Thankful Thursday

...but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ...

Ephesians 5:20

Back when I was a good homeschooling Mom, we would periodically have "Thankful Thursdays" in our home. I found that, come Thursday, everyone was a little weary and edgy and requiring a checkpoint to show us all how good we have it. Seeing as I am a bit low right now (those post-vacation, I want to get back to work but no one else does blues), I figured it was high time that I sit here and dwell not on what is wrong in my life, but on what is really good. So, here goes:

Today I am thankful:

*that the Lord does not ever forget or go back on His promises. Despite my own sinful, selfish, prideful, wicked thoughts, actions, and attitudes, He will not change from His perfect, loving, holy Self.

*that the plum tree in our front yard is bursting with hundreds of ripe, juicy, delicious plums.

*that my children never seem to lose their collective sense of humor, even when I do.

*for 10 hands to hold.

*for the steady, quiet breathing of my precious baby in the next room.

*for air-conditioning.

*that I do not own the crispy burnt straw that used to be the front lawn.

*that tomorrow is a new day, “with no mistakes in it yet.”

*that Gretchen has taken such delight in the Anne of Green Gables series, just as I did at her age, and she constantly asks me what MY favorite part was. That she loves that this is our little secret that no one else can understand.

*that Christ's sacrifice is enough, for God knows, I can add nothing.

*that I have a husband who loves the Lord with all of his heart, mind, soul, and strength.

*that I have a husband who loves me despite stretch marks, extra pounds, moody bouts, and wrinkles that have literally formed overnight.

*that I may drink deeply of the Word of God and know that my place is at His feet.

May you all have a wonderfully blessed Thursday, full of many little things for which to be thankful. I sure will.

We're baaaack...

Hello all of you out in blogdom. The family has returned from our month of travel, and boy, we are glad to be back. We had a marvelous time in Yosemite, Atlanta, and Seattle, but there really is no place like home!
Gretchen just whined over my shoulder, "We are NOT glad to be home!" So, I will modify my previous statement:

Everyone over the age of 30 and under the age of one is glad to be home. There, I am certain THAT is true.

Anyhoo, I will give a synopsis of our first-ever family camping experience in Yosemite. First off, it is breathtakingly beautiful. Really. Completely amazing. Yosemite Falls, Half Dome, El Capitan...pictures cannot do these places justice. You just really have to see them to appreciate them. The majesty of Yosemite was such a testimony to the awesome, majestic powers of the Creator Himself! The grandeur of His creativity a glimpse into His character.

I think we did a pretty good job in our debut camping trip. It was A LOT of work! Definitely not one of those sit-back-in-your-beach-chair-type vacations. The food preparation and packing for 7 was tiresome, but I have to say, it was worth it once we were there. A time in God's glorious creation, without computers, cell phones, jobs, TV's, etc. was...well....a true vacation. It was just time together with family and friends. Simple fun.

We had a wonderful time getting to know the Harasick, DeShong, Berggren, Tubbs, and Brooks families. Every one of our children had someone just about their age to play with. We ate really well, had s'mores every night, and hiked, biked, and swam as much as a family with young ones can.

On a funny and ironic note: we had a visit from a bear the first night we were there. This may make those of you in CT laugh, as you surely remember our run-ins with a different brown, four legged, bird-seed stealer in our backyard. The others in our group had collectively been to Yosemite many times, with nary a bear sighting in their campsites. How ironic that on our very first night there, a bear broke into one of our Rubbermaid bins and shredded a role of paper towels. Thankfully, we heard him and my big, strong, brave hubby scared him away. Apparently, we attract bears like others attract mosquitoes. Bear repellent, anyone?

The above picture was taken at Glacier Point. We had a picnic lunch there, overlooking the most magnificent view! We only had a three-fifths happiness rate in the offspring, as you can see, but hey, we were all in the picture!

Many thanks to the wonderful Harasick family for their invitation to camp with them. We found ourselves thankful many times that their trailer was right next to us!

Up next: "Nancy and Kurt's adventure to Atlanta" a.k.a. 'Why I may never fly again" (at least on American Airlines!)