Thankful 12

I am thankful for family game nights!

I love playing games with my family! Tonight we played Apples to Apples and we had so much fun. I love to see us all laughing together and having fun. Sure we don't always get along...the kids fight with each other...I yell cuz they are fighting...one kid cheats and the other gets mad...my husband and or I are tired...the list could go on. But who's family is perfect? No ones! So we may have rough moments, but the times when we are all playing nicely together remind me that we are ok. And I thank the Lord for my family and thank Him for creating each one of us exactly the way we are!

Thank you Lord for the fun times we have together as a family! Thank you for the unique person you've created each one of us to be!

Thankful 11

So I didn't get to post yesterday and here's why...I waited too late in the day. I was going to do it last night around 10:00 but my husband was on the computer doing homework and he didn't finish until sometime after 1:00 AM. By that time I was fast asleep. So I'm gonna post twice today...hopefully!

I am thankful for soldiers and their families!

With yesterday being Veteran's Day I really want to post about being thankful for all the men and women who give their time and sometimes their lives for this country! I am thankful that there are people fighting for and protecting my freedom every day. Thankful for the sacrifices these men and women make to help keep our country safe.

Unfortunately, I don't always remember these men and women. I don't always think about people, separated from their families, fighting to keep me safe. I don't often think of the children who's mom or dad are so far away from home for many long months. And who probably wonder every day if their parent will come home or not. So many lives being turned upside down, scattered, separated, confused, all to protect us Americans who often times don't think about all their sacrifices.

I turned on the radio yesterday and caught the last half of a 2 part series on Focus On The Family called The Impact of PTSD on Military Families (part 2 of 2). I was a block away from home when I turned it on. Not being able to pull myself away from the radio, I sat in my parked car in my driveway just crying while listening to the stories being told. I never realized what some soldiers actually go through in war and especially after, all to protect our country. And what their families go through as well. Here is the link for the first part of the series on Focus On The Family.

Thank you Lord for all the soldiers protecting our country and our freedom!

Thank you soldiers for your dedication, sacrifices, and protection!

And Lord, please help me not to forget all that these men and women do for our country. Help me to remember all they are giving up to keep me and my family safe. Help me not to remember and be thankful only on Veteran's day, but everyday throughout the year!

Thankful 10

I am thankful for hot cider (or other hot drinks) on a cool fall or winter day!

I love having a hot drink on a cold day. Maybe curling up on the couch with a cup of steaming hot something...cider, cocoa, coffee, tea... covering up with a warm blanket and reading a good book. Or reading with my kids. Or watching them play nicely together. (ok so that doesn't happen often, but once and a while they surprise me!)

I like to tightly wrap my hands around the hot cup and feel the coldness of my hands fade to warmth. To feel the warm steam on my face and smell the yummy aroma of what ever drink of choice is in my cup, is something I am thankful for.

I think that hot drinks bring people together. Friends talk and share life over a cup of coffee. Families spend time together drinking hot cocoa and watching a movie after playing outside in the snow. Grand kids help Grandma make hot cider for everyone to enjoy after they've helped Grandpa rake all the leaves. Two thermos', one with coffee and one with hot cocoa, for father and son to take with them while they go for a hike through the woods.

There seems to be something special about hot drinks (especially on cool days or nights) that makes me think people seem to... slow down more, enjoy each others company a little deeper, or just be still and content. Maybe I'm the only one who thinks this. But if so, that's ok!

Thank you for hot cider on a cool fall day. Thank you for the time I can spend with a friend or family member. Thank you for things that bring people together. Thank you for warmth on a cold cold day! Thank You!

Thankful 9

Today I want to say that I am thankful for random notes.

It makes my heart so thankful and happy when I receive a random note from someone! I feel many different emotions depending on who it's from and what it says. They don't have to be long and they don't have to be on fancy paper. The spelling doesn't have to be perfect and the writing doesn't have to be neat. It just makes me feel good to know that someone cared enough to take the time and write me a note for whatever reason.

I love finding note in various places at random times from my husband...in my car, on the table, on the counter. Nothing super fancy or elegant, just a note that says "I love you!" or "I'm so glad God gave you to be my wife!"

