A little gratitude goes a long way!

Right before Thanksgiving, Ansen got laid off from his job.   It didn't feel like the end of the world right then, but it was definitely a very unpleasant feeling.  Luckily, the painful experience was short lived since Ansen got 2 job offers within a month and was happily employed and back to work the Monday after Christmas.  We still learned a lot, we were able to see how generous and caring people are and survived our first "lay off" experience.  Not an experience I hope to repeat for sure and looking back I wish we'd enjoyed our "vacation" but we just didn't know how it would turn out so we had to keep our noses to the grind stone.

After Ansen lost his job we had to make a whole bunch of plans.  Plans to survive, plans to make the finances last, plans to find a job, plans to make it through everyday, all day . . . together, and

plans to look at the bright side. 

So we started the thankful poster and girls took right to it.  Everyone had to write a new entry every day.  I was anticipating posters and posters of entries before we found a job, but gratefully, that was not the case.

Some of my favorites were . . .

Medications . . . Addison was sick that day.

Duffins' lights  . . . our neighbors do a light show to music and the girls (especially Olivia) LOVE it.

and Kebin (or Kevin) . . . the elf that watched us all December and left us Christmas surprises every other day or so.

Drew's Happy Birthday song . . . Drew doesn't say much , but he started singing the beginnings of the Happy Birthday song and we were all in love.

I Cam Walk . . . It took a couple of days for the girls to start looking outside the regular thankfuls you're suppose to say (but of course we're still thankful for) and Olivia started with I Cam Walk and Teeth.

and A New Job! . . just little at the top, but so exciting!

"Cell" Phones . . . I just thought it was funny that quotes seemed necessary. 

I love that Olivia started it out right with a nice, huge Jesus in her little 4 year old writing and I loved Drew's little scribbles at the bottom where he could barely reach to.