These people make my world go round. These people are so much a part of me. They are the people I have shared most of my life with (and God-willing more to come). I am thankful to have God loving and fearing parents who lovingly and sacrificially gave all of themselves to each other and to their children. My parents have taught me so much and everything they have done have most definitely shaped who I am today.

I am thankful for my siblings. There are four of us and I am the oldest, and I am so glad we are all finally at that place where we can actually be friends, instead of the constant bickering brother and sisters we once were. I’m thinking it’ll only get better as we get older. My brother says, “I bet you people don’t even know you guys have a brother!”

Very thankful for my little girlies. Motherhood is a crazy journey. My girls have shown me so much of God’s grace and it’s through mothering them, that I also see a lot of my failures. I am not a perfect mother and I struggle everyday. These girls are such sweet and forgiving little beings who just want to love and be loved. I am learning from them constantly. I love their little faces and gentle (and feisty) spirits. I am so thankful for them and I love being their mother.

Ben. I love that man. We are in this together and I love sharing this life with him. He has captivated my heart completely.

There are so many other people I am thankful for. I am thankful for our church family and how they constantly point us to Christ. I am thankful for my BFF (she is a second mama to my girls) and for the bond that God has given us and that we now also share with her husband John. I am so thankful for my mother-in-law and sister-in-law who God has used to grow and encourage me, and for their constant love to us though there are thousands of miles between us. I am so thankful for extended family, Ben and I have so many more relatives whom we love and cherish and are so thankful for. I am thankful for my close circle of friends, we’ve been stuck together since those teenage years full of drama (and liking each other’s boyfriends!) and over a decade later, we’re still so tightly knit and we hope our kids will be just as close. Besides being thankful for old friends, I am also so thankful for new friends. Most importantly though, I am thankful for Christ’s work he did in my place on the cross… “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now am found, was blind, but now I see.”

And I’ve already told you before, but I do really feel such gratitude towards all of you. I am so thankful that you take the time to visit Cakies. I am really thankful for this outlet. While there are some perks to blogging for which I am grateful, it’s the recording of memories, sharing of ideas, and the friendship and support system you get from readers and other bloggers that really makes this place so special. Seriously. Also, thank you all for entering in the giveaway and the winner will be announced on Monday.

Be thankful friends, it’s infinitely better for our souls to have a constant spirit of thankfulness.

P.S. While our hearts are quite full, they are also quite heavy as we have been praying constantly for the Tibayan family who is very dear to our church family. Their daughter Danika (she is high school aged) collapsed a few days ago and has been in a coma ever since. If you are the praying type, we would so appreciate you asking for God’s healing hand over her body and strength for her family. Thank you friends!

We were part of two Thanksgiving feasts yesterday. First we went to my mom and dad’s house, and my mom, as usual, went all out. She made so much food! She has the gift of hospitality. It’s what she’s really good at, amongst other things, but I think it’s one of the magical powers she has. None of us siblings got that talent. Our mom can cook a meal for 50 people and not break a sweat. She’s pretty amazing. She wanted us to take pictures because she marks all the recipes she uses for different occasions and wants to make a book to give to us of all her different recipes.

My dad’s side of the family was over and we all attacked the table as soon as we prayed for the food and everyone said, “Amen.” If you listened 10 minutes after everyone got their food, you heard nothing. It was silent. No doubt everyone was happily enjoying their meals. I was among the silent and that’s why there aren’t any pictures of anyone eating. We were all to busy enjoying ourselves to take pictures. We went to Ben’s cousin’s house for Thanksgiving dinner and we were just having a good time chatting and eating that no pictures got taken at all. The turkey and stuffing there was also just as yummy.

I am so glad I got to eat it two times in one day! I really love turkey and stuffing and I love it so much that I’m already asking Ben if he could make some turkey at home soon. Thanksgiving feast part 3 anyone?!

“This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Chrysler. All opinions are 100% mine.”

The Town & Country they let us borrow for the “Test of Ownership” program had not only one DVD player, but two! One for the middle row and one for the back row. Our current car doesn’t have a DVD player, so I knew the girls were going to get a kick out of trying this out. Personally, I’m kind of old fashioned and prefer cars without that capability. I like the idea of kids talking together, playing games, and looking out the window rather than at a screen, but since this was a borrowed car, we thought it would be okay to let them indulge a bit.

