Thankful Thursday New Year Eve Edition 2009

We are all saying it “New Year Eve already? Where did the year go?!?” I am right there with you, this year has gone so fast. So many things have happened here at the Nut House, and while we have had some tough times, the good times are always here to hold us up and get us through the day.

We made it through another year without finishing our addition. We set goal after goal, deadline after deadline, and very few of them were met. I am Thankful for what we did get done, and while we didn’t move in by Christmas, which was our ultimate goal, we did get one room finished enough for my parents to camp out in since last week. We got one room primed,  patched a couple of carpet remnants down on the floor, and hung a blanket on the door. With an air mattress and a space heater, The Nut House is now a 4 Star Family Resort. My brother spend a few days in the The House Family Resort as well. Since the addition still has several more months worth of work, and did not get completed by our final deadline of Christmas, we have decided to start the New Year, with no more deadlines, it will get done when it gets done.

My parents have been here for just over a week, my brother got a few days off from work for a quick visit, and we have had a great time. My family lives about 8 hours away, so we only get to visit a few times throughout the year, Christmas is our big family vacation, even though we don’t go anywhere these days. Hanging out with the family watching movies, playing video games, and lounging on the couch is the perfect vacation for us!

We have made it through another year of no surgery for my Wee Nut, my Heart Baby is turning into a toddler, and will soon be a Heart Kid. I am so Thankful for his strength, and for his wonderful team of pediatric cardiologists.

My Wing Nut became a Homeschooler this year, and is doing so much better in so many ways than when he was going to public school. With ADHD, there are always struggles and issues to deal with, and life can get pretty dramatic at times, but we are working with him, and are seeing great improvements.

My E Nut joined Cub Scouts this year and is as happy as he could be. He is getting to that point where his little kid-ness is slowly fading, and he is maturing very quickly. He is my biggest helper around here with the babies. I think we are going to be seeing the biggest changes in him in the New Year, he is breaking free from his big brothers shadow, and his personality is starting to shine through.

Little Nut Nut started preschool this year, and for him this is the biggest thing since learning to walk. He beams with pride every time I drop him off, and has endless stories to tell when I pick him up. In his mind, he is now a big brother, and the world is his playground. Everything he does, he does to catch up with his brothers, and if they can do it, he is convinced that he can do it too. At 3 years old, I think he is going to be the youngest kid ever to solve the old school style Mega Man Anniversary Collection and can totally kick my butt any day!

After 4 boys, we welcomed our first, and only little girl this past summer. She Nut is as spoiled as any Baby Girl could be. I never thought I would have a girlie girl, but my sweet little one wears pink every day. She has the best smile I have ever seen on a little girl, and can melt my heart with a smile and a baby girl squeak. She is both the easiest, as well as the most difficult baby we have ever had. When she wants something she is as demanding as I have ever seen a baby be, but she can sit in her bouncy saucer, or lay in her bassinet for hours playing with her hands or babbling to whoever is closest to her. She is well loved by her brothers, and will have team of boys to protect her when she gets older.

This month we had the best snow storm we have ever had in the Shenandoah Valley, giving us a White Christmas, and that is one of the best, and simplest gifts my children have ever had. They will remember this Christmas forever, and it will be something we talk about for the rest of our lives.

I have met so many great people in the bloggy world, and am Thankful for the new friendships I have made. I love reading your blogs, and hanging out with you on The BlogFrog, and Twitter.

I have been able to connect with many great Heart Families and CHD organizations, and am honored to work with you all to raise awareness about Congenital Heart Defects. I have many ideas for 2010, and can’t wait to get them in motion.

As always, I am Thankful for my happy, healthy, wild little beasties that run around my house all day long driving me crazy, I am Thankful that we have a roof over our heads and for our wonderfully supportive group of friends and family and all the ways they help us.

Here is how Thankful Thursdays works:

1. Post your Thankful Thoughts on your blog. Somewhere in your post please mention The Nut House and http://ourhappynuthouse.com/ so that your friends, family and visitors know where to find other Thankful Thoughts. You can also grab my Thankful Thursdays banner and link to that. Once you have done that you can come back here and add your post to MckLinky.

Not everyone has a blog, so:

2. If you don’t have a blog, you can leave a Thankful Thoughts comment in the comment section.

3. You can show your Thankful Thoughts any way you like, as a list, as a story, as one word, one sentence or just a picture. Have fun!