Giving Thanks

In honor of 30 days of November and 30 days of life, here are 30 things that I am very grateful/thankful for... in no particular order.

1. My parents, for their unconditional love and support from day one
2. My siblings, for the laughter & joy they bring to my life
3. My husband, for the love he carries & life that he provides for our family
4. Adelaide Jane, for the awe & wonder that she allows me to be a part of daily
5. Motherhood, for how it highlights my strengths and exposes my weaknesses
6. My health, for the things it allows me to physically & mentally accomplish
7. Tennis, for the role it has played in my life through all stages
8. My home, for the safety & security that it provides for my family
9. My education, for the gift that many are not as fortunate to have
10. Writing, for the creative outlet it allows me to have and the freedom to speak my mind
11. Reading, for the stimulation and imagination it brings to me
12. Travel, for the world & cultures it allows me to see
13. My neighbors, for how welcoming they have been to us
14. Beaumont, for the long road we have traveled together and his never ending love for me
15. My friends, for their support and tough love
16. Adelaide's friends, for the joy & laughter they bring to her life
17. My nieces & nephew, for the joy & laughter they bring to their parents' lives
18. My faith, for the strength that it gives me in good times & bad
19. God & Jesus, for their selfless ways and their unwavering loyalty & love
20. Crafting, for the memories that it allows me to savor and share with friends & family
21. Shopping, for the mindless task that lets me forget my worries
22. Love, for the betterment it does for the world
23. Kentucky, for its place in my heart and where I truly call home
24. UK/CATS, for the community and adrenaline it brings to my life
25. Chocolate, for its oh so sweetness
26. Baby Thompson #2, for the ability to be a part in another miracle of life
27. Movies, for their display of real life with a twist of fantasy & hope
28. Seasons, for the beauty that each one brings & the nature each one highlights
29. Sleep, for its rejuvenation and relaxation
30. Life, for the gracious one that I have been dealt and for all that it has yet to deal

Kelly's Kids

I am excited to announce that I am now a sales rep for the fabulous clothing line: Kelly's Kids. After purchasing many adorable outfits for Adelaide and getting oodles of compliments about her outfits, I decided to become an ambassador for this quality company.

The Spring '14 line will launch on January 13th but there is still time to get some festive holiday gear as well as winter wonderland fun now. There are also some great sales on attire for next fall: think Halloween & Thanksgiving. It never hurts to plan ahead ;)

Ordering is simple. Just go to my website: https://www.kellyskids.com/whitneythompson (or click here) and shop away!

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask me. My email is collinswk@hotmail.com and I am happy to give you my cell phone number should you need it.

HAPPY SHOPPING!

The Internship: A Movie Review

Vince Vaughn & Owen Wilson are the perfect combo of wit & charm in my opinion. They make amazing movies playing off one another using their personas to create unforgettable characters. Does Wedding Crashers ring a bell?! So a few weekends ago when Winston was up visiting, he & Ryan suggested we watch The Internship. It didn't take much convincing as soon as I saw that VV & OW were lead roles.

Two salesmen, Billy & Nick (Vaughn & Wilson), suddenly find themselves jobless in a dying market...door-to-door sales. Determined to take their life by the reigns, they enroll in Google's internship program. Searching for themselves and that missed opportunity, the two struggle in today's tech-savy world. Something neither of them can seem to master. But as they team up with a group of outcast youngsters, they will become the teachers of life.

I was expecting the funny, laugh-until-your-belly-hurts lines as well as the soft, smooth talks throughout the film. But what I wasn't expecting was the real life lesson these two would deliver. In a generation where we are so disengaged from human interaction and overly dependent on technology, it is easy to get swept up in life without stopping to realize the beauty & importance of the journey. Call it the pregnancy hormones or credit the great acting of these two men as well as the touching storyline. I was moved by the lessons learned by the youngsters on the team.

If you're looking for a fun, light-hearted film, definitely check out The Internship featuring two of the greatest actors of our time.

Witty Whit's Words: Featured!

A few weeks ago, Christine Bryant contacted me on my blog's Facebook page. She is a writer for NWI.com which is an online newspaper for Northwest Indiana. She was inquiring about the Thanksgiving napkin ring holders I made last year when we hosted both families for the holiday. She asked if she could use the picture of our table setting. I said of course and felt very honored. I am by no means ultra crafty nor do I have the best abilities to decorate my home. But I do love entertaining and I had put a lot of love, time, energy, & money into our Thanksgiving weekend last year. So my little heart was fluttering with pride when she used my masterpiece in her article...

Check out the article here for great ideas on all things Thanksgiving!

