Genesis 1:31

Will has been working so hard in his new Sunday School class. This is what he has been saying all day so I had to post it to share.

We've had a fantastic weekend that I'm working on sharing, but it is taking much longer than expected to upload all of the pictures so maybe that will be tomorrow's goal. Plus I have 5 thankful posts to catch up on!

Little Elves

Look at my #17!

Lauren

Today I am thankful for my daughter Lauren. She is an amazing child. She is smart, compassionate, loving, respectful, responsible, and a long list of more. She is everything I could have hoped for in a daughter. God has given me an amazing blessing with her. Today she did a pretty surprising thing. Lauren has never really had a haircut. She's had maybe two trims done by me and maybe 2 trims elsewhere. Other than that, she's always had really long hair. She had started asking a while back if she could cut it much shorter. I don't think we were ready for that! Her daddy loves her long hair and pretty much refused any conversation about it. But...I worked on him a little bit the last few weeks. We had to realize her hair wasn't what defined her, it was just that, hair! It would definitely grow back if she wants it to and really it's no big deal. So today when I got my hair done, so did she. And she cut it off! But there's a bit of a silver lining. Not only does she look so precious with her new style, she is donating her hair to an organization called Locks of Love. We did a little bit of research and this organization provides hair pieces for financially disadvantaged children with hair loss from any medical diagnosis. Tomorrow I will mail off her 10"+ braid so it can be made into a hair piece for another child. She was so excited to be able to do this. I chronicled the whole process in the pics above. It was a big moment, but she just loves her new haircut. She can't wait to wake up in the morning so she can fix it.
So during this Thanksgiving season, I am so thankful for Lauren. She has a heart bigger than Texas and she glows everywhere she goes. She is such a huge blessing to our family. She is the perfect match for her brothers and is a wonderful member of this family.

I've Got Some Catching Up to Do!

#13 Family Nights

I am so thankful for the nights when we can just stay home and be a family together without rushing around all over the place, always in a hurry, and always apart. Friday night was the perfect night. We were all home together and even played Wahoo together! It was so fun, except the fact that the boys won. :) I know the days of the kids all being home and actually wanting to be there are going to be few in few between in a few years so I am so very thankful that we can make these memories now.

#14 Football

Crazy I know. But I am so thankful for football for Jacob. When you have children and you get to see their passion, it is so much fun. Right now that passion is football. Saturday Jacob had his end of season Super Bowl game and his team was the #1 seed. They actually lost 12-14, but it was a great game. We all had so much fun cheering Jacob on this season. I am actually thankful that we started him last year because he loves it so much.

#15 My Bible

I am so thankful today for my Bible. In church yesterday we had a missionary from Turkey preach and he told us about their life in the middle east. He is a convert from Muslim to Christianity. The absolute passion for the Lord was invigorating. He spoke of some of the things that happen to Christians over there. Especially those leaving the Muslim faith. He was brutally tortured and the things he went through was horrific. He loves the Lord and puts himself in dangerous situations just to spread the word. How convicting for me who lives in this free country and hardly speaks about him at work! How ashamed am I! Even finding a Bible over there is a somewhat underground process. And just to think I'm having a hard time deciding on the color of a new one I am wanting. I am so thankful I am able to walk into most bookstores and buy a Bible, even more I am so thankful I live in a country where I don't have to be afraid to read that Bible.

#16

Heat

Today I am thankful for my heaters. This is probably one of few mornings I had to use the heater this fall. But further, I had to use it all day. I am so thankful I have that option. I am becoming enlightened to some situations where that's not the case for some people. I can't imagine being a mother and not being able to provide heat and warmth for my children. I have so much to be thankful for and the things I should be the most thankful for are probably the things I take for granted the most!

#12

Veterans

I know I am a day late for some reason, but none-the-less, I am very thankful for veterans. The incredible sacrifice these men and women make daily is monumental. I know I could never be that person. To know people give up their family for months at a time in order for us to have freedom is sometimes unimaginable. I am thankful for veterans past or present, young or old, serving or retired. Thank you to all the vets and their families for putting your life on the line so I may enjoy the freedoms of a free country.

