A Time To Be Thankful

Thanksgiving:

1.       Fourth Thursday in November in the United States; second Monday in October in Canada; commemorates a feast held in 1621 by the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag.

2.       An expression of thanks, especially to God.

3.       A public celebration in acknowledgment of divine favor or kindness.

Thanksgiving is just around the corner! This is one of the holidays I look forward to each and every year. To me, Thanksgiving means family, happiness, laughter, and FOOD!!

With Thanksgiving quickly approaching… I felt this was the perfect opportunity to reflect on all the things I am THANKFUL for.

What better way to do that than a TOP 10 LIST???

#10. My Happiness: Life is great! I am so incredibly happy with what life has thrown my way. I am blessed to have so many things that others live without. Life has had its hard moments, but I am in the best place of my life. I am thankful for the happiness that surrounds me!

#9. My Financial Stability: I have learned a lot about money throughout my life. It is something that I am very careful with. I was lucky when I married a “Numbers Man”. Joe is so responsible with our money and we have made some great decisions. I am thankful for our lack of debt and financial stability. I know it will pay off in the long run!

#8. My Job/Students: Being a teacher can be a hard and stressful job, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I go to work each day and hopefully have a positive impact on my student’s lives. I love teaching, and when I see my students understanding and exploring, I feel so excited. I am thankful for the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of children.

A picture of me drawn by one of my students!

#7. Friends: I am one of those people that have a few close friends that I hold close to my heart. The ones that I have are amazing!! I know I can count on them and they will be by my side at a moments notice. They are dependable, trustworthy, and loyal. Together we are silly and have tons of fun! I am so thankful for my friends!!

#6. My House: Joe and I are so blessed to have such a beautiful home. We go to bed each night in a warm bed with a roof over our heads! We purchased this house 2 years ago and I am thankful for the memories we have created here. I have worked hard to make our house feel like a home! I enjoy the nights we cuddle up on the couch to watch movies with a glass of wine. I even love it when I am spending my weekend cleaning!! I know this home will be a safe place to raise our children someday and I am so thankful to call it mine!

#5. My Grandma Joan in the Mountains: I am so lucky to have such a great grandma!! She has always been there for me and I know I can go to her for anything. She is so energetic and an amazing tennis player! I can’t believe at her age that she is still so active. I hope I have some of those genes!!! She has more friends then anyone I know and is loved by her church and community. I am thankful for her love of myself and my family!

#4. Cody: What an amazing dog she is! A smile is brought to my face each day due to something she has done. She is an incredibly loyal dog and is at the door each night to greet me after work. She loves to lick, play with her baby, and eat treats! Cody is an important part of the Suarez family and I am thankful to have her around… even with all that hair she sheds!

#3. My California Family: I think I have mentioned it before, but I have great In-Laws! Many say that I am extremely lucky to have married into the Suarez Family… and I would agree. I now not only have 2 parents that love me, but 4! Frank and Nanette are so kind and giving! Joe and I truly appreciate all they have done for us! I look forward to the time Joe and I spend with them. I love our trips to California and their trips to Arizona. When we are together, we are always having a good time! I am thankful each day for the Suarez Family! I love them very much.

#2. My Arizona/Ohio Family (this is going to be a long one): My family may be unique, but I think they are the BEST! We have been through so much and walked away from it all stronger than ever!

My mom is my best friend and confidant. I can tell her anything and I cherish the time we spend together. With her I can laugh, cry, and be silly! She has been by my side through all of life’s ups and downs and I am so glad she was apart of it all. She gives the best advice and loves me unconditionally! My mom is such a strong woman and she is the rock of our family! We would all be lost without her!

My dad has opened my eyes to many things. Without him I wouldn’t have my extreme love of baseball… or the St. Louis Cardinals. This love of baseball is something that Joe and I will also instill in our children! I am so glad that he is happy! I know my dad tries his best and I am thankful for the relationship we have.

My sister Macy is such a free-spirit! At times I may not understand her point of view or agree with her decisions, but I still love her like crazy! I am extremely proud of the young woman she is turning in to and I know she will make our family proud! She is so beautiful and considerate. Macy is always thinking about others around her. I LOVE our sister dates and cherish the moments we spend together.

My brother Mitch is quite the character. I would be the first to admit that he and I are complete opposites, but I am so glad he is in my life. Mitch is dedicated, hard working, and GO GO GO! He is one of the funniest guys I know… even if his jokes include picking on me! I am amazed at what he has accomplished in his life and I know he will achieve greatness. Mitch is extremely loyal to our family and I know he would do anything for me. I am so very proud to call him my brother! GO BUCKS!

David and Dallas are quite the duo. They have brought many smiles into our family… the most important smile being my moms! They are funny and energetic. There is never a dull moment when these boys are around! I am so glad David is there each day to make my mom feel safe and loved. I am very thankful they have come into our lives!

I am so thankful for the moments spent with my family.

I love them with all my heart!!

#1: Joe: What a truly amazing man! I am so blessed to call him my husband. Joe is a dedicated, hard working, compassionate person. He does whatever it takes to be sure that I feel loved unconditionally, safe, and secure. Joe is creative and determined. I am amazed at the things he has achieved and am excited for the things I know he will accomplish. Joe makes me feel lively and content all at the same time! He shows me new things and everyday with him is an adventure. He is modest and humble, but all who meet him know what a terrific person he is. I cherish the moments we spend together and look forward to the memories we will create! I am so thankful to call Joe my husband and friend….

