Thinking Ahead

I am so excited for Thanksgiving and Christmas! I absolutely love this time of year--everything feels a little more exciting. This past weekend I had FM 100 playing each time I was in the car; they have Christmas playing 24/7, and I love it! I also did a little shopping, and found an AMAZING sale at Robert's! I wanted some Fall decorations, and when I went there to see what they had, they were having a HUGE sale--75% off all Fall decor! I loaded up 2 carts, spending between 2 and 4 dollars per item. I spent a total of $35, which gave me enough decorations for my kitchen and front room! I love finding sales! On a side note, I also went to Linens-n-things for their "Going out of Business Blowout Sale"--20% off is NOT a blowout sale people! Needless to say, I did not pull out the debit card for them!
Lately I've been feeling more domestic. Perhaps it's because Annabelle is getting older, and I am so excited to do fun things with her, as well as make fun things for her and for our home. I didn't think I'd ever be the type of mom who "made" things; one of my favorite phrases is "Why make it when you can buy it already made?" Well, I think I understand that making things makes it more personal and more original. I enjoyed making Trick-or-treat buckets for Annabelle and Paige; this past weekend I spent a really nice night with my sister-in-law and mother-in-law doing crafts (I painted a shelf for Annabelle's room), and my mom taught me how to make homemade potpourri on the stove. My next project is going to be making favors for Thanksgiving dinner. I want to make something cute for each place setting. We'll see what I can come up with...Hey maybe if I make the favors I won't have to bring a food assignment!!
I love Thanksgiving! I love hanging out with family and having absolutely nowhere to be. I am so excited to experience this with Annabelle as well; last year we spent Thanksgiving weekend at a cabin in Oakley with Josh's family. It was really relaxing, but Annabelle was so little, and she still had colic. I know she'll get into it more this year--she already LOVES the decorations around the house. Let's hope she's as excited about the food! I think it's promising.
I've decided I'm going to write about something I'm thankful for each time I make an entry this month. Lately I've been feeling so grateful for my close bond with Annabelle. She and I have been through a lot together this year, and I am humbled by the amount of faith and trust she has in me. She has been there to make me smile and laugh. I love her beyond description. I worry about having more children; I know I shouldn't, but I do. I worry I will always feel closer to her, or that I will share a tighter bond with her because of what we've experienced. She and I will have spent a year alone together, and I won't have that with my future babies. How could I possibly feel as close to them as I do now with Annabelle. My mom says mothers always feel this way with their 1st baby, but when the 2nd baby comes, you always love them just as much because there isn't a limit on love--we don't have a limited amount of love to divide among those we love. I'm not worried I won't love them as much as Annabelle; I just know that my relationship with Annabelle has been formed in circumstances that won't be re-created in the future, which leads me to believe it's not possible to re-create this closeness and interdependence. I'm sure I'm wrong :) I'm so thankful to my Heavenly Father for blessing me with her; she is perfect for me, and has given me everything I've needed in order to grow. Because of her I have re-found myself, and I have never been happier with my life. I am sure my husband will tell you the same thing--babies change lives for the better!!