Screeaaach.

Today I am grateful that my mom was in a car accident.

okay.

that sounds weird.

backing it up a bit.

so my mom was in a car accident...oh about 6 or so years ago. it was right around the time The Marsh and i met so it must have been about 6 years ago now.

she's okay. her jeep wasn't quite so okay. but she is. at the time though, she really screwed up her back. or hip. or her lower back / hip region. whatever, the point? she fucked up her back.

why am I grateful that she fucked up her back?

because the end result was that she ended up with a hot tub. and sometimes on a cold night, after a stressful week (stressful for her, not me) sometimes the hot tub is just the right medicine.

I'm grateful that on Thursdays when The Marsh is working late my mum doesn't care that I come over to her house and drink her wine and relax in her hot tub. i'm grateful that she is perfectly willing to share her hot tub, because if i owned I hot tub of my own I'm not so sure I would be quite so generous. and i'm grateful for the rest and relaxation that comes with just a few short hours in the tub.

so essentially I'm grateful that 6 year ago my mom was in a car accident. that resulted in her getting a hot tub. so that tonight I could go over to her house and soak in it and forget that there is actually a real world out there.

still deciding if this is a horrible thing to be grateful for or not.

Thanks for reading!
Lana

Running On Empty.

Today I am grateful for making it home.

before my car ran out of gas.

why didn't I just stop and get more gas, you say?

well. funny story.

So Georgie and I decided to run into town this afternoon to do some Christmas shopping for The Marsh, but I had to drop something off at my work first. I noticed on the drive over that my car was running low on gas, but I had enough to make it to my office and there is a gas station right across the street so I figured I would hit it up after leaving the office.

and then I reached my office, shut the car off and reached for my purse.

which wasn't there.

fuck.

So there Miss G and I were, 20 minutes from home. with no money. and not much gas.

to be fair, my mom (whom I work with so she was at the office) did offer to give me her card so I could get gas if I needed. but I wasn't quite on "E" yet, so i thought I just might make it home.

I tell you it was the most nerve wracking drive home there ever was.

Miss G didn't seem to think so.

but I did.

But since I already gave away the ending and told you that I made it home before I ran out of gas, we'll just leave it at this. I'm grateful I made it home. I'm grateful Miss G and I didn't find ourselves stuck on the side of the road while it was freaking snowing and i'm grateful that i didn't have to call anyone in a hysterical panic and have them bring me some gas.

I'm am not grateful, however, for being such an idiot in the first place and forgetting my purse, leaving me without money in the first place.

I'd love to say it was the first time this has happened. but it's not. so I guess live and learn isn't really appropriate. but and maybe live and live again and learn, perhaps?

lets hope so.

Thanks for reading!
Lana

Happy Birthday, Baby Bear.

Today I am grateful for my little man.

Today is his 5th birthday.

somebody tell me where those last five years went, man. because they went by exceptionally fast.

How is it even possible that this little face...

has suddenly turned into to this adorable face?

It seems like it happened over night, i'm telling ya.

He seems like he had a great birthday. he's really been looking forward to telling everyone that he is now five. he practically shouted it at my inlaws when they walked into the house tonight, but it was cute anyway. 

He got the crown in the above picture at school and apparently everyone on the bus sang him happy birthday, so he was a pretty happy kid all day today.

He's such an amazing, happy child. and I'm so blessed to be his mommy. I'm so grateful to have had the last five years to watch him learn and grow and manipulate. I'll be grateful if I get to see him do all those things for many many more years to come.

Breyman is more than just my son. he's my baby bear. he's the one who saved me when I had absolutely no idea what i wanted to do with my life. I was lost. oh sure, i had The Marsh, but i had no idea what i was suppose to do with my life. everything i thought i wanted to do or be, i realized somewhere along the way that I really didn't want that out of life. but I had no idea what to do instead. and then i had Breyman. and became exactly what i was suppose to be in life. his mom.

so happy birthday little man. and know that when you looked at me last night and said in such a little voice that you couldn't believe you were going to be a big boy, that i can't believe it either. but we'll tackle this next adventure together too.

