While Daddy is putting in 12- and 16-hour days right now, Devyn and Hudson are enjoying the first real snow storm of the season.

Well, my 30 days of thankfulness have come to an end and I have really enjoyed this little project. It forced me to look beyond the circumstances happening right now. It forced me to stop and wonder if there was something, anything, that I could be thankful for later in those same circumstances. Some days were easy, others were incredibly hard. But in the end, I think I have a new-found appreciation for at least trying to see the good in everything.

Day #29: I am always thankful for new life, be it in the form of pregnancy or adoption. New life is such an amazing gift, a renewed hope. And especially thankful to be sharing this time with my sister, Christine, and my cousin, Colette. Here we are: Christine at 37 weeks pregnant, I at 33 weeks pregnant, and Colette at 26 weeks pregnant.

Day #25: The sounds of Jon and Hudson playing cars together on the floor. The clashing metal, the low sound of Jon's voice, followed quickly by a toddler-esque giggle. Such sweet, simple evenings.

Day #26: Devyn's excitement over one of her birthday gifts. My friend, Mandy, knowing Devyn's love of butterflies, bought her the most perfect gift. About five larvae arrived on our doorstep and we have watched them grow and move for the past week. There are now two crystallise hanging from the top and the other three are currently forming their cocoons. Devyn is so excited over watching the transformation from larvae to caterpillar to butterfly. (And truth be told, Daddy and I are having fun too.)

Day #27: My great-grandmother died when I was 18 years old, during my senior year of high school. That was 18 Christmases, Thanksgivings, Easters, and numerous other visits with a wonderful, wise woman. Each Christmas Grammie would make her infamous chex mix and it has quickly become a favorite in this house too. Just the smells of the roasting mix coming from the oven brings back so many memories!

Day #28: Receiving a phone call from one of my dear high school friends and being told that she's pregnant with their first child. Oh, I did a happy dance right there in my kitchen and longed to be where she was for a celebratory hug! I'm going to be an auntie again come July. So many blessings this year!

Day #24: I love unexpected movie nights! I mean those nights when there's an impromptu phone call or text message asking a sister if they want to come over and hang out. Jon sent a text message to Christine and Caleb tonight, asking if they wanted to come over. To our surprise and delight, they said yes and we just finished Stars Wars: Episode III.

This is just one of the many blessings of having family so close; I hope I never take it for granted!

Day #23: It’s happening; it’s really happening! I have been dreaming of this since they first laid that beautiful baby girl in my arms, the day that I could start working part-time. And that time is finally here!

We finished our interviews yesterday, discussed the candidates, made our choice, and offered the other part-time position to a wonderful lady. She is a mother who only wants to work part-time too. She brings some great skills to the position and will be such a great balance to me with her attention to detail and organizational skills. She happily accepted our offer and starts in two weeks.

I was given my reclassification papers this morning, showing my voluntary demotion and detailing my new work schedule once I return from maternity leave. I can only imagine what its going to be like to head to work for two and a half days a week! There is so much to be thankful for this year and this new part-time schedule ranks high on the list. I’m so thankful that God provided a way, both through Jon’s promotion last year and a willing supervisor, for me to be home with our babies more.

Day #22: No words necessary.

Day #21: I am so very thankful for the new Macaroni Grill Box Dinners; they are making our evenings so much easier! Now those who know me know that I hate to cook; I abhor cooking! Don’t get me wrong, give me a recipe and I can follow it, but it’s not an enjoyable task. (Now baking on the other hand, I love to do.) We have tried the Creamy Basil and the Chicken Marsala dinners and both are incredibly delicious, easy to make, and a huge time-saver. I’m thankful for anything that makes life a little easier.