December kind of snuck right up on us, as it always does. I have the last few thankfuls from last week that I didn’t get up because honestly…last week knocked me flat on my butt.

About three…four weeks ago the dermatologist called and confirmed that the tiny little bump I had on the side of my nose was in fact, skin cancer. It was the “not so bad, if you have to have skin cancer” kind – basal cell carcinoma. The nurse reassured me that it was a simple out-patient procedure and I did my best to not make a big deal out of the whole thing. In my mind, the bigger the deal…the more scary it actually was, so I chose to just make it “just another day.”

Unfortunately, it was not “just another day.” Anyone who knows me knows that I really don’t do well with needles, blood and that sort of thing. The procedure was a little more than I had anticipated and left me feeling a little off my game for the rest of the week.

But they got all of the cancer. I’m left with 10 (incredibly itchy!) stitches, a bruised eye, and half of my face is all swollen and icky, but they got all of the cancer. And for that I’m most thankful along with some of the other “little” things from last week…

Day 26: I’m thankful the girls are heavy sleepers so I can tiptoe in each night and give them kisses and snap photos without waking them up. I love that they still want to sleep together even though they have their own rooms.

Day 27: I’m thankful for Christmas music and my sweet Em who is learning to play my favorite Christmas carol as her gift to me. (Angels We Have Heard On High – And I’ll post her Instrument Recital video soon!)

Day 28: I’m thankful we live in a fun town where on any given random Wednesday you can be following a Rose Parade float down the street!

Day 29: Thankful today for this amazing man. I know I’ve used him (several times) already this month, but today I’m thankful that he forced me to see that I can’t do it all on my own, as much as I’d like to. Sometimes you just gotta ask for and accept a little help. Thank you J. for making me realize it – for helping me even when I think I don’t need it – and helping me raise our very empathetic daughters who are so sweet when they know Mama is down. I love you all.

Day 30: I’m thankful for our very busy life. As insane as our schedule makes me most days – I’m thankful that we have such a rich and full life filled with loving family and friends. (And I’m also thankful for rainy days in California. Makes it feel a little more holiday-ish around here going into first week of December! Yipes.)

And that concludes our Thankful November. We do indeed have so much to be thankful for.

I promise I’ll be back this week with some Crafty Tuesday and other fun happenings. This week. It is all gonna happen this week.

Only 5 more days of Thankful November to go. I can’t believe I’ve been able to Instagram photo every day so far. I have so much to be thankful for that I could easily do another month. Last week I was thankful for my girls and J. who couldn’t stop hugging me when I got off the plane last Wednesday. I think we can say without a doubt that I was missed, and that is a really good feeling. And HUGE thanks to my sweet husband who made reservations at the Grand Californian hotel at Disney on Thursday and Friday and dinner reservations, too. I think some of it was just self-preservation and making sure he got some turkey, but a lot of it was knowing that I wasn’t in any shape to cook Thanksgiving dinner. It was wonderful to just relax with him and the girls.

Here were the other thankfuls for the second half of last week:

Day 22: On this day of Thanksgiving I am ever so thankful for waking up in our own home, surrounded by my sweet, healthy family. I can’t believe how lucky I am to be married to my best friend and to be mom to our beautiful girls. May all our family and friends have such blessings today and always.

Day 23: I’m thankful I didn’t eat too much last night so we can spend the day riding coasters and enjoying the park. Nice to have a day “totally off!”

Day 24: I’m so thankful for this lazy, no-soccer, bagels and coffee, watching “THE game” in our jammies kind of Saturday. (Even if the game was a disappointment!)

Day 25: I’m thankful that I can at least make enough $ doing crafty stuff to support my crafting habit. Thanks to all our friends and family who came out to our boutique to support us and PRISM last night.

“It is a miracle if you can find true friends, and it is a miracle if you have enough food to eat, and it is a miracle if you get to spend your days and evenings doing whatever it is you like to do, and the holiday season – like all the other seasons – is a good time not only to tell stories of miracles, but to think about the miracles in your own life, and to be grateful for them.”

– Lemony Snicket, The Lump of Coal

I am truly grateful for all of the miracles in my life. Wishing you many miracles of Thanksgiving today as well.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Okay, so when last we left, I was flying off to Marquette to be with my mom and our extended family to celebrate the life of my aunt, my mom’s sister, Chris. (Aunt Chris is here on the far left – my mom is kissing her. 🙁 She lost her fight with ALS last Friday morning.) It was very hard on the sisters and I was happy to be able to go and spend some time with them.

Of course that meant I did not update the ‘ol blog on Sunday – so we have a week and a half of Thankfuls to run through today! So, here we go…

Day 12: I’m thankful, so SO thankful that we have the means for me to be able to stay at home with my two monkeys. Even on days when they are driving me to the brink of insanity, I know this time with them is fleeting. And I’m so blessed to be a part of their every day life. (Believe it or not cleaning out the drawers and closets today was NOT punishment! They wanted to do it. Seriously!) I could also be thankful for cheap labor I guess, but that is another day.

