Thankful

I think I'll rework the format of my thankfulness project posts, and will list them in reverse chronological order...and I'm going to cluster them by weeks as the month goes on just so the post isn't forever in length. Just an FYI. In case you were wondering or cared.

5th - I'm thankful for my job. I love, love, love my job. I get to interact with students every day all day, and it keeps me young (not that I'm old or anything, just to clarify). As an advisor, I meet students where they are and help them move to where they need to be. It's a longer journey for some than others, but I love the adventures along the way. God continually confims to me that I'm exactly where He wants me to be, doing what He wants me to be doing. And can it get any better than that?

4th - I am thankful for Jacey. She's the child I never knew I always wanted. Our oops baby. And I can't imagine our life without her. She's a sweet baby. An easy going baby. A baby who will clearly communicate to you when something is wrong (when she's wet, dirty, hungry, etc), but other than that will just laugh and smile at you. She has a great laugh. She has a wonderful smile. My heart melts when she looks at me and smiles that big ole smile of hers and coos to me. She loves her brother and sister, and loves snuggling with all of us. I love her precious baby smell...the smell that makes me want to just inhale her hair and skin because it smells so wonderful. I would be content to sit and hold her for hours - and she would let me. She has baby soft hands and a strong grip, and I'm reminded that she's been entrusted to me to raise when she grabs hold of my finger and doesn't let go. She's not quite as adventurous and her brother and sister, not liking it too terribly much when Daddy plays with her in his rough-and-tumble daddy way. In that respect she is very different than her siblings. She's made me throw some of my 'I'll never....' out the window, and that's ok. She still doesn't sleep through the night, VERY different from her brother and sister, who were doing so consistently at 6 and 7 weeks old, and that's ok, too. She's brought out a protective nature in Kellen and Tatum that I don't think existed in this magnitude before, and I love to watch them both interact with her. I'm so glad that God knows what I need way more than I do, and I'm glad that He decided we needed another kiddo!

3rd - I'm thankful for Tatum. She's a wonderful mixture of girly girl, complete with all things pink and beautiful long hair, and tomboy. She'll be the first to try something out, slide down a huge slide, zip line right there with the 'big kids' and shake it off when she has a bump or bruise. She's stubborn and strong willed, which will serve her well later in life when she has to stand up for what she believes in. She loves making Mommy and Daddy proud, which she did yesterday when she got a wonderfully awesome Happy Note from school. She adores her brother, and wants to do everything he does. She dotes on her sister, wanting to help with her, hold her, give her lots of hugs and kisses and even share her toys. She loves to play dress up. She loves her stuffed animals and her lovey, and she loves, loves, loves to read. She likes coloring, crafts, and playing with Play-doh. She likes cats (which is odd because we don't have one and she's rarely been around then) and acts like a kitty cat quite often. She loves tea parties and playing in her kitchen. She reminds us to say night-night prayers with her and gets upset if we forget and is the first to say our 'good morning' prayers on the way to school. Despite the current discipline issues Matt and I seem to be having with her, she is a great little girl and I'm so blessed to have her!

2nd - I'm thankful for my son. He's all boy. He likes to play sports and try different things. He has an amazing and compassionate heart. (His Sunday school class is collecting toys, so he decided to go through them and prep some to donate to kids in the hospital because 'they need toys to play with in the hospital, and I have other toys'. He tried to convince his sister to do the same, telling her, "Giving things to other kids will make your heart happy!") He loves the Lord and was saved last week, and will soon be speaking with our pastor about getting baptized. He got upset at a kid at school for drawing a picture of Jesus in the clouds getting shot and falling to the earth, because "...you shouldn't draw things like that about Jesus and it really made me upset". He's smart - super smart. He likes to invent and build things (like robots out of cardboard). He loves to read. He likes superheroes. Did I mention he loves to read? His book of choice at night is his Sparks book or his Bible. He gives hugs and kisses for no reason. He plays with his sister(s) and puts up with Tatum's antics. He makes lunches for Tatum (and sometimes me) every day...he helps her with breakfast and helps with Jacey as much as he possibly can. I am so blessed and thankful to have the son I do!

1st - I'm thankful that I've been saved by a God who knows me and loves me anyway. One who loved me so much that He sent His perfect Son to die for all the yucky things I have done, ever will do, or even think about doing. One whose love won't change no matter what I do - or don't do.