Thanks for reading!

Lana

Ketchup. Again.

Okay, so today I'm grateful for a few things.

time to play catch up. again.

Let's start with Thanksgiving. it's a time when everyone is thankful for something. facebook statuses are full of people letting us all know what they're grateful for...and since that's sort of a common occurrence over here at casa de grateful, i hope you'll all forgive me for taking Thanksgiving off. but I hope you all know that I was extremely grateful for everything in my life that day. The Marsh. the babes. my house. my parents. my brother and sisters. my cat. I was grateful for it all.

I'm also grateful that The Marsh and I managed some excellent black friday shopping. we went out at midnight and picked out a few gifts for the Breyman at target that we were set on getting him. we also got a new bed for Miss G for her birthday which happens to fall a week after Christmas. Later during the day when The Marsh was at work, my sister and i went out and did some more black friday shopping. no place was too too crazy and we managed to get some great stuff. I even managed to get The Marsh a present that he doesn't no about. success all around.

I'm also grateful that my sister convinced me to get this thing of beauty.

I'm grateful that i listened to her and bought it because my first reaction was "I can't buy that! I'm 25!" I love it because it's a fun little reminder that it's okay to unleash your inner kid sometimes. and well, because it has pink fucking sequins.

I would have blogged about the christmas shopping and the fabulous hat last night, but when I got back home last night my entire street was out of power. not so much fun. So i'm also grateful to have my power back. and that I wasn't involved in the car accident that was apparently responsible for my neighborhood losing power in the first place.

That brings us back up to today. and today I'm grateful for The Marsh and my's amazing family and how much they do for my little munchkins.

We had Brey's birthday party today. because he is going to be five on Monday. excuse me for a minute while I throw up in my mouth. I cannot even begin to tell you where the last five years went.

anyway.

Like I said, we had baby bear's birthday party today and he seems to be in love with all of his new birthday presents. The Marsh and I are both so grateful to have our parents and our siblings do so much for him. and it's nice to be able to have all of them over to our our house for some pizza and cake to celebrate in our own little way.

and last but not least I am grateful for the undivided attention I got from my son for the last five years. because my mom, dad, and sister gave him his own Nintendo DSi for his birthday today, so i'm pretty sure he is never going to pay attention to me again.

Thanks for reading!

Lana

Calm Before The Crazy.

Today I am grateful for the peaceful day the babes and I had together today.

It started off wonderfully with B & G waking me up in bed being all adorable like. Brey kept telling me that he wanted to snuggle and Georgie was sweet and told me she loved me.

Then after watching a movie together, they were exceptionally well behaved at my hair appointment.
that may or may not be because I bribed them with happy meals, but either way. very well behaved. after that we dropped off some "hot chocolate" rice krispie treats we made for one of my co-workers bake sale her girl scout troop is having on black friday.

then we came home and made our own rice krispie treats because we wanted some too.

it was a lovely day. ordinary, but lovely. and days like today are exactly the reason I am so grateful to be able to stay home with them five days a week. I love days like today. I just wanted to soak up every little mundane detail and remember it always when my babes are grown up.

anyway, the reason I'm also grateful for such a quiet, ordinary day is because the next few days will be anything but. Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow night at my in-laws. black friday shopping. Thanksgiving dinner take two at my mom's house. Brey's birthday party on saturday. among all of this The Marsh is going into work four hours early both tomorrow on Thanksgiving and on Saturday. PLUS my sister and niece will be here all weekend as well. oh and I need to make a pie and some home made sangria. sunday will be a little bit of a cool down then monday Brey is back to school and it's also his fifth birthday.

the next few days will be lots of fun and family and very little sleep.

so yea, I'm grateful for my nice quiet day today with my babes. the calm before the crazy.

Thanks for reading!
Lana

Tired Eyes.