Day 13: Today I’m thankful for my 25 amazing Girl Scouts and that I get to be a part of their lives. They are all caring, sweet, and generous girls who love to offer their help and spread their joy. It is really special to be able to witness them growing up into such lovely young ladies.

Day 14: I’m thankful for sisters. Today I’m especially thinking of my mom and her sister, so thankful for my own sister and the richness she adds to my life, and thankful my girls have a sister – a built in best friend to always lean on.

Day 15: I’m thankful we live near the ocean. There is something very restorative about being near the water, even if it is with 66 4th graders!

Day 16: I’m thankful for Almond Tea Cakes. A mom at school makes the most delicious ones for our coffee sales and just delivered some for me. On a rainy, chilly day with a cup of tea…perfection! What am I saying they are good on any kind of day! Thank you Grace. (Now can I please have the recipe?)

Day 17: I’m thankful again for my amazing husband. I know I already “used” him, but I could do 30 days of Thankfuls for him and not run out of reasons. This morning he spent hours trying to get me on another flight that would just get me to my mom! I’m at Santa Ana airport on a different airline flying into a different city, but I’ll get there at some point tomorrow. Thank you my sweet J. You were by far the greater half of our team this morning.

Day 18: Today I’m thankful for being in Marquette with my mom and dad. They may only have one flight a day, 20,000 deer to avoid, and freezing weather – but they have a Starbucks. After the travel day I had and getting in at 1 am this morning, I was so thankful to see this!

Day 19: thankful for a workout along Lake Superior this morning.

Day 20: Today I’m thankful for my mom and dad. I’m thankful for every minute I get to spend with them, I’m eternally thankful to them for giving me my brother and sister and for helping me be who I am today. Love you both.

Day 21: Very thankful to be going home. As good as it was to see my family, I cannot wait to get hugs and kisses from my three loves. And to sleep in my own bed. There is no place like home.

We have some crafting going on…but it is all in prep for our upcoming Holiday Boutique. If you are in the area – come have some treats with us and check out our crafty goodness. Maybe you can get a little holiday shopping done, too!

I’ll post pics and prices for those of you who can’t make it to my courtyard this Saturday! Have a great week.

I didn’t do a darn crafty thing last week. Wait! I did…but didn’t take a photo of it. I made “I survived Camporee” tees for all my moms who camped with us.  I’ll have to snap a pic as soon as mine reappears from the depths of the laundry.

I didn’t have to scoop pumpkins this year (thanks Nena!) or help carve them. But I did love Daddy’s ingenuity with Em’s pumpkin (complete with braces!)…

And Ad’s pumpkin of, what else? … A CAT!

Even their costumes were relatively easy, as in – already made. Em went as Hermione, so I only had to braid her hair the night before and help her gather the pieces of the costume together. And Ad went as a ballet kitty…so I quickly sewed up a tail for her and some ears. Already had black outfit, pink tutu and ballerina slippers.

It couldn’t have been an easier Halloween. Addie didn’t even need me to take her makeup off at school during the parade. She got a little help from her friends…

But it has left me jones-ing for some good crafting. I think we best get started on Thanksgiving around here.

So that last week of October seemed to get swallowed up with camping, Halloween, a visiting Nena & Bill, and all kinds of crazy choatic-ness. I’ve got photos and posts to share about it all, but it just might take a few more days for me to get accustomed to it being NOVEMBER before I get it all up!

I am participating in the Thankful November on Instagram this month. You can follow along – I’m cvoris – if you’d like, or I thought I’d just post the weeks worth of “Thankfuls” each Sunday. That way I’ll have them all in one spot when I make a hard copy of my blog for the girls. Ahem. Yes. THAT is so going to happen. Get right on it.

Anyhow – what I gave thanks for this week:

Day 1:  Thankful we still have the arts in our school. Em and her class took a field trip to the Walt Disney Concert Hall to see the LA Philharmonic. They were encouraged to dress up and she chose to wear this. (Another reason to be thankful that morning, she looked like a little girl instead of a tomboy…like usual!)

Day 2: I’m thankful that Addie has caught the school and reading “bug.” I love walking into the playroom to scenes like this…she has been playing teacher to all of her stuffed animals and dolls. I guess I’m also thankful she got Mrs. Peters as a teacher this year, too. She has inspired both of my girls to a new level of thinking.

Day 3: I’m thankful that J has a job that allows us to spend our days off at the “happiest place on Earth!” I’m also thankful that it really is one of my “happy places.” Bill asked me how many times I’d been on Pirates of the Carribean and if it ever gets old…and although I can’t even guess how many times I’ve been on the ride (it’s one of my faves), I’m happy to say it never, ever gets old. (This pic is not on Pirates, though. It is on Hollywood Tower of Terror. Em decided to brave it again…the last time she had been on it she was maybe 4 or 5? I guess it was her first AND last time and she hated it. Friday she decided to give it another try and she decided she kinda likes it!)

Day 4: I’m thankful for Birdie #2 who brings beautiful flowers over just because, is the most creative, crafty Mama I know, and is my shoulder when I need one. Love you Mommy Jamie.