Thankful

"Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever."

~Psalm 107:1

With Thanksgiving tomorrow, I thought it appropriate to reflect on being thankful.  So many things for which to be thankful, where to even start.  

1) Health: If anyone of my family were not healthy, Thanksgiving life would be very different

2) Happy Home: I realize how fortunate I am to have a great marriage, beautiful children, & a lovely, warm & more than comfortable home.  We are truly happy & blessed!

3) Freedom: I think as Americans we really take this one for granted, I am grateful for Freedom to worship & to pursue our interests/desires.  Freedom to live our lives as we wish & (mostly) not be infringed upon by the government

4) Abundance of food: As we get ready to sit down to a huge feast tomorrow, many will not have that luxury.  Many kids will be hungry tomorrow night after all of us are passed out in a food coma--this is a need that I really want my girls to see when they are older.  When they are picky eaters or throwing food, it makes me angry, b/c I know somewhere a child is hungry

5) Family: Very thankful that God provided me with a husband & family of my own.  Thankful that the girls have each other, a daddy that adores them, & 4 grandparents that love them very much.  Thankful for the extended family we have & our church family that also love us & our girls

Honestly, I could go on for pages, but I'll stick to these 5.  Here's a poem about being thankful that I liked  (I especially liked the last 2 lines, any other moms relate??) & some snapshots of Ella in her Thanksgiving hat (see the comparison below--my how she's grown since last year).  Enjoy & have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Be Thankful

Be thankful that you don't already have everything you desire.

If you did, what would there be to look forward to?

Be thankful when you don't know everything,

for it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times.

During those times you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations,

because they give you opportunities for improvement.

Be thankful for each new challenge

because it will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes.

They will teach you valuable lessons.

Be thankful when you're tired and weary,

because it means you've made a difference.

6 months old

18 months