Today I am grateful that I finally managed to get an eye doctor appointment.

well, actually the appointment was yesterday.

but i'm grateful for it today instead.

stop asking questions and just go with it.

so.

grateful for the eye doc, yes.

you see, I made an appt. back in the beginning of October to go see an eye doctor who also happens to be a patient at the office I work at. and got scheduled for December. now, I tried not to freak about the time, we have some patients who have to wait months for appointments at our office too. although that's generally not the case for new patients...but, not the point. the point is that I was going to suck it up and wait.

but as time passed, i started to realize that i just couldn't wait.

these poor eyes of mine are tired. with a capitol T. apparently they didn't get the message that the rest of me has been tired since 2007. but they are tired now. they were really beginning to bother me whenever I was on the computer or reading...which lets be honest is about 98% of my life. so I broke down and called a different eye doctor's office, one that i had also been previously seen at before.

obviously they managed to get me an appointment. because i'm grateful for that. I'm also grateful that as a result of that appt. I found out that my prescription hasn't changed since 2005 when I was last seen. not that I ever wore my glasses. So after getting my prescription yesterday, I went out and bought myself a new pair of reading/computer glasess which really means all the time glasses and after wearing them this afternoon at work and this evening at home while I caught up on some of my shows on Hulu, I can definately say that my eyes are feeling better. I am still "aware" of them if that's the right word to use, but I don't even feel the slightest bit of a headache coming on. praise Jesus, people.

I'm not sure if this is going to be an easy fix or if i'm going to have other problems with my eyes, but for right now I am grateful that things seem to be going in the right direction.

Cute, right? I'm also grateful that they were only $11.99 at target. and that included a soft case. HOLLA!

Thanks for reading!
Lana

Slow Cooking. Times Three.

Today I am grateful that The Marsh and I decided to buy ourselves a little Christmas present early.

We got a shiny new crockpot.

but not just any shiny new crockpot...a triple slow cooker buffet & serve cockpot.

It's a thing of beauty.

and while I am obviously excited about our purchase, it should definitely be interesting using it. The Marsh and I actually never use a crockpot. ever. and now we have a triple one.

I guess i really need to start finding some crockpot recipes.

all The Marsh wants to use it for is nacho cheese. seriously. he's been talking about nacho cheese for like the past 6 hours.

it's a problem.

he also started volunteering us to make stuff and bring the slow cooker to the family reunion next weekend.

this is also a problem.

but him already whoring out or new crockpot aside, i'm grateful that The Marsh and I decided to treat ourselves. and I'm grateful for all of the hopefully amazing future meals that will come out of this investment.

because as previously established, I'm always grateful for food.

Thanks for reading!
Lana

Ash.

Today I am grateful for Ashley.

She's been one of my best friends for the past 10 years or more, and today is her 26th birthday.

The Marsh was working a double today, so the babes and I headed over to Ashley's house to have dinner with her, her parents, her good friend Beth, and her younger brother and sister. It was a very lovely dinner, Ashley's dad, Paul, is a phenomenal cook. and we all had a good laugh.

Brey and Georgie also had a ton of fun playing with Ashley's little brother and sister, so it was nice for them to have a little playdate.

Ashley and I have had many many amazing times together. We've also had some pretty shitty times together (and apart) as well. but she's been a major part of my life for many years and I couldn't imagine not having her friendship. I'm grateful for the many wonderful memories we've made. and I'm grateful that no matter how much time passes in between each of our visits now, it always feels like we just saw each other the day before. 

25 was a very rough year for Ashley, so I wish with all my heart that 26 is a much better year for her, and I'm grateful that no matter what happens in our lives, I know that i'll be some small part of it.

Thanks for reading!

Lana

Rsecue Bots.

Today I am grateful for Rescue Bots.

what are rescue bots?

they are these adorable little transformer toys that look like this.

Last year for Breyman's birthday my mom got him the rescue bots garage and a couple Bots for him to play with. they transform into their vehicle forms super easily, which was nice after brey had managed to break a few transformers that were too hard. or he needed The Marsh to do it every time.

it's one of the few toys that he's remained faithful to over the course of the year, still playing with them while other ones just sit in a bin or stay down in his playroom.

we also recently discovered that The Rescue Bots also have a tv show. and it's currently on netflix instant viewing.

