekend then us.

P.S. My friend Joanna's husband, Andy, was in a car accident this past weekend. He broke his femur and had to have surgery to put a metal rod in from his hip to his knee. He's in quite a bit of pain, and him and their family could use everyones prayers. Thanks :)

Happy 84th Birthday Grandpa Tony!!!

Sunday night some of our family went out to eat for my grandpa Tony's 84th birthday. We went to Texas Roadhouse, and it was so YUMMY! A guy at the table next to us was making balloon animals for the kids. It was very nice of him. My girls each got a balloon on a stick (that's what he called it), and Von got a pirate sword and a parrot (that's all the kids that came). It was nice to get together. My grandpa isn't getting any younger, and I truly cherish moments such as these :)


My girls waiting to be seated, and playing on the saddle

Tasia wasn't sure what to think about Matt sitting next to her, so she had that look most of the night.

Sydney's "balloon on a stick", my mom and my dad holding Tasia

My poor mom was caught in the middle of their balloon fight LOL

This is the birthday boy himself! I love this picture!

"Daddy did it!"

As you all know we have been working with Tasia on potty training. Not a fun task, but it has to be done. Well today while she was in her panties in her room she had an accident. Sydney was in there with her and she yelled to tell me what had happened so I could get Tasia and the mess both cleaned up. When she was in the middle of yelling "MOM TASIA PEED ON OUR CARPET!!!" Tasia chimed in "NO I DIDN'T! DADDY DID IT!!!" I laughed so hard! Obviously Anth isn't in peeing on my girls floor, but apparently Tasia has picked up on the same "blame game" that Sydney and Dominic play when they are getting tattled on.

My new favorite quote!

I have found a new favorite quote by Marilyn Monroe that I think is good to live by...

"Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius. And it is better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring. And when it comes down to it, I let them think what they want. If they care enough to bother with what I do then I am already better than them..."

Halloween!!!

Ok so Halloween is pretty much my favorite holiday, so I made sure we had lots of fun! We got the kids Halloween shirts to wear to school since they can't wear their costumes. Syd and Dom had parties at school, and at home Anth and I had Tasia and the 2 kids I'm tending now so we had some fun with them. We watched Halloween cartoon movies, made jack-o-lanterns and baked cookies. Once Syd was home from school we got the kids ready. Syd was Hannah Montana, Dom was Darth Vader and Tasia was Boo (from Monsters Inc.). We took them to trick-or-treat on Main Street and got their pictures taken. Then we headed over to my parents, and Anth stayed with my dad at the house and my mom and I took the kids around their neighborhood for a bit. Then it was off to Aunt Tammy's house. When we got their Tasia had enough, so she stayed behind with Anth and I took the kids around her neighborhood with Anth's cousins and their kids. By the end of the night we were exhausted, but it was lots of fun. Well worth it!!!

Pankratz Pumpkin Patch