On the 12th Day of Thankfulness...

Today, my four-year-old son came running up to me,
grabbed me around the legs
and gleefully proclaimed,
"I love you, Mama! Sooooo much!"
He did this AT LEAST twenty times throughout the day.
And I melted.
Every time.
Today I am thankful for my family, for my loving four-year-old, for the words "I love you" and for the way I feel when I hear them spoken to me.

11/11/11 and It's Day 11 of Thankfulness

Today is Veteran's Day and I am thankful for all who have served and who continue to serve. My father, both of my grandfathers, my husband's grandfathers, friends near and far, and brave people I have never met...thank you all for your courage and your dedication.

Here are a few quotes I found fitting for today:
"Freedom is never free." -Author Unknown

"When our perils are past, shall our gratitude sleep?" -George Canning

"Courage is almost a contradiction in terms. It means a strong desire to live taking the form of readiness to die." -G.K. Chesterton

"This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave." -Elmer Davis

"Courage is fear holding on a minute longer." -George S. Patton

"It is easy to take liberty for granted, when you have never had it taken from you." -Unknown

Here are the lyrics to "Thank You, Soldier" by Angela and Michael Souders
"When I lay my head down every night
and go to sleep in peace,
I can stay there knowing all is well
While you're standing on your feet.
Keeping watch, protecting shore to shore
In the air and oceans, too
Defending freedom at all cost,
For the red, white and the blue.
Thank you, Oh thank you
Men and women, brave and strong
To those who served so gallantly
We sing this grateful song.
To the soldiers who have traveled on
to countries far and near
In peace and war you paid the price
For the cause you hold so dear.
That we may wake each morning bright
And know that freedom rings
Because of your great sacrifice
Your country joins to sing...
Thank you, Oh thank you!"

Attitude of Gratitude, Day 10

Today I am thankful for laundry! Crazy? No! I love the people who wear all those clothes I get to wash, dry, fold, and put away every day. I am thankful that I don't have to wash laundry by hand!! I am thankful I don't have to haul the laundry to a laundromat! I am thankful that my washer and dryer are in my home, a few steps from my family room. When I think "I GET to do this laundry" rather than "I HAVE to do this laundry," my whole perspective changes. And there are very few things more cozy than a pile of warm laundry right out of the dryer.

Thankfulness, Day Nine

Today I am thankful that I can listen to my children pray! Here is what my four-year-old son said at bedtime tonight:
"Dear Lord,
Thank You for the great day we had. Thank You for preschool. Thank You for a lovely dinner. Thank You for playing with me outside. Thank You for church tonight. Thank You for Jesus and for trust and love. Thank You for our hearts. Thank You for my mom and dad and our house too. Please help Mrs. G. to feel all better soon. And help me sleep til eight-oh-oh like mommy says.
In Jesus' name, Amen."

Counting Blessings - Day 8

Today I am thankful for walks on a sunny November afternoon, crunching in the leaves, with my precious four-year-old son! I could go on and on about all I love about my little guy, but I took a mental picture of him today, one I will treasure for ever: he had on a brown and orange striped hooded shirt and brown corduroy pants. His blonde hair, cut in a "mushroom" style haircut, was gleaming in the sun. He belly-laughed as he ran as fast as he could go, looking back to see if I was keeping up with him. He would leap and jump, skip and hop, laughing all the way. I love all the joy, wonder, excitement, energy, and love of that little boy. What a blessing!

Seven Days - Attitude of Gratitude

Today I am thankful for modern technology. I know, I know, it seems silly, even a little petty and small, but I'm serious: being able to stay in touch with family and friends around the world is so easy and such a blessing thanks to technology. My grandfather sends a daily email to us and it is such a joy to read his thoughts and to share a piece of his day. Some people find facebook to be a terrible thing, but I have found it to be a quick place to share (an idea, a photo, a recipe, a praise, a prayer request). I have shared my faith on facebook and I have actually received private messages from self-professed atheists and agnostics asking me to pray for family members and friends. It has truly been a tool that has built bridges and opened doors. I'm not saying that sitting in front of a computer for 24 hours a day 7 days a week is a good thing, nor should communication via technology replace all face to face contact. Like all things, moderation is important. But as a stay-at-home-mom, I have been affirmed, inspired, challenged and motivated by others as we share on facebook or via blogs. I am very thankful for the ease and convenience of modern day technology!

Day 6 - Being Thankful

Oh today was a delightful day! I could list hundreds of things I'm thankful for, but I'm going to narrow it down to one thing: FAMILY! Family is usually thought of as the group into which you are born, but I think it can also be a close group of friends, or even your church. Today, I will talk about the blessings of my blood-family...the one into which I was born.
I was blessed to be born into a loving family, with great-grandparents who prayed for me before I was born! In my lifetime, I was able to meet three of my great-grandparents and I have enjoyed time spent with three of my grandparents for most of my life...my mom's parents are still a vital part of my life!! My mother's father's Facebook updates and comments, as well as his daily emails, are such a treasure! His calm, patient ways are a marvel to me. My mother's mother taught me to knit, as well as to appreciate music and rainy days. She spent hours playing the piano while I sat beside her and sang, and she also played dolls with me. Now, she enjoys watching my daughters play with the dolls in which I once delighted. My father's mother taught me about being a Republican and how to play many card games. She also took me to England when I was nine and I remember our trip like it was yesterday!
My parents are both very loving, giving people. They have shown me the meaning of unconditional love by the way they love one another and the way they love me. They have servants' hearts and they inspire me every day.
My sisters are gifts...even if I had moments growing up when I wanted to be an only child, I know that my sisters have loved me and will love me in good times and bad. They have my back. They can be more honest with me than anyone else, and they love me, knowing my faults. Now that we are older, we appreciate our differences and we can see how we complement one another.
I am so very thankful that I was born into such a special group of people.