Being a parent you get excited about a lot of little things. and watching your children get excited about something is one of them. I love listening to him use his imagination while playing with his bots. i love hearing him sing the theme song to the Rescue Bots TV show, and i love him going crazy when Bumblebee (the yellow one) appears in an episode.

It's adorable. and it makes me happy on a deep level considering how small and silly it is. but him being happy makes me happy. that's what being a mom is all about. especially being a mom to this little boy. i'm grateful for robots. now there's something i never expected to hear myself say.

Thanks for reading!
Lana

Chrome.

Today I am grateful for Chrome.

Google Chrome.

I have a security blanket.

It's called Internet Explorer.

The problem with this security blanket? it sucks.

but it's like this drug that I just couldn't stop. except that it didn't particularly make me feel good either.

after months of frustration and slow moving internet and error after error after error I was reaching my limit. and during my latest Adobe Flash upgrade I accidentally also downloaded the Google Chrome browser.

Tonight I decided it couldn't hurt to give it a spin, just to see if the speed time was any different or if it would have the same trouble loading some images the way Internet Explorer has been.

It's so wonderful.

I think I may be over here actually crying tears of joy at how quickly my internet is loading again, and so far not a single failed image download.

this is a very beautiful thing, people.

and yes, I'm sure you are all probably cringing at the thought that I was still using Explorer, but I am perfectly able to admit that I am not the most tech savvy person on the planet. I never thought switching browsers would actually make any difference to me.

I think I was wrong.

remember this moment. I don't admit to being wrong often.

anyway, I'm just so grateful for that stupid accidental download. I'm grateful that i thought "hey what the hell" and decided to give Chrome a try. and I'm grateful to be slowly getting rid of my security blanket. I still haven't figured out half of this new browser so until then I'll keep explorer on standby, just in case.

Thanks for reading!
Lana

Clean House.

Today I am grateful that I took the time to clean my house.

okay.

let's be realistic.

when I say I cleaned my "house" i mean I cleaned my kitchen and my living room. I plan on hitting up my bathroom tomorrow. but that's really all the important parts.

why am I grateful that I spent the day slaving away over my kitchen sink and cleaning up weeks worth of mail on my kitchen counter?

because there is a direct link between how clean my house is, and how I treat anyone within a 300 mile radius of me apparently.

I was getting bad. and so was my house.

it's not dirty, cause we're not dirty people. just cluttered. stacks of mail. magazine. the kids toys all over the living room. laundry that the kids take off in the living room and decide to just throw on the floor.

I thought I was going to have a panic attack this morning. so while The Marsh was at work (this is key to the cleaning cycle because the only time I am bitchier than when my house is dirty is when I am ACTUALLY CLEANING my house) I set to work cleaning off the counter tops and getting all the dishes done. I picked up everything and vaccumed.

and I feel like I can finally breathe again.

it took a little bit because after The Marsh came home he kept setting stuff on the counter and we sort of had it out because i thought i was going to have an aneurysm. but it's okay now.

I'm grateful because there is just a sort of peace that comes with having a semi-clean house. I mean, I don't have OCD, although somedays I wish I did because i literally do not feel compelled to have my house be perfectly tidy all the time, but I do feel a little bit like I will sleep easier tonight. probably because I know when I wake up in the morning I won't walk out into a messy living room.

or it could be because we just bought new flannel sheets and they're super soft. jury's still out.

Thanks for reading!
Lana

Take 2. Or More Like Take 1.

Today I am grateful for picture re-take day at school.

When the Breyman first went to school I kept waiting to find out when his picture day would be.

and kept waiting and waiting.

It felt like all the other schools were having their picture day, but I wasn't seeing anything in his weekly Preschool Press about it. Finally at the beginning of October the picture order form came home in B's folder.

after looking over the prices and wondering how I was going to show this thing to The Marsh without him going into cardiac arrest, I finally noticed the date. It was October 18th. right in the middle of our vacation to Florida. sonofabitch.