#11

Work.

I know, I know...If you know me well you're probably thinking What?

The stress and pressure I feel teaching these little 8 and 9 year olds at times feels unbearable to me. But with that said, I am thankful for my job.
I realize in the economic times that our country is in, I am very lucky to have a stable job. There are thousands of people out there in dire straights who would do just about anything for a paycheck. It's hard to sit back and feel sorry for myself that I'm stressed about my job when others are stressed because they have no job. This holiday season, I am so very thankful that I have a job to be stressed about.

#10

Grants...or something like them.

I knew when I graduated I had heard something about once you have been teaching for 5 years at a Title 1 school then you could send in this document and it could help pay towards your student loans. I am one of many students who graduate from college with a substantial amount of debt. I realize now I might not have been real wise in some of my decisions, but in my defense I was recently married, new baby who had medical issues, had a full time job and went to school full time. The last thing I was worried about was how much money I was going to owe back after I graduated college. Anywho...I recently sent off this document and I got a letter the other day stating that they were going to pay $5000.00 off of my student loans! Can you believe it??? I was a bit skeptical before I did it, but it really happened. Amazing. I am so thankful for this program. What a tremendous relief it is to have that much money just disappear overnight. Now I might actually have them paid off before my first one goes to college! ha!

#9

Tonight I am thankful for clean sheets. I know, how moving right? Maybe not deep, but true. I love crawling into a bed at night with fresh, clean linens! It creates such a peaceful environment that helps me sleep so well. I cannot wait to go to bed tonight so I can experience just that!

#7 and #8

Saturday we were just swamped with things to do and just enjoying spending time with Preston that I didn't have time to post what I was thankful for yesterday. So I will post both today.

#7
Date Nights.
I am so thankful for the few and far between date nights. Being able to spend alone time with my husband without the distraction of kids is priceless. I'd like to think that I am able to give him the attention he needs even when the kids are around, but it is next to impossible to really focus on what he is talking to me about when their is chaos going on all around us. Preston and I don't go out very often, so when we do it is so special. I'm sure there are many people who aren't in the position to go out without their kids because of sitter costs or maybe not knowing someone you really trust to watch you kids. That brings me to my next thankful post. I am so thankful for my sister.

#8
My sister (and her family)
One of the most important things that I am thankful for is my sister. Not only her, but the relationship I have with her. We are the best of friends. She is my closest confidant and biggest supporter. She would do anything for me. Growing up I couldn't have imagined being so close. It's funny how you can grow up together and spend those few years completely at odds with each other and then just one day it's like you wake up and truly see each other for who you are. I would not be who I am today if it weren't for her love and support. I look up to her and love the woman she has become. There are times when I am a little sad that Lauren won't have a sister to grow up and be best friends with the way Amy and I are. But, we have raised our kids together and they all act just like siblings so I can only hope that Lauren can have a similar relationship with her cousins. I am so thankful that we get to raise our kids together.

#6

My Husband.
I don't even know where to begin...
I am so incredibly thankful for my husband. When I think back to how it all began, (during our 8th grade year) I am baffled to see how far we've come. I know when we got married pretty much fresh out of high school we had some pretty big skeptics. (Personally I don't think I would be so thrilled it it were one of my kids, ha!) Together we have been in the depths of despair and over the top in love. But through it all my husband loved me. During the times when I was probably pretty unlovable, he loved me. Even today, after nearly eleven years of marriage, I know he loves me more today than he did yesterday! How amazing is that. I am so thankful to be his wife.
He is the hardest worker I know. If there is something to be done, he does it. The man won't even take his shoes off in the house, because "what if I have to do something!". His work ethic floors me and his morals won't be compromised. I am exhausted just thinking about what he has done this past week. And even with his tired, exhausted body (he hasn't slept for 2 days!) he still wants to take me out tonight.
I know I don't deserve him, I can only hope that I show and tell him each day how much I love him. Not a day goes by that I don't thank God for blessing me with him.