oh the things!

• plenty of treats and fruit and cheese for the musical reception!
• such a taste snickerdoodle

• we're going to australia tomorrow!!! 
• emma is 16!

• caroline, eli and logan are all hoooooome
• really great group of teenagers celebrating emma

• really great travel snacks!!
• the most important bag is officially packed (and others are almost packed)

• when the longshot walks work out!
• zoe's love for the nativity

• having SUCH a thoughtful and generous friend
• CFA...our new favorite school spot

• lovely and thoughtful gifts from MIC ladies...such a sweet lunch...with unexplainable tears. 
• "i just want to spend money on her." - jacob

being thankful for what is given

• good steak.good date. 
• getting to hear familiar trusted voices Wonderful Counselor

• 2 days in a row walking with LLcoolJM
• seeking to be thankful for what is given

• cheddar bay biscuit mix (and subsequent biscuits!)
• morning light breaking through (yay for pre-8:00 service walmart pick up saving the baby dedication gifts)

• soups & salads at community group
• christmas PJs! 

• hearing more of david and karina's life story 
• discovering new depths in the most ordinary things

• zoe singing "i will make room..."
• fun questions: 

• "may God be pleased to sweeten and deepen your adoring of Jesus this Advent." 
• sweet little advent devotional book

• delightful conversation with good questions asked and answered...and cucumber sandwiches!
• moments captured

• got the sam's run done
• sweet game of ultimate saturday afternoon & sweet friends to enjoy it with

• LANE. ALL of the ways he quietly loves and serves...especially thankful for all he did to make thanksgiving peaceful and easy.  reminds me so much of Jesus.  

full and giving thanks

• the stars at the cabin 
• the way jacob was so amazed by emma's magic tricks! 

• nicole got me vanilla creamer!
• getting to celebrate this incredible sister of mine. i love how she loves and how she lives. 

• wild and crazy golf cart rides
• bacon on the blackstone.  what a way to start the day.

• we're not where we were last year on thanksgiving night
• egg carton that reminds me of a lovely friend

• cherry coke and ice most anytime i want it
• the most precious sisters

• walks
• shots of the sky from multiple places 

• warm fire and christmas vacation playing
• sweet moments at CFA...loved getting to celebrate james (secret is out!)

• how the projector and screen outside makes bedtime so much easier
• boys (and zoe) at the table!  (loved all the ways these guys shared life with one another and with Jesus at DNOW)

• pretty easy internet access
• practicing being like brother lawrence

• delicious food, beautiful day...so grateful that thanksgiving is so enjoyable...and i don't remember it ever not being enjoyable
• thank you from clement arts that fits just right

cultivating gratefulness

• midtree's hospitality
• midland CFA's generosity 
• beautiful night of worship & prayer on behalf of fostering & adoptive families

• friends who show up
• david's pictures
• lisa's incredible heart and amazing talent

• more birthday blessings! (specifically a BR giftcard!)
• the (almost perfect) ease of CS staff christmas card picture taking
• zoe's "zoe-ness"

• emma passed her driver's ed test!! 
• hearing such good news from a friend (let's go class 21!)
• caroline's love of UGA football

• knowing God sees and knows it all - He knows! He's got good plans! 
• being reminded of a favorite song -- sit with you a while
• caroline's cuteness

• the finn's kindness to host us saturday afternoon
• the good and the beautiful movement videos (really most all of their videos!)
• the moment i planned for - a cup of coffee & an amy taylor scone at the engagement party

• not wanting date night to be over. love getting to spend time with nick.
• more outdoor lights!  it creates such a sweet space at the hammock/picnic table
• the prayer cards turned out just right!

• eli and logan found each other...in every sense of the words
• being thought of in italy...and getting biscotti as a result
• the way she went down on her knees...it was just so beautiful

• anna's perfect sign!
• really good sunday afternoon nap (with a football game on and everything!)
• celebrating that we are getting another cash!

thankful things.

• amazing bacon, egg & cheese croissant (and pretty decent coffee) with beth
• "awaken my heart. expand my mind. shape my identity." - lectio
• nick and his most fabulous helper got the christmas lights up on the fence!

• nick got the UGA game situation figured out (yay for sling)(boo for other streaming services that we pay for not allowing us to watch the game!)
• ...you are being built into a dwelling place for God...ephesians 2:22..."welcome home"
• FALL. i love it. 

• moments by the fire
• "please help and please make it better."  
• incredibly blue skies. warm sunshine on a cool day. friends and playgrounds and possible airplane sightings.

• spaghetti outside
• "i listen carefully to what God the Lord is saying...He speaks peace...." psalm 85:8
• zoe knows how to draw stars!!!!

• watching the greatest showman
• "serve God with whole hearted devotion and with a willing mind...be strong and do the work." 1 chronicles 28:9-10
• sweet monday hike (little chilly!!)

• cinnamon roll delivery!!
• lunch with karina
• when all the things come together/get done (so far they always have)

counting those blessings.

• andrew peterson's "a liturgy, a legacy and the songs of rich mullins"
• most delightful picnic in the front yard wednesday

• extra hour of sleep!
• zoe + sarah sweetly playing for lots of hours this weekend
• good stuff: 

• lowkey pretty quiet weekend
• more good stuff: 

• chili and community at yaya's
• candy & costumes with friends (and giant colorful halloween unicorns)

sweet sunday afternoon 

2 cute bucees

• a really wonderful birthday (and a significant lack of pictures!)
• she pulled her own tooth (i am seriously thankful for that)

• meetings on the porch (such beautiful weather)
• sweet day at choa with katie & emma 

keep on looking for the gifts. they are always there.

• eating at nick barnett's family's restaurant
• all 6 cashes are home!
• good reminder: 

• trader joe's treats from caroline
• "it's just what happens when you live in a house full of people who serve." - logan (talking about the dishwasher being unloaded)
• zoe's biggest fan at her soccer game

• fried chicken with the eberts and papa and uncle lane
• friends who recommend a wonderful vet (complete with a goody bag)
• cute cat wallpaper at the vet

• just how much school work zoe can get done when she's got the right motivation
• "tickets" all throughout the driveway walk
• post vet icecream/capp blast

• "whenever you find tears in your eyes, especially unexpected tears, it is well to pay the closest attention.  They are not only telling you something about the secret of who you are, but more often than not God is speaking to you through them of the mystery of where you have come from and is summoning you to where...you should go to next."  - Frederick Buechner, via the Wild at Heart Podcast
• beautiful ordination for nick at cityscape
• "draw me close" on repeat