I looked for a re-take date and couldn't find one anywhere, so I resigned myself to the fact that he just wouldn't have them taken this year. I mean he's four. He doesn't really need a school picture taken, right?

but the more I thought about it, the more I wanted him to have it taken. I mean this is his first year of school. he rides the bus, he goes to the elementary school. he has friends and recess and is learning how to write his name. He should really have one taken. so i double checked with his teacher when I went on his field trip with him and she assured me that there would be retakes.

and then I waited. and waited. I was actually getting a little bit worried, like did i miss something again? but last week his Preschool Press informed me that re-takes would be this week and his teacher was even nice enough to send home another picture order form with Breyman today. with my lack of organization skills it was very much appreciated. Lord know where the original one actually went.

So Mr. B will be getting his very first school picture taken tomorrow afternoon.

I'm grateful that the schools do offer a day for re-takes in case kids are sick or like in our case out of town for the week. I'm grateful that even though the timing seemed horrible at first he'll still get the opportunity to get his picture taken tomorrow.

Now whether or not The Marsh is grateful that he still has to pay for these pictures is something entirely different.

Veteran's Day.

Today I am grateful for Veterans.

All of them. as a whole of course.

but more specifically...one veteran.

My big brother, Jorge.

He joined the Army when my son was just a few months old, and left for Iraq three days after my daughter was born.

It was horrible and nervewracking to think of him being over there. I worried about him every single day.. I don't know how people went through this before the internet and technology. at least while he was over there he had access to a computer to let us know that he was okay and doing well. I couldn't imagine not hearing from him for months.

and as tough as it was on us, the missing him and worrying about his safety, i can't even begin to fathem what it was like for him over there. oh sure, he talks about parts of it. but not all of it. and I wish there was someway to take away any horrific memories that he has from there, but that's not how life works.

Life involves war. I also wish that there was someway to stop that from happening, but I can't.

and when times of war happens it takes people who are brave enough (or dumb enough, or just seriously don't have any other options) to go and fight.

I'm so proud of my bro for doing that because I know there is no way in hell that I could have. I'm scared to go to my own bathroom in the dark to pee because i'm scared Norman Bates is going to get me..could you honestly see me in a war zone? uhhh nope.

and since I know I would never be capable of doing it, it gives me that much more respect for him for doing it. he's kind of amazing.

So tonight I'm grateful that I live in a country that so many brave men and women have given the ultimate sacrifice for so that I could continue to have my rights and my freedom. I'm grateful to all those men and women who fought hard for us and were extrordinarly lucky enough to make it home to their families. and I'm grateful to my brother, Jorge, for being such an inspiration to me.

and for finding the one thing that he could that I can't.

I'm proud of him and everyone else should be proud of him and the rest of our troops too.

Thanks for reading!

Lana

The Most Wonderful Time of The Year.

Today I am grateful that I know The Marsh and I will get through what is about to be the craziest time of year for us.

It's November.

Which means Thanksgiving is coming. and Christmas.

but on top of that we have Brey's birthday, which falls the monday after Thanksgiving this year. some years it actually falls on Thanksgiving itself. That's fun. not.

then we have Miss G's birthday. which is the week after Christmas.

awesome planning on our parts, no?

and while this will undoubtedly be a very exciting time for our babes, it also causes The Marsh to stress out a little bit in the money area. we're not exactly hurting, but between birthday presents and christmas presents and reaching the point when we're going to have to refill our oil tank again, he worries. which means he works.

a lot.

like yesterday he worked a 15 and a half hour day. and then today he worked a 12 and half hour day.

this isn't a fluke. he'll continue to work like this through the end of the year.

I'm already used to him working overtime, but this time of year it always borders a little on the crazy side.

However, I do understand why he does it. and every year we manage to get through it. just like we'll manage to get through it this year.

