Eight ways to be thankful

Eight ways to be thankful

1. Projects: Plenty of spaces to organize and arrange

We have more space than we need in this blessing of a house, so we’re trying to figure out how best to live in it. Now that we’ve lived a whole year in it, it’s coming more and more together. I went on a reorganizing frenzy yesterday. Got it just bad enough that we now have to finish it (I can only think these things through so much and then I just gotta get my feet wet and JUMP). It gets worse before it gets better. At least, that’s what I keep telling James.

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2. Life Group: People to love and be loved by

Since we meet as whole families, sometimes we talk seriously…and sometimes we giggle. It’s so fun to watch these kids be forced into friendship…and love it.

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3. The Dentist: A happy almost-three-year-old

Corban jumped right up on the chair and promptly opened his mouth. It was so fun for me to watch him take direction from someone else. When that happens, typically it’s because I’m not there. I can’t explain and feel even silly saying it, but it was such a proud parent moment. *sap stopped*

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4. Siblings: Love and Fashion

James and I always say these kids are more stylish than we are. So THIS is how being embarrassed of parents starts. It’s really not fair; their clothes are so much cheaper than ours! Corban’s learning how *aggressively* he can love his sister without her screaming, and Jaeda’s learning just how much screaming it takes for Mom to come running. I think it’s just the common red hair that forces them to always come back to love.

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5. Neighbors: Front-yard play and chit chat

There are so many neighbors we love, love, love. Couldn’t have picked a more perfect place to live!
We even love sharing leaves…and dumping them on each others’ heads, right, Miss Diff’ent Sayah?

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6. College Friends: Sharing tea and pears and God’s work

This fellow redhead is a missionary with Campus Crusade for Christ…and my old running buddy and good friend. Please take a moment to read about her passion in reaching high school students (and everyone!) with the Gospel. Her newsletters are always inspiring with her eyes-wide-open approach to living life under God’s hand. But here, in this photo? She was shamelessly addicting my children to What Does the Fox Say, which they desperately want answered!

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7. Babysitting: Enjoying daily moments together

Corban is the best big brother I know (aggressive hugs and all!). His mission in life is to hold babies and read to them. I’m not fully understanding why he and Annika read together in this way, face-to-face; seems like Annika has the short end of this deal. But they do it every single day, so I guess they’ve got it worked out. And it’s for extended periods of time (read: more than 10 minutes).

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8. The Coloring Dance: Engaging activities

Jaeda loves to color. As in, she colors several times every day. Sometimes I’ll get some of James’ old biiiig paper out and let her and Corban color on the floor. It’s really sweet…until Jaeda sits on it, in which case Corban screams, “GET OFF MY PAPER, JAAAAAEDA!” She likes to be in the middle of the action, good little sister she is. What I am most thankful for her coloring fetish, though, is the length of time she can focus in one stop. We need some still moments!

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