Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving!  I don't know about you, but I love Thanksgiving.  I love the simplicity of it...the whole day revolves around being with family and celebrating all that we are thankful for.  Around our home this month we have been talking a lot about the verse in I Thessalonians 5:8 which says "...give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus..."  Giving thanks in all circumstances...the good, the bad and the mundane...sometimes that's hard...really hard.   However, as we have focused on that, I have come to realize how truly blessed we are.  To help the boys visualize an attitude of thanksgiving and gratitude and as a way to count down the month of November, we made a little "Thanksgiving Tree" for them.  I found the idea on Pinterest...anyway, the basic idea is that every night the boys sit down and write one thing that they are thankful for on a leaf and then we place it on the tree.  I was shocked at how much they have enjoyed this activity...Braden often reminds me at the end of the day that we need to do "our Thanksgiving leaves."  I love that their, (okay let's be honest) "our" hearts are revealed in this activity and that we are practicing what the Bible teaches us.  On our Thanksgiving Tree this month you will find written that we are thankful for anything from "our house," to "paint," to "grandparents" to "God's Sovereignty," to "baby C," (our sweet little one growing in my womb), to the fact that "batman flies," or that "F-14 planes get the bad guys," to "police" and "model airplanes" and let's not forget "the couch."  Anyway, we have lot's to be thankful for...

Here is Asher anxiously awaiting his turn to put a leaf on the tree - 

 And Braden practicing his writing on a leaf to put on the tree -

Reflecting back over this year, I found so much to be thankful for...

...like sunsets...

 ...and brothers...

...and for laps to sit on when there is clearly no more room in the house...

...and for laughter, the take-your-breath-away kind of laughter...

 ...and for Grandparents...

...and for those that are wiser and older then we are and the privilege of looking up to them -

We are also thankful for the gift of making memories with those we love most -

 ...and the big yard we have with huge trees and lots of leaves for little boys to jump in...

....and for an imperfect marriage to my very best friend whom I've walked beside for 16 years now...

  ...and for "Smores Fridays" at our house around the firepit...

 ...and for sweet friendships with those in the same stage of life as we are...

 

I am thankful for the opportunity to slow down and hold little ones while they sleep, for I know soon they will be too big to hold and too busy to cuddle...

 ...and I am thankful for huge imaginations and for little boys who love to pretend they are super heroes and fighter pilots who are practicing their survival skills in the wilderness...

 ...and I am thankful for the God-breathed life of this little girl growing in my womb...

 ...and for sweet, protective brothers who cannot wait to meet this little one...

 ...and for big messes that remind me that I am privileged to share my home with little friends and for the reminder that the days as mommas are long, but the years are short...

 ...and for a country that allows us to dream big...for this guy, that dream is to fly one of those fighter planes someday....dream big little boy, dream big...

 ...and finally, we are thankful for an empty tomb and a Risen Savior...and for innocent childlike faith that encourages me daily...

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!