So i'm grateful that The Marsh and I have such a strong marriage. and that even though what is suppose to be the most wonderful time of the year usually ends up the loneliest time of year, we love each other enough to push through it, knowing it will all be worth it when january comes around and we're not completely broke.

Thanks for reading!
Lana

Actual 12 Year Old Lana.

Today I am grateful that I live my life by the wayside of my inner 12 year old.

I know.

I just posted recently about how much I never want to be a kid again, and here I am admitting to actually being a big kid.

It was actually that post that made me think about it.

I walk around my house drinking wine feeling so awesome that I am in control of my life. I am a woman. I have a mortgage. (actually my husband has a mortgage, I have a Queen Bee Throne) I am a Mom. I'm so adult-like it's crazy.

except if you happen to notice this...

so what? I just happen to keep Harry Potter magnets on my fridge. In his quiddich uniform and school uniform, of course. He needs a variety....and so what if he happens to be sitting on a cut out comic strip about The Avengers. It's not like I have a keychain or anything.

or wait.



so maybe I keep Loki on my keychain. He's the God of Mischief! I mean that has to help keep bad guys away right? I mean other bad guys besides Loki.

and it's not like I hang Harry Potter scarves in my mudroom or...

shit.

To be fair The Marsh is the one who hung this up.

and Slytherin really is the best house.

and maybe I'm just a little bit obsessed with Star Trek . So I own a Starship Enterprise pizza cutter.

and I have a couple t-shirts.

and all 11 movies

and there may or may not possibly be a Samwise Gamgee figurine currently sitting on my TV stand.

I don't know where Frodo is right now.

but yea, he's around here too.

ahem.

Okay so all of that it a smidge unadult-like. nothing makes my night like when The Marsh asks which Harry Potter movie I want to watch. because yes I own all 8 on blu-ray. and nothing makes me happier than seeing my children fall in love with the characters I love so much.

So why am I grateful that my house shows all the evidence of my inner 12 year old ruling my life? because when I was actually 12, I was way too "cool" for all of this stuff.

Somedays I wish I could write a letter and send it to myself telling me to watch the Star Trek movies with my dad whenever TNT was playing them. To read The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and to not wait until after I graduate from high school to read Harry Potter. There is just something so satisfying about falling in love with fictional characters that are, in fact, actually amazing characters. To fall in love with stories that change your life and your entire perception of people. and it does. If you don't like Harry Potter, I judge you a little bit. I just wish that I had allowed myself to be such a nerdy fangirl at an earlier age. It's not like walking around being a snob really enriched my life in anyway shape or form. certainly not like discovering one James T. Kirk did.

So I'm grateful that now at 25 I can really allow myself to enjoy all my geekiness in a way I didn't allow myself to in the past. I'm grateful that I have an inner 12 year old that doesn't want to be stifled into this adult mold. I think it creates a healthy balance in my life knowing that while I'm making dinner for my children my refrigerator is covered in little characters from Harry Potter that remind me of how precious life is. how magical love is. and important friendship is. all while getting a kick out of the fact that they are legos and they bend at the waist.

I suppose the best way to put it simply is to quote New York Times Best Selling Author John Green. "Nerd life is just so much better than regular life."

and I'm grateful to be a nerd.

Thanks for reading!

Lana



Winter Weather Jacket.

Today I am grateful that I decided yesterday to buy a winter jacket.

It's seriously been a few years since I've had one.

I sucked it up and invested in one while i was pregnant with G, whose birthday is in January, but then it was a maternity jacket and didn't have much cause to wear it again.

I didn't run right out and buy another one because my weight has been up and down a bit since my pregancies too, and i didn't want to have to keep buying new ones all the time.

so it's just been me and various sweaters and my lightweight fleece for the last couple winters. the last couple NEW ENGLAND winters. it tends to get a little chilly around these parts. but to be fair i think last year was the first year I didn't walk around in flip flops in the snow. that's me attempting to be a grown up.