I love getting little notes from my kids. This morning I asked my daughter to clean up her room. When I asked if she was finished she came out and handed me a piece of paper and said, "Sorry I didn't clean like you asked. I wrote this instead." It was a note on a piece of notebook paper that said something like, "I'm sorry you don't feel good. You are the best mama. I thank God for you. I have so so so much fun with you! I love you." Reading that note with her standing there looking up at me made me feel so loved and thankful. (We cleaned her room together later)

Getting a note in the mail from someone just because is always fun to receive. Or someone sending a note of encouragement is a blessing too.

As I am typing this a few people are coming to my mind that I feel I should send a quick note to for various reasons. Because for as much as I am thankful for receiving notes, I'm sure others are too. And I'd love to bless someone with a random note just like others have blessed me!

Thank you Father for the blessing and the gift of random notes. Thank you for the encouragement they give me and the joy they bring to my heart! Help me to desire to share that joy and blessing with others by sending my own random notes!

Thankful 8

I am thankful for being able to listen to programs on line.

It's amazing how far technology has come! It can be scary at times to think about how advanced the internet is but at the same time it's pretty cool. To think that a pastor in California can preach a sermon on a Sunday morning and someone in Africa can listen to that sermon on line either right away or a short time later. (I'm not exactly sure how quickly all that takes. I'm not very technology smart!)

I am thankful that if I miss a Sunday service at church, I can get online at my convenience and listen to the message. Now I'm not saying it's a good idea to miss church. I would much rather be sitting in the service participating in the whole experience of that day. But if I have to teach Sunday School or if one of my kids or myself are sick then at least I can hear what the Pastor's message was.

Sometimes I'll be in the car and catch the last part of a radio program that sounded really interesting. I can go on line and listen to what I missed. I am thankful for that.

I love my local radio stations but sometimes I like to listen to other stations. I can listen to them on line as well.

These are a few of the sites I like to listen to...

• Klove
• Focus On The Family
• Living On The Edge

I know there are a lot of not good things on the internet. But I also know that there are a lot of good things. I KNOW that God is at work and is using the internt as one way to reach people.

Thank you Lord for allowing your word and message to reach so many that may not have been reached, through the advancement of technology ie. internet. Thank you Lord for working in amazing ways!

Thankful 7

I am thankful for Sunday night family dinner!

I am so thankful that my 2 sisters, their husbands and kids, my parents, and my husbands and kids and I all live in the same city. I am also thankful that Sunday nights are family dinner nights at my parents house. I love getting together to eat and spend time with each other. Sure the night is usually crazy with...

• the dog barking at one or both of my brothers in law
• one or more of the 6 grandkids crying, fighting, yelling, laughing, running, jumping, etc.
• food getting spilled
• the dog eating off someone's plate (unless she's put away, which we usually do now)

So even though Sunday dinners are crazy, I am so thankful that we are all so close and that my kids are able to grow up being so close to all their cousins and grandparents!

Thank you Lord for family dinners. Thank you that we are all able to get together and share a meal and family time together. Thank you that my kids are able to spend time with and know their cousins and grandparents.

Thankful 6

As I sit here yawning, thinking of what to post about today, unfortunately all I can think about is my bed and sleeping.

I am thankful for my comfy king size bed!

I like the fact that I can cuddle with my husband for awhile and then be able to have my own space later in the night. Here's a funny story about that...

We had a full size bed when we first got married. So we were pretty close at night. After about 5 or 6 months we decided that even though we loved each other and liked being close, we really wanted a bigger bed. So we decided to get a king size bed. The very first night we had our new bed we started out cuddling next to each other on his side of the bed. I remember him saying, "why did we get a bigger bed if we are still so close to each other?!" (He was just kidding.) Some time in the night I moved over, WAY over to my side. Then later into the night I must have realized that we were not close to each other anymore. I guess I had forgotten we had gotten a bigger bed. So I kinda felt around for him but couldn't find him. I start freaking out and calling his name thinking he had fallen off the bed! He kinda wakes up and says, "I'm right here! Go back to sleep!" I felt him, remembered we had gotten a bigger bed, and went back to sleep. We both laughed about it the next morning (even though I felt a little foolish) and still laugh about it to this day :)

I also like being able to squeeze 2 kids, husband, and myself all into bed to watch a movie together, read a book, or just hang out and talk!

Thank you God for providing me with a comfy, warm, safe place to sleep and hang out with my family!