Thankful Thursday

1. Last Thursday on the way to Knoebels we stopped at two consignment shops. We got some great bargains such as a gorgeous black suit coat for Oliver when he's 3 years old for only $1! I also love the leotard I got for Nadia for gymnastics because it's a short style on the bottom, which means we don't have issues with her underwear showing. Yay!

2. Last week I received an invitation to interview at Claflin University in South Carolina. I declined the invitation, as my first preference is to be a stay-at-home mom right now, but it did feel nice to be chosen to interview on campus.

3. We had an amazing time at Knoebels on Monday. The weather was perfect, the price was great (we spent a little less than $100 for 7 hours there for the 5 of us including food), and the crowds were so low that we had hardly any wait for any ride!

4. I bought a single jogging stroller at a yard sale last month, and I used it for the first time at Knoebels on Monday because Ian has started saying he prefers to walk. Oh I love this stroller! It's the nicest stroller we've owned over the past six years. It even has cup holders up near the handle, which is so nice, and a snack tray for Oliver down below. I am going to enjoy using this stroller for the next few years. For the next few months I'll still be using the double jogging stroller some, but I'll probably give it away in the fall as Ian will be promoted to full-time walking status like Nadia was a little before she turned five years old.

5. The kids enjoyed their second horse back riding lesson on Tuesday morning, and the rain held off until their lessons were done. It literally started raining while we were walking to the van.

6. Oliver and I enjoyed attending the choir picnic at my choir director's home on Wednesday night. I will not be able to be in the choir next year due to the change that was implemented a year ago (no child care is provided for children ages 2-4 from 10:00 until the offertory, which is usually around 11:00). My choir director wasn't happy to hear that I'll be taking a year off. If the kids don't have soccer practices on Monday nights, I'm going to rejoin the handbell choir at our previous church in the fall. I'll have to hire a babysitter to watch the kids because Paul will have recitation at Bucknell on Mondays from 7:00-7:52pm (and the handbells rehearse from 6:30-8:00). If the kids have soccer practice on Monday night then I'll have to wait until that season is over to join the handbells. I'll find out in early August what night their practices will be held this fall.

7. Oliver hasn't been waking up any earlier than 7:15 lately. This means I can get showered and dressed before he wakes up without getting up earlier than usual. YAHOO! Now we just need to work on getting Ian to sleep in a bit later (this morning the first time he got up was 5:45am, but I sent him back to bed). I also have greatly been appreciating his longer naps as it makes it much easier to get my chores done.

8. It was SUCH a thrill to see Nadia score her very first soccer goal on Saturday! Paul and I were so glad we both
watched it happen. The look of shock on her face was priceless.

9. Paul came to the worship service the past two Sundays. The kids and I love it when he joins us!

10. Oliver is healthy again! Sunday was the last day I gave him a nebulizer treatment. Ian is almost healthy again.

11. Paul got me a cooling mat for my laptop, and my laptop hasn't crashed since I started using it. Yay!