So also in an attempt to be a grown up (and because my new 25 year old grown up bones are reminding me how much my body hates being outside in the cold) i went out yesterday and purchased a new winter weather jacket. My first thought was to buy a peacoat, all chic and pretty. but to be realistic, i'm probably going to end up in a few snowball fights this winter with my little punks, so it seemed more prudent to go with a jacket that would repel water instead of absorbing it.

Yesterday while I was out shopping for a new winter jacket for the Breyman, I happened to spot one for myself as well. It's cute, comfy, and was cheap to boot.

plus in an attempt to feel less like an adult, i plan to spend the winter pretending to be a polar bear. this jacket will help with that perfectly.

So why am I so grateful that I picked up my new jacket yesterday?

well if you'll notice in the above picture, there is snow on the ground.

SNOW.

ON THE GROUND.

FREAKIN' SNOW.

It's November 8th, people. there should not be snow on the ground.

Thankfully it rained most of the day so alot of it has already melted, but there was at least an inch this morning when I walked Breyman out to his bus stop.

and it was cold.

I'm grateful that both Brey and I were nice and warm today in our new winter coats.

and I'm grateful that when so many people may be struggling, or may not be able to afford warm clothes for their own children, that we have the means to provide for ours.

Thanks for reading!
Lana

Yes on 1.

Today I am grateful for Yes on 1.

Here in Maine, marriage equality was a question on the ballot. again.

obviously, it didn't go well the first time for us marriage equality supporters.

but last year there was a petition to get it back on the ballot for this election. a petition that my husband and I were both happy to sign.

Same-sex marriage is a hugely sensitive topic, but one that is so very important to me. not only because I have many people whom I love and respect very dealy who happen to be gay, but because I honestly cannot imagine ever voting to supress someone's basic human right. everyone in this country should be equal. and everyone deserves a chance at their own happily ever after. for this and many reasons I was proud to vote yes, that I do believe that maine should issue marriage certificates to same-sex couples.

I bet those conservatives thought they had this thing in the bag.

but I am extremely happy to report that Yes on 1 passed, and same-sex couples can now marry in the state of Maine.

I am so grateful that this passed. and I am so grateful right now to be a Mainer.

but you know what else is awesome? Maine wasn't the only state with same-sex marriage on the ballot last night. Maryland, Minnesota, and Washington State all did as well.

and same-sex marriage passed in every. single. one.

This is just incredible to me. I'm so grateful to see our country making the right kind of progress on such an important issue.

Now, I am aware, that there are just some states that will NEVER pass same-sex marriage. they're just too deeply conservative. and even with a President who openly supports same-sex marriage, I can't see it becoming a federal issue YET. but maybe someday. I would certainly love to see that in my lifetime.

but for right now I will just be grateful that I now live in a state where everyone is on an equal playing field.

well. at least in the marriage department.

Thanks for reading!
Lana

Four More Years.

Today I am grateful to be an American.

I am grateful that I got to express my constitutional right to vote.

and I am SO GRATEFUL that President Obama was re-elected tonight.

Thank you, America.

Just thank you.

also.

I'm grateful for this picture. because it's obviously amazing.

Thanks for reading!
Lana

Monkey Bread.

Today I am grateful for monkey bread.

yes.

previously established.

i'm always grateful for food.

Hi.

I'm Lana.

and I have a food addiction.

it's a tough life, really.

anyway. monkey bread. delicious.

I'd never had it previously to today. a few weeks ago The Marsh saw the recipe on the back of a pillsbury biscuit container and decided he might like to try it. i finally got around to making some today and let me tell you. not time wasted, my friend.

You basically quarter up a bunch of small sized pillsbury biscuits (before cooking) and shake them up in a ziplock filled with granulated sugar and cinnamon. The recipe is for 4 containers and you are suppose to mix 3/4 sugar with 2 teaspoons cinnamon. I only used 2 containers of buscuits so I halved all my ingredients. after placing all of the dough pieces in a greased bundt pan (or you know, a regular cake pan if you are cool like me) mix 3/4 cup packed brown sugar with 1/2 melted butter. then pour over the dough. now the recipe said "pour" but my mixture was kind of thick, so it was more of a "spread" but either way it got the job done. bake at 350 for 30 minutes and you are good to go.

i'm telling you.

make this like yesterday.

sorry I don't have a picture for you.

