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

kittens and cats and trees and treehouses.

• fun and fabulous harvest at midtown (the weather cooperated!)
• mercy med. i really love that place. 
• emma's face painting abilities (and willingness!)

• hearing from jessica at breathe
• zoe did great at her well child check up
• the cat eventually came down from the tree

• day full of meetings went well
• yaya's willingness to take care of all the things
• sweetest morning of school with zoe...

• connecting with mark and kathy.  goodness i love those 2. 
• celebrating melissa. just right pizza picnic by the lake.
• incredible treehouse and the most incredible person to share it with

• beautiful hike at berry
• tag team kid care with aaron.  it all worked well! 
• nola!!!  sweetest kitten. (and 3 sweet kiddos tucking her in)

• hot spot that makes internet connection (and thankful thursday posting) possible
• so many wonderful memories from our time at shorter
• ruthie's prayers for our friend.

so many good things.

• another sweet "cabin-ing" weekend with old and new friends (and family!!)
• delightful weather
• cash crew (minus caroline)

• getting to sit on the porch with my dad and siblings
• church sunday morning. beautiful worship. strong teaching. immediate practical application. 
• cash crew plus some (minus caroline)

• celebrating christal. what a woman!! 
• 3 early morning runs/walks
• the most magical moment  - the sound of the rain on the lake with the sunshine streaming down (the picture definitely didn't capture it...but it's a reminder)

• lauren's excellent care of the kitties
• jupiter's paw seems to be a bit better (emma and i are quite the veterinarians!)
• welcome home flowers!

• "can you make waffles?" yes. absolutely. anytime. 
• car nap. 
• these 2. painted outside for 2 hours...and played sweetly for 2 more. 

• good news: it doesn't appear to be allergies after all; not so good news: not sure what it is
• anytime i get to tell someone about pineapple sandwiches
• good stuff: 

• guy at labcorp did a good job! 
• cinnamon roll + coffee + moment at midtown
• getting to meet (and hold!) indie!!!!

• audio messages from folks i love
• trusting the "anguish will not last" for those i love walking through hard things
• cart full of pumpkins for harvest at midtown. being able to help in ways that work with school and plans and such. 

• the prayer video wasn't terrible ;)
• stumbling upon mrs. shawn organizing.  love it. so thankful. 
• jeeah's hope milestones!  15 years! 100 adoptions! plans in place to celebrate!

 

all the things. well, some of the things. always more to be thankful for.

• just right playground for between volleyball games 
• such a fabulous group of friends at church

• delicious dinner with lots of folks around the table friday night
• zoe's cream cheese & pepper jelly sunshine flower creation

• kicking off a new community group! 
• this girl + homecoming (really proud of her dress choice!!)

• indie salb is here! 
• we had just the pvc pipe he was looking for 

• appointment with allergist is made
• special things hanging on the wall

• laps around the soccer fields on a beautiful evening with a beautiful friend
• having eli and logan around for a few days

• the shreves made it!
• good stuff: 

• fantastic sunday afternoon nap
• hearing about george muller from eli