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The Thankful List

I didn't post one "thankful" a day on Facebook like a lot of my friends, mostly because I like to be thoughtful about these things and I don't have time every day to be thoughtful.  (Yeah, I really feel that way.)  So, I've been working on the list -- 22 items, one for every November day through Thanksgiving -- in spurts, and here it is!

1. Levi reading books to Owen "in the corner of the house." [For reasons unbeknownst to me, they think this is super fun.  I suspect that if they knew of such things, they'd hang up a "no girls allowed" sign and declare it their clubhouse.]

2. Perfect November weather.  Cool, crisp, and dry.
3. Burt's Bees cocoa butter chapstick for when the "dry" part of #2 is too much.
4. Brothers who tackle each other in their eagerness to give hugs. [Please not that I am not thankful for the weird angle of my face in this picture. 

5. A stack of jeans growing steadily too big as I slowly shed pounds and inches.
6. A discernible increase in grateful attitudes as we list our "thankfuls" each night at dinner (and throughout the day, often, as well).
7. Blogs by friends who have overcome unbelievable obstacles -- a successful lung transplant, a baby born at less than 2 pounds surviving and thriving against all odds, a mama of many holding down the fort while her husband is on military duty.
8. Miss Kelly at library story time.  She loves kids, and we love her!
9. My covenant children, the love of our pastor who baptized them, and the community of Christ helping me to raise them in the Lord. 

10. Pinterest.  [I know, that's ridiculous, but I've gotten some great recipes and ideas there. It's fun for me.]
11. Bible Study Fellowship. The benefits are numerous: homework to ensure I spend time in Scripture during the week, discussion with other women, a place for my kids where they get social interaction plus learn hymns and Bible stories from teachers I trust, an opportunity to play the piano for a few minutes each week . . . and on and on!
12. A child-safe deck where I can send the boys to play, and kitchen windows from which to supervise.
13. Speaking of my kitchen, I love my house. This is me, newly pregnant with Levi, in the kitchen the very first time we visited this house before purchasing.

14. My red sweatpants. Silly, I know, but they had to make the list.
15. Coconut oil. Hands get messing while cooking? Just rub it in as lotion!
16. My dad, reading to my boys.

17. My mom, showing Levi turkey giblets. (Plus her help cooking Thanksgiving dinner.)

18. Silas's cheeky new grin. Happy third boy!

19. The opportunity to be home with my children. My husband was just telling me about a guy he knows whose wife would like to quit her 45-minute-each-way commute and stay home, but they can't afford it. There are so many things to be thankful for in this: our lack of debt, a good job with great benefits, sound financial education from both of our fathers, and on and on.
20. Food. We have a lot of it, and it's good, and I like to eat.
21. The other things I should have included: my in-laws, the rest of our family, great friends old and new, Levi memorizing Scripture, Owen saying "love you, Mommy" through the thumb in his mouth, etc., etc., etc.
22. Just this (below).  All of it.

Happy Thanksgiving!



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  1. CoriNovember 27, 2012 at 11:31 AM

    Christy- I read this post on Thanksgiving morning and it made me cry.

    I wanted to let you know that I said a prayer of thankfulness for the network of stay-at-home moms whom I've connected with via blogs. It may seem trivial in light of all our other blessings, but I am truly grateful to feel I'm not alone in this.

    You help me be a better mom by sharing your experiences, and I thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  2. ChristyNovember 27, 2012 at 12:05 PM

    It's not trivial at ALL, Cori. Stay-at-home-motherhood is seriously the one of the loneliest jobs on earth, I think. Sure, you're with someone all day long, but it's not the same as interacting with adults. No sympathy from the little guy(s) when you're tuckered out from all the parenting. :)

    I'm so glad I can be an encouragement to you -- in part because, frankly, your fierce determination to see your little one succeed is quite an encouragement to me in return!

    ReplyDelete

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