Thankful

Thanksgiving is JUST around the corner... 2 days away to be exact.

So let me give thanks:

For my family. Mom, Dad, and Kate. I wouldn't be the person I am today with out the help of these three people.

Grandmother

It's this time of year again...
Family reunion time!!!

Every November my HUGE family meets down at Devils Den. We rent out about... 9 cabins (I'm guessing) And we stay all weekend long. Hiking, singing, EATING, listening to music, listening to stories, and just catching up with each other. Wouldn't miss it for the world. It all started about 13 years ago, for my Grandmothers 75th birthday...




Elizabeth Jane Reagan is 87 years old this year. She is my neighbor, my friend, my grandmother, and a lady I look up to. She is smart! and has become very quick witted over the years :) She audits classes at the U of A each semester. She attends 1 class 3 times a week and participates in readings and such... but she claims "I will not take their tests because I'm too old!" She also ice skates twice a week at the Jones Center in Springdale.

I look up to her and often go to her for advice. I love our little conversations - she is very honest and trustworthy. I've made memories and shared things with her that I can keep forever. I'm lucky to have the relationship with her that I do!

Lets talk about BABYSITTING...

I celebrated my 22nd birthday last month... Which was important to me becaue I figured out that I have now offically been babysitting for TEN YEARS. (Am I old?)
That's right, I started babysitting when I was 12. I've been making money and earning responsibility and my reputation for babysitting since I was 12 years old. Incredible.

These days, I take care of only a few families. Families who I ADORE. Families I feel like I'm a part of. Families that will be a part of me forever and ever. (No I'm not just saying this because the only two people who may read my blog are Christy and Denise :) (Love you both by the way)

What I'm trying to say is. I don't EVER think of babysitting as "my job" or a "chore." I'm happy to take care of children. It had made me who I am today.

I would never trade

-The conversations I have with Mia while I'm tucking her into bed.
-The way Paige hugs on me when she first wakes up from her nap.
-Talking about fashion with Abby and watching her pick out an outfit in her closet that was similar to mine because she wanted to look like me at school the next day.
-Learning about animals and wild life by Ian.
-Singing Hannah Montanta with Lia on car rides.
-Playing Patty Cake with Ali and watching her smile/giggle when I "roll the dough"
-Rocking/feeding/Smiling at Ava Kate
-Listening to Cooper tell me all about birds.
-Listening to Drake tell me all about school/video games etc.
-Watching Sophie put on "Make up" (Lip Gloss) ... even on her cheeks!
-Snuggling with Isabelle while we watch movies.
-Doing Mady's hair.
-Going on Bear hunts with Matthew.
-Letting(Except not really, they are too good!) Riley and Aiden beat me at Sorry.
-Singing to Taylor Swift on my adventures with Olivia.

Some people say I do and always will have an impact on the kids I work with. I can believe that...

But it goes both ways...

The way these kids make me feel, and the way they bring SO MUCH meaning to my life will always always always have an impact on me.

So if you are reading this, and you're a Mom I babysit for - I just want to say thank you... for letting me be apart of your lives and the lives of your kiddos. Love you all!

So What do I do?

I have always been against facebook. Didn't want my information out there. Didn't want my pictures out there. Didn't want someone to have the ability to write whatever they wanted on MY page. Weird maybe. But for all these years, I've stuck to my guns. My sister got tired of me sneaking onto her account and looking at old friends and such :) So this past month, she was sneaky right back, and created me a facebook account.

I was mad. Real mad. Deleted it.

A couple days later, I came home from lunch... and reopened that account. For no good reason that I can remember. I just did it. And since then, I've been strong. I've been confident. I've let people in that I normally wouldn't. And I've had many discussions with friends, coworkers, and family members about my little adventures on the infamous facebook.

A friend of mine from work said: "When I find myself online, 'stalking' friends on facebook for hours - I always feel so down about myself whenever I'm done. like they have something I don't."

I said something like this: "OMG I usually feel the SAME way!"

She said back: "You know why? Because People don't put 'real life' on facebook. They post the happy pictures. They post all the GOOD pictures of themselves. They sugar coat everything so everyone will have to think that they are... in a way... 'perfect.' It is all for show."

And you know what? She's right.

But sometimes I still can't help but feel down on myself. Like I don't have anything to look forward to. like my life isn't good enough. Which I know isn't true.

So I still don't know about FB. I may give it a little while longer... But so far it sure isn't doing anything for me except wasting my time and pulling me down.