Day 30

Because one Thanksgiving dinner isn't enough, we celebrated again today with my side of the family.  Happy anniversary, Mom and Dad!

S: Stress free day with family
M:  Getting to see my grandpa (his 96th Thanksgiving dinner!)
D:  Got to play with cousins!
P:  Got to play with cousins!

Day 29

S: Getting all the carpets tore up at the new house.
M: Fun time with the Colburns.
D: Getting to see our aunt and uncle.
P: Getting to play War with sister.

Day 28

S: Watching lots of football
M: Having our first meal at Aunt Lolo's house
D: Seeing Frozen (the movie)
P: Playing with cousins in their basement

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Day 27

S: Seeing my mentee and knowing he is doing so well.
M: Thankful for how beautiful our house is.  The new paint is gorgeous!
D: Going to Orange Leaf (frozen yogurt).
P: Getting to have pizza for lunch and getting to watch Charlie Brown.

(Healthy eating took a bit of a break today!)

Day 26

S: Remodeling has begun!
M: Having time to write today and enjoying a good meal.
D: Having five days off of activities.
P: It's a five day weekend!

Day 25

S: Work is busy, but good!
M: The end of the day.
D: More dress down days!
P: The beginning and the end of the week.

Day 24

S: Time to work on new house.
M: Great message at church and worship time.
D: Picking new color of paint for my new room.
P: Great time spent at church.

Day 23

S: Fixing all the fire alarms in the new house.
M: Getting to pick new paint for the new house.  Deciding to paint the whole house, yay!
D: Clean sheets.
P: Great basketball game.

Day 22

S: Back early from business trip and a good dinner with family
P: Doing clay owls in art class.
D: No homework!

Day 21

M: My last day of school.  Thanksgiving break has started!
D: Just a few problems of homework.
P: First big snow.

Day 20

S:  Got all of my calls done early.
M: Provision to fix broken things (both a car and our dishwasher broke!)
D:  No homework!  Getting a whole night off. 
P: Having a night off from activities.

Day 19

S: Car is fixed and I can go see my mentee.
M: An evening with just Delanie and I.
D: Finished up my homework quickly.
P: My sandwich at lunch was really good (oh, a good sandwich always speaks love, doesn't it?)

Day 18

S: A flexible work schedule.
M: Marriage (mine specifically ;-) )
D: House
P: House

Day 17

S: Restful day.
M: An easy going baby at my photo shoot.
D: A yummy dinner!
P: A fun day doing fun stuff like playing outside, video games, TV, etc.

Meanwhile, In Their Professional Careers...

Both kids have been getting pretty involved in extra curricular activities this year.  I know I've mentioned a few times the time demands that these activities have cost us.  For me, it's easy to become frustrated when my "idea" of what a good time looks like, becomes disrupted.   I've made it no secret that I'm a big fan of lounging around the house, with my people close by, enjoying good food in comfortable clothing.  While my kids also enjoy these activities, they also like to do other things too.  Darn.  Actually, I'm thrilled that they are forming new interests.  I just wish there was adequate time in the day to do both really well. 

At first, it was hard for me to adjust to this new life of busy activity schedules.  I may have grumbled a few times *ahem*.  But when you get to see the end product, it makes it all worth it.  I've really been learning that we aren't made to be idle (unless in a season of rest, of course), but to do good works.  My kids have been doing just that in their activities.  God has given them a small section of the world to be salt and light in, and staying at home each night being comfortable, is like keeping the salt in the salt shaker, and the light under a bowl. 

I'm working on this. I'm learning...maybe slowly? I'm growing, thankfully.  I'm thankful to see Him work through my kids.

First, The Girl.  She was recently Gaston in a shortened version of Beauty and the Beast.  At first, she was very reluctant to be a boy, when clearly, she would have been a perfect fit for Beauty (HA!).  However, after a short chat about developing your craft, growing and learning, and stepping outside of your comfort zone (maybe I was just talking to myself), she came around, and really gave it all she had.  The result, was the best performance I have seen from her yet! 

 

That last picture?  It's my favorite.  My girl is getting a "Tommy Award".  Not for her performance, but for the way she helped others, was committed to learning, helped out when needed, and was an example of responsibility and respect.  

