Thankful for These Thursday

This last week I have been so thankful for many people and things. So I thought I would share a few...

This is a castle that Matthew got as a birthday present from my sister and her family (Thanks guys!). I must admit I am pretty sure I wanted this more than Matthew did (I have been wanting it for months), but now he likes it more than me. This toy has kept him busy for hours (Am I a bad mom if that makes me love the castle even more than I anticipated?). I will also admit that Matthew's cars spend more time in the castle than the knights that came with it do. But that makes sense, cars always drive around medieval castles. The boy loves his cars and they get to play in everything, in fact right now there are a couple parked beside the Christmas houses.

Second thing I am thankful for are all these clothes. My grandma sent these for the kids. I was completely shocked to get a box from my grandma. She does love to buy baby and kid's clothing, but she never sends it in the mail. I haven't bought a thing for the baby girl (her grandmas have though, which I am also VERY thankful for) and I have been thinking lately she will need some clothes (since some people (MOM)strongly feel that she shouldn't wear all blue boy hand-me-downs from her brother that I have stuffed in every closet). Matthew got a super handsome dress shirt from Gap, some football pjs, and a super duper cool coat. The coat also came equipped with an Ipod pocket with a little opening for the headphones, which EVERY 4 year old needs. I can't tell you how many times in the past I have said "Matthew I just wish your coat had a place for your Ipod".

The third thing I am so thankful for is gift cards and those that give them. My sisters and their families came for Thanksgiving and we celebrated Christmas then with them. My nieces got Erik and I gift cards for dinner and a movie (they weren't supposed to get us anything by the way, but thanks girls). So Erik and I had a date night this week. We went to dinner AND a movie. I am not even sure of the last time that happened. It was awesome!

The fourth thing goes with the third. I am so thankful for grandparents that enjoy taking their grandson overnight so that his parents can have a great, free date night (Thanks Mine and Papine).

The last thing that I am thankful for is getting our health insurance all taken care of. Because I am pregnant I have had to get the cobra insurance from Erik's last job because nobody, of course wants to cover a pregnant lady part way through. Thankfully, we were able to just have me covered on that while getting Erik and Matthew on a seperate independent policy because as some of you might know cobra is very expensive. To have that taken care of is such a relief.

Oh and I am also really thankful for bananas and Fudge Rounds too.