I have been too busy stuffing my face to be able to stop and take a picture.

but believe me when I say I am grateful! and also hate Pillsbury a little bit for putting this recipe some place where my husband would find it. it can't be light on the calories.

Thanks for reading!
Lana

Wi-Fi. Calling.

Today I am grateful for wi-fi calling.

you may remember a few weeks back that I was grateful to FINALLY get a new phone.

and trust me, I still am grateful.

but wi-fi calling? that was my whole reason for getting a new phone. better reception.

and when I got my new phone, the guy whom I purchased my phone from used my old sim card from my dinosaur phone to activate it. it made sense to me at the time, just switch over the sim and we're good to go. BUT when i got home and tried to use the wi-fi calling feature all I got was an ERROR message.

a fucking ERROR MESSAGE. on my brand new phone. telling me that I could not use the wi-fi calling feature on my phone because I needed an updated sim card. great.

and this all went down the day before I left for my trip to florida, meaning I had to wait until i came back to even deal with the situation. and then when we did get back from Florida life was just busy with halloween and everything and i just didn't have time to go back.

so here i was with my shiny new phone. and i still couldn't use it at my house.

GRRRRRRR!!!!!

BUT as you could probably tell because I am now grateful for wi-fi, i did actually go and get it done. and now instead of having horrible reception and having to walk around my house all rafiki like holding up my cell phone like it's a little baby simba or something, i can just use my wireless router as a cell tower.

(cue the gospel music)

it is amazing.

after living here for 2.5 years, it's wonderful to finally be able to actually have a phone conversation like a normal person. without dropping the call every 10 seconds.. it has completely lifted this burden off of me and reduced my stress level like woah. I wish i could fix every other problem in my life with wi-fi.

although, give it time. i'm sure there will be an app for that soon.

Thanks for reading!
Lana

Sick. and Tired.

I'm so tired of being grateful that I'm not sick.

or not dying.

I'm so tired of being grateful that my husband, my children, and my parents are not sick or dying.

okay, so that sounds kind of funny,

I certainly don't wish for any of those things to happen.

like ever.

but I do wish that I didn't have to be grateful for those things, because it usually means that I know or have heard of someone else who is sick. or dying.

and I just wish it would stop.

I wish I could wave a magic wand and cancer would just be fucking gone.

This week my boss's mother passed away from cancer. She was disgnosed just a few short months ago, but was just too sick to be able to get treatment in time. the entire situation was incredibly sad. and tragic. A few co-workers of mine and my parents (i work with my mother) made the trek to Vermont to attend the funeral this morning. The service was very lovely. but a lovely service doesn't change the fact that what happened was completely awful. I am grateful that we did go down to the funeral though. my boss wasn't expecting it and I like to think that maybe it helped her a little bit during such an awful time.

but like every other time someone I know or a family member of someone i know passes away, I took the time to think about one thing. I am so grateful that this isn't me. I'm so grateful that this isn't my mom. that this isn't my husband or my husband's mom. I'm grateful this isn't anyone in my own little bubble and that I can live on for one more day without that bubble being shattered.

and while I am SOO grateful for that. I wish that other people weren't going through that too.

so yea. tired of being grateful for the good heath thing. I wish it was just a given for everyone.

Thanks for reading!
Lana

Ordinary.

Today I am grateful that my husband just made me some kettle popcorn.

and that we're sharing a disgusting mojito.

and he is eating a steak and cheese sandwich that is making me want to strangle him.

and that we're watching Bruno.

which is horrifically funny and ridiculous.

oh. and we're doing some laundry on the side.

This is what marriage looks like.

Lame.

But i love it.

and him.

so I'm grateful.

Thanks for reading!
Lana