summer 2011

summer 2011

Paul and I, all 16 kids and Ashley, Benjamin's wife...Christmas 2012

Paul and I, all 16 kids and Ashley, Benjamin's wife...Christmas 2012
family

Monday, December 23, 2019

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!

4 comments:

Linda said...

What a beautiful post, my friend. I am so thankful for you and the blogging world that has put me in touch with beautiful Christian women. Wishing you a very Merry Christmas. smiles

P.S. I miss living in the country--we live in walking distance of everything (except for my 45 min. drive to campus).

AnAmericanHousewife said...

"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!

This made me laugh! And actually that would have been hilarious to open up on Christmas... it would make for a good story in years to come.

Years ago, I ordered 2 kids "Gooey Louie" Games from Walmart. One for my kids and one for my nephews. When the box arrived to my house it held not two $20 games, but two $600 cameras! I brought the package to my local Walmart in person to return them... they told me they didn't know what to do as my paperwork (and billing) showed I received 2 games for $40. There was no record of the cameras. They were stumped on what to do - but as the customer - and an HONEST ONE at that - I was like "well, I'd really just like my 2 little games please!"

So they gave me a refund on the games (and I went to the shelf and bought 2 more), and they took the cameras. I've always had the feeling the two employees working rewarded themselves with free cameras that year as they were giving each other 'that look' and talking about how there was no record of the cameras anywhere on paper or in the computers when I walked away. I have NO IDEA what they did with them, but I sure didn't keep $1200 worth of cameras that weren't mine. All I wanted was a Gooey Louie Game!!!! Ha ha.

Carol said...

What a beautiful and timely post! We do have many things to be thankful for as the season is upon us and whether we found the perfect gift or not, we have family, friends, life, and love in one form or another.

Mellie said...

Thanks for visiting me! So very true, we all can find things to be thankful for even when surrounded by bad news. Too funny about the Target mix-up! Glad you opened the box or that would have been one heck of a Christmas surprise for your son, lol! Merry Christmas!