Adelaide is Going to BEE a Big Sister

Months ago I ordered this adorable big sister to BEE onesie and yellow & black tutu for Adelaide to announce our pregnancy to Ryan. I had it all planned out for her to be wearing it when he came home from work. But after months of failed attempts, I put it away in the bonus room with the other baby clothes she had outgrown.

So when I was in Kentucky and found out I was pregnant, I couldn't wait a week to tell Ryan! But I could wait a few days for him to send me the outfit so I could reveal in person to my family that we were expecting baby #2.

I gathered them all to my parents house and into the Florida room for the big reveal...

Much like me, they were in shock because they know the struggles & daily waiting game of the past few months. My mom thought I was playing a joke and started to get upset until she realized that I was crying. Then she was crying. My dad was relieved that I would now be gaining some weight. And the minions, Bishop, Collins, & Cooper, didn't really understand. Kendahl & Peter were pumped. Taylor recorded the whole thing because well I told her a few days prior because I just couldn't keep it all to myself ;) Amanda & Shane were at work but called immediately with congrats!

I feel very blessed that I have been in the exact same place when finding out about both pregnancies and been able to share that in person with my family. And this time was extra special because Adelaide got to be a part of the big reveal!

This is ultimately how she felt...

...about wearing the headband that is! About being a big sister, well she is thrilled!

And then there were two...

...as in babies. As in SIX positive pregnancy tests. Plus the one at the doctor's office and the blood test.

Some of you may know that we started trying for another baby back in February. My pregnancy, labor, & delivery with Adelaide was very easy and pretty flawless so we thought why not. But IT wasn't exactly working. Without giving TMI, Ryan & I decided to have some tests run to see what issues existed, if any. See with Adelaide we weren't even trying so I was having a hard time understanding why this time around it was so difficult. I know 8 months isn't a long time in the grand scheme of life. Or long in comparison to others who have been trying to conceive. But for me, it became a vicious monthly cycle. Get my period. Wait a week & a half for my fertile window. Get busy. Wait for an eternity. Take a test. Negative. Be hysterical, depressed, and certain that we would never have another baby again. Dramatic? Yes. But my reality for those months? Yes.

Fast forward to September when on a Saturday evening I found myself at the ER for chronic chest pains. After doing several blood tests, one being a negative pregnancy test, having X-rays, and being on a heart monitor, I was released and ordered to rest as well as cut out any stress from my life. Oh if only it were that easy...like I could zap people who stress me out or poof-be-gone my stressful thoughts.  On the car ride home, I lost it. It hadn't really sunk in at the hospital that I was without child, but as I trekked home alone during the midnight hours, I suddenly realized my reality. Defeated is an understatement.

My crazy mind was trying to give me a glimpse of hope asking could it be too early for a blood test. Thanks to Google & BabyCenter I learned that yes indeed it can be too early to detect at times. So a few days later I took a pregnancy test. Negative. Now I just felt foolish.

I set out to prepare for the IUI procedure we were planning to have the following week. I began yoga, stopped drinking wine, and had an appointment to see an acupuncturist. Monday morning was "d day" or as some may say time for a visit from "Flo". I awoke ready for the worst. Yet for some reason I wasn't feeling any of the usual symptoms and had a bright idea to confirm that I wasn't pregnant. I was in Kentucky staying at my parents and had a test left from when I found out Adelaide was on her way so I decided to pee on the stick and hop in the shower. There was not 1% of me that thought I was pregnant. At all. So when I got out of the shower and looked on the floor and read:

PREGNANT!

I started laughing and felt my heartbeat sky rocket. No way. No way. No way. And I didn't really believe it for several days. Or maybe weeks. Possibly the first 3 months. But I believe it now.

Because For This Child We Have Prayed...

Celebrating Our Second Year

Saturday Ryan & I headed into the city for a day of celebrating our 2nd wedding anniversary. He planned a wonderful day full of surprises and seeing the best of the city. The city was bustling with traffic, in taxis & on foot, as the holiday season is in full swing. Ice skating rinks up, window displays lit up, Christmas music playing, and Starbucks holiday drinks brewing. Ah I do love NYC during the holidays.

We arrived at Gershwin Theatre just in time to catch the opening act of Wicked. A production neither of us has seen. One they are calling the show of the century. Words cannot describe how amazing it was from start to finish. The cast, the costumes, the music. Everything was beyond perfect.

After the show, we took the Subway over to SoHo to dine at Taureau. A french fondue restaurant that melted my heart. With all glass windows providing a view of the city lights, we were tucked in a corner table for a prime view. We enjoyed a 3 course meal of pure heaven. A cheese fondue with homemade croutons and salad for dipping. The most tender filet mignon dipped in olive oil with fresh steamed veggies. And for dessert, milk & dark chocolate with all sorts of goodies to dip from strawberries and marshmallows to banana bread and biscotti.

