Thanksgiving Day Memories

So my Thanksgiving day starts with Mike rolling over and saying "I'm thankful for you today...you're the best part of my life!". Wow, how can my day get better than that? :)

All day long Morgan kept saying "I love Thanksgiving Day...it's my favorite." She loved helping make the food and the "fancy" table (she liked the wine glasses), but more than that I think she was trying to say she enjoyed relaxing and just being together as family. Wow!

And then when we went Ice Skating in the afternoon, Sarah just kept giggling and trying to "catch me" on the ice. Both Morgan and Sarah quickly found their "ice skating legs" again and we all had fun flying across the ice!

Thanksgiving is not a time of the year, but an attitude of the heart.

Favorite Time of the Week

I was about to get on my blog and write about how my favorite time of the week is Sunday evenings when the girls and I curl up on the couch and watch Extreme Home Makeover together. It's just become a sweet time that we share. (Mike disappears to the basement for football...I don't think he appreciates my tears with each show!). And while that is still one of the highlights of my week, there is something that is even more special...and that's those few moments I get to put my kids to bed each night...to listen to them pray with a heart of gratitude, thankful to a creator who's given us so much, thankful to Jesus who loves us so much. Yes, I could easily listen to those genuine, sweet prayers everyday for the rest of my life! Oh how I pray that they will understand Him who is Truth more deeply with each passing year and that they will never cease to be grateful for all that they have been given.

Keys!!!

Yesterday, Mike was given the keys to the new crime lab and today they are suppose to complete the final walk-thru with the contractor!!! Now life gets a bit crazy for a few weeks as the patrol now gets the lab up & running and ready for the Governor's Ribbon cutting on Dec 15th. It's very exciting and Mike's going to take the girls and I to the new lab to tour hopefully sometime this next week.

It also means that life will be a bit busier here at home, as Mike will be working longer hours temporarily. And yet today I paused and was thankful that he has been able to work from home these past few months. What fun it was to have him here this summer when the girls were here and we were moving in and he could spend his lunch helping on projects, and how much I cherished the time that him and I had after the girls went back to school - biking over lunch and have uninterrupted conversations, and then when I started back to work...he's been home to give an extra hand in the morning, to get dinner started, to start a load of laundry during the day, to run to the bank over lunch...all these little things helped so much in my transition back to work. And I have been so thankful for the gift we've had of him working from home these past few months. And yet with that said, I think both Mike and I are glad that we get to settle into our new/old routine of him going to work each day!

Have I mentioned lately that I am so proud of Mike, not just 'cuz of what he does, but because of who he is at his core...strong, dependable, honest, at peace. I'm still in awe that I get to spend my life enjoying his company, loving him, falling into his arms at the end of a long day. My heart is filled with gratitude and more.

Cute Stuff and Perspective

The girls are always come up with the cutest things. Sometimes I wish I wrote more of them down, but at least I'm taking the time to remember a few here and there. Here's the latest...

• Morgan asked me if I knew what BSF meant. "No, not really". She informed me it meant "Best Sisters Forever" and she hung the sign on the door (a huge improvement over the Do Not Enter sign she previously had on her door! :))
• Sarah apparently has a Kangaroo in her mouth! She really has a canker (sp?) sore, but she keeps calling it a "kangaroo". It's so darn cute!

Most days I feel like I'm adjusting well to this new life...in a new community, in a new stage of life, in a new job, etc., etc. But then there's days like yesterday when I wonder if I'll make it through the day. Last night we went to church and during worship the tears just started flowing and I just let them flow for the entire 30 minutes. I was then able to refocus my thoughts from my present circumstances and those things that are making me sad (lack of nearby friendships, not enough time in my day, yelling at my kids too much) to those things which are eternal and lasting. Perspective...it's what I needed last night.

Election Day

I got this email a couple of weeks ago and I thought it was the right perspective as we approach today. So while I'm hoping the best Republicans win, here is....

Top 10 Predictions No Matter Who Wins the Election

1. The Bible will still have all the answers.
2. Prayer will still work.
3. The Holy Spirit will still move.
4. God will still inhabit the praises of His people.
5. There will still be God-anointed preaching.
6. There will still be singing of praise to God.
7. God will still pour out blessings upon His people.
8. There will still be room at the Cross.
9. Jesus will still love you.
10. Jesus will still save the lost.

ISN'T IT GREAT TO KNOW WHO IS STILL IN CONTROL?

100 Channels

Today we got satellite TV. So, what's the big deal? Well the most channels we have ever had in 14 years of marriage is 5. Yes, just five! We've used the antenna that came with our TV, until today. It's been kinda fun really...and saved us literally 1000's of dollars. But with the whole switch over to digital...we just can't get used to watching pixelated TV thru our antenna/converter box. Mike is excited about getting Monday Night Football now, the girls are thrilled that we have Disney in our house and I can't wait to watch some of my favorites on HGTV. I'm sure we'll watch a bit too much TV for awhile, but I'm hopeful that we'll still shut the TV off from time to time and keep enjoying all the other fun things we love to do!