a little bit of thankfulness...

Every where you look these days, bad news and more things to worry about. You can't watch t.v. without being bombarded with ads for 'scripts that have more side effects than the actual ailments. Politics, new laws, suicides...it can be depressing.

(That's why we don't watch much t.v., and mute it during commercials)

But seriously, it's like BAD NEWS everywhere.

So I'd just like to say this: if you are reading this, you are alive. You have either a phone, a tablet, or a computer. You can read! You can see! So there is hope!

So here's what I'm thankful for today, in no particular order:

1. Freedom. We can worship our Lord, we can dress how we like, we can go where we want to, have as many or as few children as we choose, home educate if we wish, read and watch what we want.

2. The Labradors and the two kitties. Our dogs are not perfect, somehow they have developed selective hearing, if they are on a mission, they will give a backwards glance as they trot away as we call them. They listen MOST of the time, and are excellent in the house and with kids. Sunny WILL steal a child's cracker, but only if it's unattended. She will mosey up to a child who is toddling with a cracker, and try to get a lick, but won't just grab it from their hand. She takes things very gently, and both of them tolerate being sat on and hugged and mauled, although we don't actually let kids abuse them, you know what I mean. If Suri gets tired of the hugs, she just relocates, lies down, puts her big clunky head on her paws, and sighs loudly. And the kitties, they purr and meow for cream in the morning, lie in the patches of sunlight coming in the windows, and just make me happy.

3. My kids. I know, I have said it here often enough, but how did I deserve all these amazing kids? We had a 23rd birthday celebration last night for Margaret, my #9 child (wife of Adrian, mom of Wulf). Emily, Abigail, Mirielle, the three oldest girls, came over laden with gifts. Emily made a flourless chocolate cake and homemade whipped cream. Evelyn grilled steaks in the dark with a headlamp, and I made mashed potatoes. Paul made bacon wrapped venison meatloaf.

4. I'm not done about the kids ha. They bring such joy and fun and light when they visit, and the ones still at home are delightful too. The two youngest, Miss Char and Miss Cam have done so well in school, I am so proud of them. Sonja is doing fantastically well in school too.

5. I am thankful for Paul. He is the head of the household, but we are partners. He doesn't put his foot down, he asks me what I think. He has so much wisdom and guidance for the older kids. They know they'll get good advice when I say, "ask Dad." He is also fun, and funny, and extremely responsible.

6. Living in the country!!! I do not like traffic, nor do I like my Target store to be like Black Friday shopping on a regular day. I don't mind driving 20 miles to get to stores, nor living 15 minutes from Walmart. We don't live far enough out that it's crazy far to civilization, there are Dollar Generals within five minutes, but it's nice to live on a country road with cows and corn fields.

7. I am super thankful that I KNOW that God sends all things for my very best. That doesn't make it automatically easy to accept trials, there is still suffering sometimes, but there is a peace and rest that comes with that knowledge. There is a hope too, because I know He is doing a work in me, and that I don't have to be a bitter person, an angry person, a grudge holding person, I don't have to repay evil for evil, get anyone back. I can forgive and forget. Basically, I do not have to be a slave to sin, and that's something to be quite glad about. If this list were in order of importance, this would be #1.

There are far more things to be thankful for, like being alive in this time where we can form actual friendships online, and encourage one another, the internet can be used for good! But, alas, I am off to the kitchen to bake up some more butter cut out cookies. And to make a phone call to Target...I ordered a gift for one of the kids, it arrived, along with an email message that a specific item was delivered. I almost just wrapped the whole shipping box, but decided to open it, and it's good I did! The box contains an Our Generation doll bathing suit and swimming accessories! My son would not have understood why I gave him that, ha!!! oops, Target!