You can imagine their excitement when we popped in that first movie. They had lots of giggles and smiles. They were in complete disbelief that they could watch something in the car. I’m sure if I were a kid, I would have reacted the same way and would have ended up bugging my parents to get a car with that video capability. For the first movie we forgot to give them the headphones, so throughout our hour drive, Ben and I listened to The Little Rascals. We got smarter the second time around, gave the girls the headphones, and then we were able to listen to what we wanted through the car stereo system.

Not surprisingly, the movie-supplemented rides enabled a quietness never experienced before in a car with 4 girls. We’re used to lots of laughing and fighting (oh lots of fighting!), and us (loudly) telling them to calm down and stop bugging each other, but these drives were so different. That whole movie watching thing really brought a lot of silence. I will admit it was a nice break and Ben and I were able to have conversations in peace. Personally though, I’m still old fashioned and would much prefer a car without movie capability. It is nice, but I think the interaction that goes on between the girls during a car ride, even with all the bickering, is priceless. I guess if we ever wanted to allow them to watch once in awhile or needed absolute silence for something, we do have a mini portable DVD player, so maybe we could let them try that in the car once. I am not completely adverse to it, but for us, it just isn’t something we feel is necessary in our car.

What are your thoughts on DVD players in vehicles?

We went to the farmer’s market again this past week, which is held at a local outdoor mall, but the farmer’s market won’t be happening this week due to the Black Friday shopping frenzy that will ensue. I don’t really venture out for the crazy Black Friday shopping, but did order a few things online last year, but other than that, I’m not brave enough to go through crowds and craziness for shopping. I am perfectly content doing all my shopping online.

I recently shared my holiday shopping guide for kids over at the Etsy blog. Check it out here. It’s a pretty little list full of wonderful handmade and vintage goods with a variety for different budgets. I did get a few things from that list and I’m happy to say that I am pretty much done with my Christmas shopping. Woot! Woot! I have about 3 things left to order, and then get some little stocking stuffers for the girls (and Ben), Ben and I are doing another handmade gift for each other, and the girls and I have to do a little bit of baking and making for our friends. For our girls, we typically give them two smaller gifts each, and then one community one from “Santa.” Honestly though, Glow will just get one because she is still little and she has 3 older sisters who already have a lot of stuff, so she has plenty of stuff to choose from for wear and play!

I have some shopping rules that I try to stick by that definitely help me in evaluating a purchase…

1. I only buy something that makes me wanna dance. I think I read that on an article on A Cup of Jo eons ago. It’s true though, if something just makes you go “eh,” well, don’t get it.

2. Along with #1, I only buy something on sale that I loved enough to buy it full price. I think store sales are a mental game retailers play with our minds, but I try not to let them win. Before, I use to see something on sale, think it was cute, and since it was on sale, it felt like it was a deal I couldn’t pass up and the fact that it was on sale made it cuter, and I would buy it. I’d have the “it’s on sale, why not mentality.” Then, I started realizing the sale items I got were kind of unnecessary items that I didn’t love and only bought because it was on sale. I don’t know if this makes sense or if I’m clearly explaining this rule I made for myself correctly, but it has worked for me and has eliminated some impulse purchases.

3. Be careful when looking Fab, Gilt, and other sites that work in a similar fashion. I subscribe to all their emails (and have made purchases in the past), but I won’t click on it unless they have a brand that I have been waiting for. For example, Fab had Monchichi dolls recently and that’s on the wish list of two of my girls, so I checked it out. Other than that, I never click on them because those sites are so smart and know how to get us where it hurts… our wallet. If you peruse regularly, chances are you see something nice and then with a place like Gilt, they time you from the time you put the item in your cart, then you feel like you need to make a decision right then and there or someone else will snatch it, and heaven forbid they run out because then you’ll want it even more. Am I right?! Those sites have great deals, but they’re also dangerous.

