Ten things I am thankful for...

Ten things I'm thankful for....

1. I am thankful for flowers – always thankful for them and the beauty they offer. This week I was able to pick up the surprise offering of tulips (already?). The buds were all closed so over the past few days I've enjoyed watching their open up and blossom, offering bits of spring on days when snow is pouring from the skies. So lovely, tulips always remind me of our wedding anniversary when they are rich in bloom, at least they are in the west during those time of year.

2. I am thankful for finding my oven mitts, gloves and pot holders. Now I no longer have to pretend I'm camping while using folded dish towels for everything. Ah, it wasn't so bad. Really. I know, a little bit of winter goes along with the current weather outdoors. Which would you pick, snowman or penguin? Aren't they both so cute!

3. I am thankful for notes from our grandchildren for they bless us often with their sweet offerings. The simple beauty of a little one sending love in the mail makes me want to hold each note tenderly to remind me of them, with love.

4. I am thankful for a new church community where several mothers pulled me aside last weekend to introduce themselves already, so soon in fact. After a brief conversation I was invited to join fellow parish homeschooling families once a month at the church and I've already had a telephone call to attend next Friday with all of them. I was also invited to join ladies of the parish at their once a month mother blessing evenings where they meet for the sole purpose to pray, talk, make crafts, encourage each other, and offer warmth and friendship to one another. I'm in and just waiting a telephone call for the next one and address to the rotated hostess in charge for the month. Blessed is how I'm feeling right now....

5. I am thankful for having my husband home every night again. It was a long haul for us and our family to be apart for most of eight months during his commute to a new job portfolio in another city. It's just sweet to have him near again and not just on weekends.

6. I am thankful for new things to discover, specifically watching skidoos zoom by wherever we go these days. I found out the county/city grooms miles and miles of trails specifically for usage by skidoo operators and there is even a club here where people who own them gather. It is not an uncommon sight to see skidoos parked at gas stations or at restaurants in the area. And it just baffles us every time we pass by a high school to see just how many skidoos are parked outside for alternative transportation modes at this time of year. If it were up to our teens we would have to own one very soon to experience this too while living here. (LOL)

7. I am thankful for hot drinks on a COLD wintry day, complete with popcorn remaining offerings from our camping In weekend before the moving truck arrived here. There is nothing quite as soothing as having a nice hot cuppa after a brisk subzero temperature walk with the dogs each afternoon.

8. I am thankful for children who aren't afraid to pitch in as a family and do their part to assist the unit as a whole. Hard work doesn't hurt anyone and sometimes clearing all the snow truly becomes HARD work around here.

Another three feet fell this past week, so beautiful and gorgeous to those who can appreciate it for what it is and not complain for its presence. One son had to brave the cold and assemble a dog house for a bit of shelter when for them on extra cold days when they want to play outdoors. He had "helpers" who were willing to do more than hold up instructions or give moral support...

9. I am thankful for our gas fireplace which looks and feels like a real wood fireplace. Often family members gather near it to warm up, or stand directly in front of it to rid themselves of a sudden chill from the cool Arctic winds recently experienced here. Never before have we experienced temperatures of -32c where on contact with the outdoor air our nostril hairs freeze and our entire nose feels as though its succumbed to anesthetic internally. There were also a few days of having to scrape the "inside" of the vehicle windows to rid the ice there. Brrrrr......

10. I am thankful for finally being able to hang up and truly appreciate my love for this picture below. My mother bought me this same print many years ago and I wasn't able to afford having it framed. This past mother's day my husband found another of the same print already framed and voila, it was more economical to pick it up for the price sticker asking than to go ahead with the one we had here. Plus, it was the perfect size for hanging in my bedroom at long last.

Being that this is "Prolife Week" in much of North America, I feel this picture is a perfect representation of the beautiful blessing a child is to a mother. Every time we ourselves obtained news of another child on the way for us, I felt nothing else but sincerely blessed and thrilled for yet another chance to bring a child into our family. And having dark hair myself, I like to look at this picture and envision with great fondness my own "mommy moments" of the past in the still of the night with one of my babies tenderly wrapped up in my arms. So what if it may have been a rough night! No one remembers those rough nights anyway, just the smell of a new babe and how much a curled up smile makes our heart sing. It's not until we look back at those precious moments where we can fully appreciate how blessed we are with our full quiver, thankful always for every new babe residing under our rooftop.

"How can anyone say there are too many children?

That is like saying there are too many flowers"

~Mother Teresa