I hope that all the people I love so much have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Veteran's Day 2011

I usually NEVER want the weekend to end… and after having a wonderful 3-day Veteran’s Weekend… I really don’t want Monday to come!!!

Our weekend began Thursday night as we welcomed the Suarez Clan to Arizona! Joe’s mom and dad came to town for the long weekend and we spent it honoring our Veterans… with a little fun mixed in.

Friday morning we woke up nice and early and walked over to the Anthem Park to take part in the dedication ceremony of Anthem Veteran’s Memorial. There was a great band, lots of inspirational speeches, and an F-16 fly over (Joe’s favorite part)!!

Over a year ago, Joe helped with the fundraising efforts for the Memorial and purchased a brick in his grandfather’s honor. Grandpa Cason served in the Army and he is now a small part of our community! Grandpa Cason passed away a short time before I met Joe, but I can see that he left a large imprint on Joe’s life. I never had the honor of meeting Grandpa, but from all the stories and memories shared, I know he was a wonderful man! I look forward to the day Joe and I will take our children to the Memorial and show them their Great Grandfather’s Brick.

Saturday was a fun-filled day!

We began the morning watching the Anthem Veteran’s Day Parade. Joe and I live 2 minutes from the parade route, so we all walked over to enjoy the festivities. The weather was perfect and the parade was very well done.

There are so many wonderful activates our community hosts.  I am impressed each time I attend one!!

After the parade, we got in the car for the long trek down to Picacho Peak, Arizona. Joe’s mom had found an Ostrich Farm there that she wanted to visit. I had no clue what to expect and was a little unsure about the whole idea… but it turned out to be a lot of fun!

The Ostrich Farm is family owned and operated and you could really tell. Everyone was so nice and knowledgeable. I learned more about Ostriches than I ever needed to know…. So very interesting!

Ostriches were not the only animals on the farm. We were allowed to feed Donkeys, Deer, Goats, and Lorikeets. It was no neat! The animals were so friendly and VERY excited to eat.

If you have children I would highly recommend this farm! It is very close to Tucson… so if you are headed down there for any reason… stop in along the way.

I couldn’t have asked for a better weekend! Does Monday have to come???

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year!!

Ok… I know it’s early, but I just couldn’t help myself! Christmas has arrived at the Suarez Home!!

Joe and I decorated the house, last weekend, for the holidays. Some may think I am crazy, but I have my reasons for the insanity.

My have quite the Christmas tree! It is a HUGE job to put it up, fix the branches, and then decorate it. I feel that since it takes so much effort… I might as well enjoy it. Joe was a big help and climbed the ladder to place the high decorations. We were both very tired when the tree was finished, but I think it was a job well done!

On Sunday we put up the Christmas lights on our house. In Anthem we are allowed to have our lights up starting November 1^st and they must be down by January 15^th. I saw the neighbors putting up their lights and thought we would jump on board.

I wasn’t much help… Joe deserves all the credit for the outdoor lights! He took them out, climbed the ladder, and used the staple gun. I just stood around and told him what a great job he was doing.

When all Joe’s hard work was done… it looked nice! I like simple white lights, nothing fancy. I am very happy with the way all the décor came out!

Bring on Christmas… oh wait… Thanksgiving comes first :)

Chilly Weather

This has to be my favorite time of the year!

There is nothing better than opening up your windows and letting in the cool air. Last weekend we had quite the fall storm.

I am in LOVE with rain! I was so happy to hear the drops outside my window as I cuddled up in bed.

Joe and I spent Saturday morning outside! We took a nice walk around the neighborhood and enjoyed the chilly weather. I actually had to wear a jacket!!! We spent Sunday putting up our Christmas décor (more to follow in my next post)

I had to take some pictures of the clouds! They were so dark and low… you could actually see snow on the mountains Monday morning.

It was a terrific chilly weekend!

Halloween Happiness

The holiday season is in full swing!

I think this has to be my favorite time of the year. As soon as Halloween rolls around I know that Thanksgiving, my birthday, and Christmas are just around the corner!

Each year, Joe is encouraged to wear his Halloween costume to work! All the employees at the bank dress up and the customers decide which costume was the best. Sounds like a lot of fun to me!!! Last year Joe was a 70s Disco Man.... This year he decide on.....

THIS!!!

What a cute little Scottish man! He even had the accent down and everything :)

After a long day at work, Joe and I spent Halloween night at my mom's house. She recently moved into a new neighborhood and we wanted to check her "trick-or-treaters" out.

My mom had brought her fire pit out into the front yard and we all gathered around with wine and pizza in hand.

We ordered pizza from the best pizza joint in Glendale... Oggis! It is located on 67th ave just south of the 101. It has amazing food and is a great place to go when you want to grab some grub and watch a sporting event... TVs EVERYWHERE!

We all enjoyed seeing the kiddos in their costumes. I think my favorite had to be the babies! They had the cutest costumes and I wanted to pick up each one... but their parents might of found that a bit weird!

It was a fantastic Halloween night. Thanks mom for the great time. You have once again helped Joe and I create a lasting memory!