Grateful

Lately I've been wanting a lot of things, wishing I had more mostly. Thinking I had no clothes, wanting a different car. Wishing I had more money to buy things I "need". Stressing about Christmas and what to get everyone, more things that they "need". And then something happened, I had a 10 year old cousin pass away in a tragic car crash and my life was sort of put on pause.
You see I didn't know him very well but going to his funeral was absolutely heart breaking, his family is in agony. To loose a child would be the most painful thing I could ever imagine and I pray everyday that it doesn't happen to me, to anyone I know.
And then I read this blog about a young boy diagnosed with a brain tumor right before his mother found out she was pregnant. He barely made it to see his little sister and passed away yesterday, and it sent me over the edge.
How could I be so worldly, I have nothing to complain about. A healthy baby girl and a loving husband is what I'm blessed with and that is more than I could have ever asked for. I really want to count my blessings this thanksgiving. I really don't "need" anything more than what I have and it shouldn't have taken tragedy for me to realise it. I have such a great family and we've been though utter despair, it has been very hard. I'm just so grateful for the family I have, they are the best.
Mostly I've decided I don't want to teach Ella that the holidays are all about gifts, family is the best gift you have, it IS the most important gift!
When a family member has to leave from earth, a piece of you gets taken with them that will essentially never be replaced.
Hug and kiss your loved ones a little tighter, we are so lucky!

Caught RED handed!

We grew a lot of tomatoes this year in our garden and put the green ones in a cardboard box in hopes they would ripen. Well little did we know how much Ella loves tomatoes, who would have thought? EVERY time I forget to close the mudroom door, this happens
Notice the splatter everywhere? Yep she devours the entire thing and goes on to the next. At least I have no problem getting her to like her veggies, right?? I think it's just time to move the tomatoes to a higher place don't ya think?

Happy Halloween!

I hope you all had a fun Halloween this year, we sure did. Last year we had just got back from the hospital with Ella and were too exhausted to celebrate, I didn't even dress her up. I thought she would be born after Halloween for sure but I was wrong. Anyway I decided to just make her costume this year out of stuff lying around my craft room which turned out to be a bunny ballerina, Jarre wasn't quite convinced until he actually saw her costume. He really wanted her to be a pumpkin but when it comes to dressing Ella he always gives in (Ella will thank me when she's older).

I found this costume on Saturday for only 5 dollars for Maggie, can't ya tell she just loved it?

Jarre and I didn't dress up, we were pretty lame this year, we just enjoyed our little bunny prancing around the house. We went to my mom's house for their Halloween party and Ella had to go to the door every time the doorbell rang to say hi and bye to everyone. She loved all the attention she got.