A perfect day followed by the perfect evening.

On our actual anniversary, Ryan decided to play hookie and stay home for a family day of celebration. We enjoyed a nice lunch out before heading to The Great Jack-O-Lantern Blaze right in our backyard. It is a large display of hand-carved pumpkins all lit up in glory.

April Showers, Bring May Flowers

Whitney & Ryan: Wedding Anniversary #2

Today Ryan & I celebrate our 2nd year of marriage. Sometimes it feels like we were just wed. Other times it feels like centuries ago. Wow that makes us sound old ;)

You might recall last year when we celebrated our first anniversary and the gift that kept on giving all year long. We had a great time on our monthly dates and continued to enjoy our passion for exploring.

This year I wanted to *again* stick with tradition and put a spin on the modern gift. Traditionally cotton is the gift of choice for year #2. Cotton is thought to be durable and versatile which are both important in a marriage. China is the modern gift due to its beauty & elegance much like how people view love.

I got to thinking really hard and my creative juices started flowing. Ryan loves snowboarding. He often complains that he isn't able to partake in his hobby enough. Wah, wah cry me a river, I know. Well snowboarding jackets & pants are made out of cotton right? Yes indeed. So I decided to get him a new outfit for the 2013/2014 snow season. Cotton...check!

Now I don't know many men who would like China as a gift. It is sort of one of those things that you register for and the guy is like oh yea cool and pays no attention to it. Ryan is one of those guys. Outside the box thinking required. Insert Mont Tremblant, Canada and viola you have beauty & elegance. A big thank you to my friend CNY for suggesting this hidden gem months & months ago when I was looking for snowboarding spots around New York.

We are heading up to Canada over Thanksgiving weekend to spend a little family of three time on the mountain. I honestly cannot wait to get away for a few days with just the 3 of us and no where to be. I have a massage booked. Adelaide has Kidz Club with playtime in the snow. Ryan has plenty of time to enjoy his cotton & china.

Cheers to another year of wedded bliss on the books and many more to come!

The Big Wedding: A Movie Review

Having a baby has meant not being able to get to the movie theater nearly as much as I would like ever. So I have been fortunate enough to order several films lately from Netflix. Enter heaven on my couch. A few weekends ago Ryan went on an all day hike while Adelaide & I hung out at home. During one of her naps, I decided to treat myself to a movie.

The Big Wedding. With an all-star cast in Robert de Niro, Diane Keaton, Robin Williams, Susan Surandon, Katherine Heigl, Amanda Seyfried, and Topher Grace, the flick had me laughing & crying and thinking my lucky stars that my family is not THAT crazy. The premise is simple. A family reunites for the wedding of their son. The plot thickens as secrets, white lies, & emotions begin to leak out. Weddings can bring out all sorts of true life confessions, wild passionate nights, and all sorts of comical memories for years to come.

This light-hearted movie will have you feeling dual emotions with this strange, twisted yet sweet & loving family. Loyalty is a key ingredient in a successful family. Just ask the Don & Ellie...and Bebe too!

The Big Wedding, for your viewing pleasure...

Halloween 2013: Grease is the Word

A few months ago I saw the most adorable black snakeskin leggings (for Adelaide) and right then & there I decided we were being Pink Ladies for Halloween. Thank you Heidi Klum for your Truly Scrumptious baby clothing line. I grabbed a pink wig as Halloween stores started popping up to play Frenchie and a scarf for Adelaide to moonlight as Sandra Dee. Ryan just wore his usual weekend attire to play Danny.

We set out around 6:30 to trick-or-treat down our street. The weather was perfect with a cool 60 degrees which allowed for full costumes and no coats needed. First let me just say that our neighborhood is bad ass. I have never seen such decoration enthusiasm in my life. We are talking real life cemeteries, life-size dead people hanging from all sorts of trees, giant blow up figures/scenes, horror music & movies playing, and swinging monsters coming from all angles. Oh and bomb candy.

We pushed Adelaide in her trike which was perfect. She got a lift from house to house then would walk up to the door, ring the bell, and stare. She generally would hand them back the candy. Don't worry I grabbed it back from the neighbors. I needed chocolate! She would walk in their house if they had a dog. She loved riding past the other kids and admiring their costumes.

Once we were back, we had crowds and crowds of dressed up kiddos. They were all adorable especially our 4 year old neighbor who was dressed as a cop. He thought I was a clown. Haha adorable. He then invited me down to his house to get some candy back. Perfect! We ended up giving out all of our candy which made me one happy camper...of course I had my Adelaide's stash to munch on.

Halloween 2013 was a great success! Now to go get some spooky decor for next year...I need to step up my game!