Happy Thursday, friends! Just because Thanksgiving is over doesn't mean we should ever stop having a grateful heart. I love this post because it puts everything else into perspective—which is something I always need! I'll jump in with my list for this week thus far.
I was thankful for the long weekend after Thanksgiving! I'm always a little peopled out by Thursday night of Thanksgiving each year and was back home, showered and in pajamas by five that afternoon. Too early? My husband did the exact same thing! I am also always thankful for such great family time on that day and the week leading up to that.
I am thankful for canceled plans. I had plans on Saturday night with my sister, but we canceled them and I've never been so glad! It was rainy, cold and just overall miserable outside. It was wonderful staying inside and cozy.
I am thankful for the thoughtfulness of my sons! All of them have attributes I appreciate. Graham is always thoughtful and will bring me food or gifts on occasion. Drew is thoughtful in that he calls to talk every so often. I love that since I don't see him that often. Jonah is thoughtful in that he shares his everyday life with me and will come and sit and catch up at least three times a week. Noah is thoughtful in that he will come home, walk straight to me and wrap me up in one of his wonderful hugs. His are the best!
I am thankful for my husband—trust me when I say that I don't just flippantly write that without meaning it. He is so thoughtful and is constantly doing things that I always want to notice and appreciate. He hung some outdoor Christmas lights for me on Sunday, even though he was in a huge hurry to get out the door. He is always doing little things for me throughout our weeks together and I appreciate those meaningful everyday things more than you can imagine. I try to do the same for him! Marriage is definitely an art of giving and receiving and continually being grateful for each other. I try to tell people thank you for everything.
I am thankful for friends and the opportunity to get to know people I don't know as well. I am thinking of our worship ministry as I write this. We're a close knit group and I thoroughly enjoy being around them all, from our worship pastor Joshua, to his wife Hannah and their adorable kids, to people I sing with and work alongside on a weekly basis. We're all one big happy family! I've found things in common with so many of them and we are genuinely friends in real life. What a blessing that is to me! I don't ever want to take that for granted.
This dear friend above is my choir and praise team buddy, Barbara. I have known her for years, but we go way back—her nephew Nate and my son Drew used to be best friends, so I've known her for at least twenty years. My father-in-love used to be in the Sunday school class that her dad taught, so he has known this wonderful family for seventy something years! Isn't that cool?
What about you? What's something you're thankful for this week? I'd love to hear from you! Thanks for reading my blog, friends. Love to all!
Always look forward to your Thursday gratitude posts ;). I like your list of family and friends gratitude. That is a neat story about your friend's family and your family knowing each other for seventy years. My husband is a lot like your husband- super helpful and always willing to stop what he's doing take the time to assist or listen. However, he's never hung Christmas lights. Ever. I mean, I've never asked him to and he probably would but he is not into decorating for Christmas at all. We have lights outside but they are at a height that's manageable by me since I always put them up ;).
ReplyDeleteI am thankful for a job that I love most days. I love the energy that teens bring to my life. They are funny and sweet and I feel like they are learning from me most days. We are getting ready to do demonstration speeches in my Spanish 3 classes and this is one of my favorite assignments. It's so fun to see their talents and hear them explain them all in Spanish!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Maria! That's so funny that you're the Christmas light hanger. I have many friends who are that as well. I hung these particular ones around our front door one year and when he came home and saw they weren't perfect, he bought little clips on Amazon to keep them all perfect and ramrod straight and then redid them. So now he does them every year. He and my son Jonah have plans to make a Christmas tree on our flagpole today, tomorrow or Saturday. I can't wait to see it!
ReplyDeleteAmy, you are so fortunate to be able to say that! I loved being around teenagers when I helped in youth, and agree about how they bring fun and energy into the room. I loved my years of working with them! That sounds like a fun project! I'm sure it's very rewarding to see your hard work coming to fruition in them.
ReplyDeleteI love your prompts to remind me to focus on gratitude. I am grateful to have been surrounded by family and friends on Thanksgiving, Nutcracker and all weekend long- absolutely blessed and don't take it for granted.
ReplyDeleteI am thankful to have a front row seat to watch my niece and nephew grow up. They are 2 and 6 and just two of my favorite humans in the world. I'm thankful I get to see them several times a month.
ReplyDeleteI'm thankful for my dog. She is the best. We don't deserve dogs.
Thank you for Thankful Thursdays! It helps me stop and really think about what's worthy of my gratitude :)
ReplyDeleteSometimes, canceled plans are the best!!!! Especially on cold, rainy evenings. Let me stay home snuggled in.
ReplyDeleteYour boys and your husband sound so special for you. You are very blessed, for sure. I'm getting some home time this afternoon and I'm so glad. Take care.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful gratitude list this week. Hooray for the chance to be in your jammies by five!! It doesn't happen often but when it does - hooray! (and I get peopled out myself!!) But I really loved your paragraph about the boys. Our kiddos are each so unique and special....and you really appreciate that more and more as they become adults. And you begin to really love their special gifts!! Happy Thursday (evening) friend!
ReplyDeleteGlad you had some cozy time this weekend and such sweet things from your sons to be thankful for. I am thankful to get a hug every day from daughter while she is home :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Holly! Those are wonderful things you have to be thankful for as well. I know you don't take one second for granted!
ReplyDeleteKirsten- what a blessing they must be for you! There's nothing quite like children...and I agree wholeheartedly dogs. I always tell my husband how glad I am for our dogs. They bring us such joy!
ReplyDeleteDebbie, I love them too! It is so important to have a grateful heart. ❤
ReplyDeleteRebecca Jo, I could not agree more!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Cathy! They sure are. I'm so glad you've had an afternoon at home! That can be so restorative.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jennifer! It was a dream to be home and comfy so early in the day. I don't know that it's ever happened before for us on Thanksgiving day like that! Thank you for that- I don't write about them all that often anymore, but I love to acknowledge their unique ways of being caring and showing love. I always feel like that's rare for boys to be able to do that.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Marilyn! I know you loved that. ❤
ReplyDeleteSo many blessings! I can't say enough how beneficial it is to focus on all of these, big and small. You do such a good job of that.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Bri! I agree wholeheartedly about being grateful in ALL circumstances. ❤
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