Thanksgiving Week ~ Practicing Gratitude 11.28.16

- A week in Fort Worth with my brothers and families

- Spending the Thanksgiving week at home - provided some much-needed margin - a break from travel and just some down time

- Safety last night with all of the cousins here, swimming and playing

- Basden POURING into her cousins

- Kevin Libick calling the boys out of the blue, setting up lunch this week

- Thanksgiving morning - waking up at home with all four kids here

- Making almond brittle with Corbin to take to friends

- That Corbin enjoys spending time in the kitchen during his time off

- Two new baby cousins on the way

- Mom’s ability to hardly get ruffled - it really is quite amazing - she is so well-equipped to handle craziness

- Getting to watch two movies at home the last two nights

- Salvation Army Thanksgiving lunch, Chad and Cheryl and their dedication and love poured out; getting to experience that time

- Prov 22:3 - A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it Hud - yesterday - not driving even though he has his permit, not overdoing the flammable fire / hand sanitizer experiment with little cousins - I appreciate his prudence

- Getting to join friends at Sanders for dessert and Cowboys game

- Avalon’s no-bake choc / pb cookies

- Encouragement of Mark Gregston’s email ~ that YOUR presence is the biggest solution to the struggle

- Snuggling with Essie on the sofa while watching Dr. Quinn with she and Basden

- This is Us - our whole family loves it

- Getting to eat foods not Whole30

- Bran and Hud interacting so well with little cousins and younger friends all week, playing football with younger boys last night

- Black Fri midnight shopping with Nik and her girls

- Uninterrupted conversation with Sarah and Sharon as they came over for BU game

- Lord, that YOU sustain me even when my emotions sink

- Mom’s friendship with and commitment to Paulette over the past few years, and the difference in Paulette’s life, her baptism

- Two of Bran's friends going to Baylor next year...  makes me so happy to see Fort Worth kids get past the rivalry and appreciate Baylor

- Decorating for Christmas, and that we finished, and all the lights worked!

- That I can't get those precious orphans in the Ukraine off of my mind (!)

- Tracy Smith and her sister legally adopting SIX kids (siblings) - so incredible

- Advent is here. Immanuel ~ God with us

Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always. Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles...   1 Chronicles 16:11-12