plethora and abundance!!

• extra poppyseed chicken to bring home
• lovely "coffee and conversations" event on saturday!

• respite care for one sweet little girl
• facemasks over facetime for abigail and caroline
• perfect time at the park (11 kids + capp blasts + munchkins + molly's laughter + amazing weather)

• pizza with christal
• E2F+ presentations at CCC
• Getting to be a part of the E2F+ team
• enjoyable time at the jeeah's hope fall potluck (and caroline's creative picture posing)

• elevate campout success
• eli's ability to get himself up and out the door all on his home #lifeskill
• re-watching wonder with my family
• emma's independent pumpkin carving 

• nick's thoughtfulness/efforts to celebrate my birthday all week
• fierce lady friends

• the world has a new mount!  thankful for a safe arrival. 
• this display in CFA reminding us to pray for men and women are serving our county. 

• shiloh!
• yaya's halloween hosting.  this year was my favorite yet.

• all the kanye talk 
• one "seal of approval", a huntress (who was cold and had to add a non-part-of-the-costume sweatshirt), an adorable monkey who has her head in the candy bucket and one amazing big brother who pushed the monkey around and taught her to say "beep beep."  i'm really grateful for my kids.

Aware and Appreciative of a Benefit (thankful)

• "...keep one's soul completely and continually open to the nature of the Lord Jesus Christ" - Oswald Chambers
• community group ladies' breakfast 
• KJ's visit!  (i'm especially thankful for how she just fits right in to our family and whatever it is that we have going on)
• dinner at my dad's table

 

• "...attached to nothing and to no one except our Lord Himself..." - Oswald Chambers
• playing on the warrenton merry-go-round with emma and zoe
• molly showing up with a cappuccino blast...truly a surprise!
• how very much emma (and all of us) love my dad's fried chicken

• surprise sunday afternoon walk with amy
• the way our house smelled when we got home tuesday night
• delightful day for a picnic with yaya 
• sweet sisters on the slide

• mugs from the doblins.  beautiful mugs with a lovely story.  
• meaningful conversations before/at/during community group
• the success of soup night 
• how the cats tolerate and are so gentle towards community group kids (and everybody...)

• laminator from my favorite cross-sticher
• wings with the gavins 
• kids getting to be creative with costumes
• all my life He has been faithful.  all my life He has been so so good. 

glad that something has happened or not happened (thankful)

• AL/GA Free Methodist Pastor's and Spouse's retreat in Newnan - amazing hospitality (including fried pies as a welcome gift!), goodie bag at the hotel, relaxed schedule, pam's leading of the time with the ladies, 1-on-1 time with my favorite pastor
• flip-flop finding adventures through parking lots with aforementioned favorite pastor
• how he (that same pastor of mine) knows so many of the words to the chicken fried song

• "it is well" being all over the place
• baskin robbins giftcard.  capp blasts for dayz. 
• yaya's generosity in taking emma and aaron and me and zoe to the fair

• a system that allowed for maximum rides and minimum line-waiting for the kiddos
• zoe's contentment in the stroller 
• plate of fried deliciousness (okra, pickles, cheese) and a coke 

• peace about decisions 
• double biscotti and coffee and quiet house kind of moments
• when things are cleaner/straighter than they have been in a while (if only they'd stay that way)

• sleeping better and better
• window seat sitting and breakfast with zoe
• time well spent at lakebottom park

• velocity and elevate leaders and their investments in eli and caroline (and all the other 7th, 8th and 9th graders involved in those amazing programs!)
• food for sharing
• tremendous thursday afternoon with fabulous friends...full of outside time, creativity, yummy dessert making, goldfish picnics, bridge sitting, driveway walking

• my toe is better!  better is such a beautiful word. 
• zoe saying happy...and zoe...and yay....
• caroline's grocery bag dancing

conscious of benefits received (thankful)

• Our God is good and trustworthy
• "...while all the time God has stood with His hands outstretched not only to take you but also for you to take Him..." Oswald Chambers
• sweet sweet sister moments

• a moment of knowing that not a single cash was on a screen
• coffee and life-giving conversation around april's table on a tuesday afternoon 

• emily's kindness and thoughtfulness.  cherry coke and chicken salad chick + a conversation on the porch and a homemade loaf of bread...it doesn't get much better :) 
• successful canoe trip for nick, eli, brad and tyler

• fall weather!
• when brownies take precedence over bedtime
• this was emma's and my spot for reading wednesday morning:
  

• nick's hard work in the yard and carport (and everywhere!)
• kind cards from near and far
• the loveliest wreath that was delivered today...with a kind note but no name or return address (generous, thoughtful sender, if you want to identify yourself, that would be wonderful :) but if you want to remain anonymous, i can respect that!)

• "rather than fearing your inadequacy, rejoice in My abundant supply." -jesus calling
• my friend molly has beautiful isaiah 52:7 feet...feet that keep taking steps of serving and loving all day (and often all night!) long

this week's installment of thankful things

• quite the productive time at 90 johnson street
• papa's ham biscuits and rice krispy treats
• reminders that others are looking for the gifts along the way, too

• Phil Wickham's song in my soul
• getting to go to the ballgame with my brother and niece and dad
• very strong folks 

• getting to talk to my dad so much
• thoughtful note on my water bottle 
• sometimes it's the simple things...like a really good hole puncher for .25 at valley rescue mission 

• generous kids...thatcher's gift to eli white, aaron's gift/thoughtfulness of the volleyball to caroline, aaron and emma's handling of the launch giftcard, caroline's offer to swap rooms if that would bless emma
• when there's disappointment or a change of plans, God's always got better (and we've always got His love and presence...and that's enough)
• fun hour at launch for 4 special kiddos (and a peaceful time of catching up on a few things while they jumped and swang and stuff)

• windows that are cleaner than they've been since we've lived here (thanks to the grass ninjas!)(maybe they can also be the "glass ninjas")
• friends doing brave things...fostering...giving 2 weeks notice...retreating...not giving up
• sunday evening on rails to trails 

• flowers from nick.  how did i ever get such a wonderful husband?! 
• the ice cubes that are hollow
• zoe really does ham it up for the camera sometimes