4. I have a list and I stick with it. I make sure I know what I want, so I don’t come out with a lot of things I don’t really need. When I go to the mall, I don’t just wander from shop to shop (for me, that takes too much time and it’s too stressful with kids). I know where I want to go, and I go in and get out. When I have wandered from shop to shop, I find lots of things I like and all of sudden start really wanting those things and fooling myself to think I need those things, but reality is I don’t need them.

5. What I don’t know, won’t hurt me. I use this when I go to the flea markets. I used to like to go really early, but these days with the 4, it just isn’t as realistic, so I figure if I don’t know what I missed, I won’t feel so bad and end up with more cash in my pocket. Also, steering clear of the flea market (or thrift shops) helps in the savings department too. I try to stay away from my fave online shops too, but that’s a little harder to do.

I love shopping! It’s fun, but also dangerous, so I made rules for myself. We budget, so that helps keep me grounded, but it also involves working on contentment, which can be tough. It’s definitely a heart issue. There will always be something I’m wanting, but I’ve got to check where I am really placing my joy. I love my friend Frances’s motto, “appreciated, but not coveted.” I think it’s good to appreciate things because it’s fun and we should always have fun in life, but be careful of not coveting it.

How do you handle holiday shopping or shopping in general? I know some of you do the three gift rule… want, wear, and read, which I think is a great rule. Do you have a set budget each year? Do you have lists or just enjoy walking from shop to shop to see what you may find?

At True’s one day a week enrichment classes they have been studying the Earth, its layers, and how the Earth moves. This week, True came home with a little volcano that she made and some instructions. She had been wanting to show us how it works, but we never got to it until Saturday morning. I started it off and then Ben stepped in and went town with it by pouring on the vinegar! The girls were laughing and giggling because he would put his hand on top and shake it up and it would squirt out like crazy. The girls were being really silly and cute! Soulie watched from the sidelines, but she didn’t really want to get too involved.

I remember I once made a volcano for a science project to share at school, but I made mine with sand built around the bottle. I did my presentation in front of the class and when the volcano erupted, all the sand ran down the sides along with the liquid to the edges of the box, and it left my bottle exposed. I remember feeling embarrassed that the sand didn’t stay up. I wasn’t a big fan or science growing up, but I hope my girls have a love for it.

Sunday mornings are chaotic getting everyone dressed for church and out of the house. This morning was slightly different because Ben and I were going to two different places; I went to my mom’s house for breakfast, since we have family in town, and Ben went to our church gathering. We split up the kids to make it more manageable, so he had the big two and I had the little two. That’s usually the combo we resort to when we separate the kids, but I’m thinking we should switch it up sometime. Maybe True and Soul and then Brave and Glow. That would be interesting. I hesitate to say Brave and Soul because Soulie bullies Brave. That girl knows how to terrorize Brave like it’s nobody’s business!

What has helped in getting us all out of the house with minimal yelling and some sort of peace, is that the girls pretty much dress themselves these days and I don’t contest it. Their combos are pretty funny and random (at times), but as long as they are appropriately dressed for the outing and the weather, it’s cool. Soulie also pretty much picks out her own clothes and now that I am looking at these pictures, this is the first time in a long while that she didn’t tuck whatever she is wearing on top into her pants.

The weather has been vacillating between warmer and cooler days of late, but as long as it’s not scorching heat, we’re good. I prefer cooler, but I’m thankful either way. Speaking of thankful, you guys are really so awesome! I love reading all the comments of what you all are thankful for and it is such an encouragement. I think it’s so important to cultivate a constant spirit of thankfulness in our lives. It’s definitely something I really need to work on and something I want my children to do naturally. We’re all works in progress, aren’t we?!

on me: shirt, anthropologie. skirt, vintage (it was my mama’s when she was a teenager). clog boots, lotta from stockholm. on true: jacket, misha lulu. dress, c/o tag you r it. shoes, gymboree. on brave: shirt and jeans, c/o molo kids. jacket, vintage. shoes, gap kids. on soul: tee, misha lulu. leggings, gap kids. shoes, c/o freshly picked. on glow: sweater, vintage. pants, f21 baby (True wore this when she was a baby!).