This is something I've shared in past years and it just felt right to write it up now, instead of Thanksgiving week. Tense election weeks should end with grateful lists, can we at least agree on that?
One of my kids' first memory verses was what Paul wrote in Ephesians: to always give thanks to God. (Read that whole chapter of Ephesians here.) I LOVE that we have a season to reflect on this idea, the idea of being content in a world that constantly shows us ads of cute things that say we don't have enough already.
Plus when it's been a hard year of feeling isolated at times, frustrated, misunderstood, or whatever you and I might be feeling...I'm just going to take a minute to step back, get some perspective, and be a little extra thankful.
What I'm thankful for this year:
- God's generosity to show his goodness in a year that was so unexpected
- That my grandmother passed before the pandemic dragged on for so long. She was in a nursing home and would have been so isolated, but instead, God mercifully called her home in April. (I wrote a little more about it here.)
- Devin. Yep. Enough said.
- Riley being born safely and quickly--best start to a dumpster fire year!
- Aiden's creativity in coming up with intricate storylines for his action figures.........even if it takes no less than 6 minutes for him to explain the whole plot line. 😉
- Emma's love for wearing dresses (the more sparkles the better) that doesn't keep her from hiking and being outside. Exhibit A.
- The short 7 minute drive to a local nature preserve filled with woodsy hiking trails, meadow walking paths, and gentle creeks that are really the main attraction for toddlers because who doesn't want to rock-hop/build a dam/skip rocks?
- Nursing Riley for 9 months and counting, even if my saggy old mom boobs will never be the same...
- Morning coffee
- Also, afternoon coffee
- High waisted jeans
- Things that make laundry smell good. (Are they full of chemicals? Because it
feelssmells worth it.) - Soft sweatshirts that tell the truth (kindness is free.)
- Birth control. My heart but also my house ARE SO FULL. So yes yes, our family is complete and birth control is back on the thankful list like it was pre-Aiden in 2014.
- The times our dog barks to go outside and doesn't poop inside.
- Reliable disinfectant
- Puppy pads for my old-man dog and his leaky bowels
- All the times Devin cleans up inside dog poop so I don't have to
- Target Drive-up
- Target Drive-up (it needed to be mentioned twice.)
- Firepits
- All. The. Plants.
- Friends willing to mask up and hang out outside.
P.S. these dresses are what my girls are wearing--a two pack of dresses for $14? Yes plz.
What are you thankful this year?
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