I think my heart expanded out of my chest in that moment.  My girl.  Salt and light in her small corner of the world.

Next, The Little Man.  As you can tell from his "Thankfuls" he's got a one-track mind for basketball these days.  He was asked by some friends at school to join a basketball team at the rec center in our community.  Usually, we only play basketball for one season through Upward sports.  We have thoroughly enjoyed this organization not just because of friends we get to play with, but also for the Christ-like characteristics that they instill and acknowledge even before the child's basketball skills (or lack thereof).  So, the rec team with school friends was new to us, but exciting.  It was also one. more. thing. to add to the list of things to get done during the week and weekend, but we thought the importance of continuing to build friendships outside of the classroom with his classmates was important.  

When he came home from the first practice a bit miffed, I was a little concerned.  He was upset that there seemed to be a bunch of "ball hogs" and no one played together well.  Knowing the first day of practice with a new team can be a bit challenging, I encouraged him to keep with it, and try to do what he knows how to do, and maybe the others will catch on in time.  Now, my boy is NOT the best player on the team, but I have loved watching him play.  I have seen him a few times pass the ball off to someone else when the shot was clearly his.  Instead of taking an easy shot and running up his points, he passes the ball off.  Soon after, others started doing the same.  It may have been a coincidence in timing with what the coach was teaching as well, but I love watching him think of others before himself.  He may not be the most aggressive player on the team (someone said, "Once that boy gets a bit more aggressive, he'll be an awesome player."), but he values others feelings above the things that the world values.  I like him like that.  Salt and light.  In his small corner of the world.

¹³ “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."--Jesus, Matthew 5:13-16

Day 16

S: Making a lot of progress on new house.
M: Good photo shoot and a special lunch with The Girl.
D: Having a restful day (UH! She didn't appreciate the lunch as much as I did, I guess ;-) )
P: Getting to practice Christmas songs on the piano (He loves playing the piano!)

Day 15

S: Making it through a long day
M: Closing on the new house and looking towards a new beginning.
D: I got to look through microscopes today in science (My little nerd!  I love her!)
P: Getting to start the weekend

Day 14

M: Getting to spend time with the Colburns
S: Friendships with family
D: My friend played with me to day at recess (this is a particular friendship that has been on and off)
P: Getting to spend time at the new house.

Around Here...

Taking a break from all the riveting reading that has been posted here in the last few weeks *cough* to show some of what we've been up  to.

Going Old School and playing with Lincoln Logs.  You gotta love grandma!  She has all the cool old toys!

 Eating lots of carrots from our garden.

 Wrapping up a great cross country season:

 Taking some time to make our favorite fall treat.

Writing God's word on the floor of the new church wing before it was carpeted over.  (He wrote John 3:16 when we asked him what he wanted the people who might one day be standing in that very place to know.  My heart melted.)

 Basketball, basketball, and some more basketball.  Good thing it's a sport I like to watch!  Bonus points for it being indoors so I don't have to freeze my booty off.

 Earning their 4th stripe in Jiu Jitsu.  Next up: Yellow white belts!

 Someone KILLED it as Gaston in Beauty and the Beast.

Yes, that's my beautiful baby girl dressed as a man.

 The tree in front of our house looks Ah-Mazing.  I've been feeling a bit nostalgic at the the thought of this being our last fall in our home of 10 years. 

I know it's not much, but I'm hoping that the saying "Less is more" is true.  Because it's all I have right now! 

Day 13

Can I just say something?  It's killing me, totally KILLING me that I cannot write more about each of these thankfuls like I have in years past.  To simply list things makes it seem so impersonal, boring, and, well, unthankful.  However, it's the season of life we are in right now.  I must let go of doing things exactly the same each year (I have major issues with keeping routines), and embrace that this year just looks different on many, many different levels.  Not worse.  Not better.  Just different.  

Now that I've gotten that off my chest, it's back to list making I go...

S: Getting to see a chiro for a hurt neck
M: Bible Study Fellowship. I love learning from others and the Holy Spirit.
D: Getting a solo in the Christmas program at school
P: Friends