Thankful Thursday

"All our goodness is a loan. God is the owner." ~Saint John of the Cross

In November, I was sad that I had not gotten any good pictures, I mean really good pictures, of our daughters together. I had dreamed, longed, pined for the day when multiple children would fill our rooms with noise and clamoring. In April of 2007, my pining ceased. Emily and Hannah, have by far, exceeded every expectation I could have ever had as a parent. There is a local photographer who I just love. Her name is Joanna, and she is the daughter-in-law of close friends of my parents. Today, as I framed several of the wonderful pictures she took at a photo shoot in November, it occurred to me how grateful I am for her talent. She captured what I could never capture, ever. Joanna is a young, hip, beautifully cool mom with two gorgeous daughters of her own. She is fun and talented beyond words. Joanna, thanks for sharing your gifts with our family. (I have posted others that Joanna took - I'm certain you could pick them out! And here are a few more of our favorites...)











I am thankful that Emily bounded out of school today just beaming. When I inquired about her mood, she fumbled all over herself opening her school bag to produce a book. It was an ordinary book, except that Emily is able to read the whole thing with no help - her teacher loaned each student a book to read to their parents at home. She took such tremendous joy in reading it to me and then to Hannah and then to Nan and then to Dad (as I type she is reading it again). Now, we read everyday, all the time, incessantly...but it took the joy of reading with her classmates to make this phenomenon real to her.

I am thankful for my husband, who went out of his way today, stopped at the pharmacy and picked up eczema cream for the girls, without being asked!

I am thankful for long, lovely chats with my Texas friend, whom I wish lived closer.

I am thankful that Ayla's parents' posted some really good test results, and though there is a lot of road ahead, some major concerns have been resolved. Just keep prayin'!

I am thankful for my father (both my heavenly father and the earthly one He blessed me with). Dad, you and my computer have become wayyy too close! Thank you for spending last evening fighting with my printer.

Even though I hate to see 2007 fade away (it was the year Hannah entered our lives), I am thankful for new beginnings and renewed strength in being better this year than we were last year.

Hope you have had a happy week...what are you thankful for?