This list of 465 November thankfuls may have a few repeats, but I tried really hard to come up with new ones each day.
1. My parents who set an example of constantly seeking to learn more about God
2. Little girls who jump on their beds like it's the best thing they have ever done.
3. Conversations with my mom every morning on my way to work
4. Grace coming out of school excited about sharing her writing work
5. Little girls who come home from school and can play so nicely together
6. watched a sunrise this morning with the girls that was really cool!
7. I am married to a guy who is letting me jet off to Tampa tomorrow morning without a single complaint
8. friends had prayers answered
9. I'm going to Tampa to see Becca Hewitt and Michael Nealon and Potter and Buck!
10. The United ticketing agent who got me through a major travel snafu (no record of me in the system) and on to my 6am flight
11. Safe travels to Tampa
12. Baby Potter
13. Walking around St. Pete with Becca and Potter in a tshirt enjoying the sunshine
14. Chris and the girls having a great time with French toast, pizza, tv dinners, and How to Train Your Dragon
15. I slept until 11am (10am new time)
16. awesome 60 minute massage
17. seeing a great friend so happy with the surprises life had in store for her
18. POTTER and his sweet baby smell
19. Chris and all he does for the girls and I
20. a delicious spinach salad for dinner
21. time with Potter this morning
22. funny dogs at the dog park
23. I made my connection in DC
24. smooth flights
25. catching up with Angela
26. all went well at home while I was gone
27. I'll get to kiss Chris and the girls tonight !
28. Chris kept up with the laundry while I was gone
29. a 1hr fog delay today
30. the dogs are peacefully snoozing
31. I got to talk to my brother tonight
32. successful attempt at making tzatziki sauce with the girls help
33. Halloween candy
34. one of those nights you are so tired that you will fall right to sleep
35. my job- a perfect fit for our life right now
36. 2 hr fog delay this am
37. trip to the library with the girls
38. girls watching Chris and Clarke at work in the bar
39. easy chicken pasta dinner
40. girls did the bedtime routine w/o constant prompting from me
41. husband who loves the problem solving part of his job
42. Lilly is having a chill night
43. beautiful sunny afternoon
44. Tootsie Pops for a sweet treat
45. Lori helped me out today since the girls got out early but I didn't
46. happy hubby b/c the new farm generator will have an automatic turn on switch
47. ready made spaghetti leftovers
48. Clarke cleaned up the dinner dishes
49. Chris wrangled the girls through the beginning part of the bedtime routine
50. early dark makes the girls think we let them stay up really late
51. I was able to take tomorrow off to hang out with the girls
52. the car floor looks relatively clean after yesterdays vacuuming
53. laughter from the girls room instead of tears
54. this practice of being thankful is helping me to really look at my days to see how I should be more thankful than I am
55. a day with my girls
56. 30 min on the elliptical
57. 30 min in the pool with the girls
58. yummy lunch at El Maguey
59. packing Operation Christmas Child box with G & SE
60. great finds in the yard sale drop offs
61. www.aholyexperience.com
62. a thankful hubby
63. cleaning out the closets for the MCHF yard sale
64. chocolate
65. sweet kisses, hugs, and whispers at bedtime
66. great MCHF yard sale
67. cleared out a carload of stuff from our closets
68. everybody took "quiet time" today (for some that meant sleep for others just time to chill out)
69. laundry is caught up (hopefully on my list tomorrow will be laundry is put away)
70. our family bonfire
71. listening to tunes while sitting by the fire under so many stars
72. a God that can create so much
73. Chris explaining solar systems and stars to Grace
74. silly girls by the fire
75. Fat Tire at Exmore Food Lion
76. clams roasted over the bonfire
77. girls who say "this is the best, can we do this every night?"
78. Chris acting as lumberjack to get our bonfire started
79. I had 1 1/2 hours to myself this morning
80. Chris and the girls slept in- for the first time in quite a LONG time
81. heard a reminder on how we are to pray
82. God's grace for our mistakes as people
83. God's grace for our mistakes as parents
84. lunch out
85. Grace is totally READING!!!
86. rest time for everyone
87. girls in the bath tub
88. the smells of dinner ready to be eaten
89. coffee in the afternoon to get me through the rest of the night (you would think my rest time would have woken me up- just made me foggy)
90. the awesome wrap dress I wore today that I scored at the MCHF yard sale on Sat
91. I came up with all 13 of these pretty easily- but when I sat down to type I had no idea what I would write. I think that means God is allowing me to become more thankful of all things
92. when you see your kids act how you've taught them to, without your constant reminders, they do it b/c it's who they are
93. 30 min on the ARC trainer at the Y
94. 3 large trash bags full of hand-me-down clothes
95. Chris agreed to be in The Nutcracker as a party parent.
96. The squeals from the girls when he agreed
97. our reliable car for all the driving up and down the Shore
98. Chris and SE getting their special time when he brings her and gets her ready for ballet
99. my job- it’s a perfect fit for us right now
100. Lilly is definitely getting calmer
101. finding deals on cute/thoughtful gifts
102. laundry is almost all put away
103. knowing my bro knows he is loved by me
104. the relationship my parents fostered between my bro, sis and I
105. I am thankful that I have Faith, because that is a powerful thing
106. a beautiful warm fall day
107. 2 "super spy" girls playing after school
108. the girls went into the post office to mail a letter and get our mail all by themselves
109. leftovers make an easy dinner
110. boxing in Exmore tonight
111. hubs put the girls to bed so I could go
112. the kitchen was pretty clean when I got home
113. somehow news that would have rock me to the core years ago draws me closer to God and doesn’t send me spinning
114. the good sore after a tough workout
115. imaginations
116. oreos
117. studying the Bible with Chris
118. having a small group to prepare for
119. fresh eggs sitting on our counter
120. early dismissal today
121. picked the girls up early
122. warm cookies and hot coffee (for me) at Exmore park with the girls
123. hours of happy sisters playing spies, mommy/baby, and school
124. bills are paid
125. Modern Family is hilarious
126. 70+ degrees today
127. on the way to school Grace explained how God always wins
128. God always wins!
129. still feeling effects of last night’s boxing workout (that’s a good thing)
130. plans are made for a fun and busy weekend
131. doughnuts from Onancock bakery for dessert
132. I am working hard to organize and simplify and downsize and it feels good
133. k-love in the car
134. this thankful practice is really stretching me tonight
135. Chris is such a caring person and others needs are almost always put before his
136. the bright fall leaves against the dreary grey sky this morning
137. finding deals on Christmas gifts
138. Hokie girls cuddled up next to their dad for kickoff tonight
139. bluegrass music blaring in the kitchen
140. dinner with constant interruptions for a clogging performance
141. Chris and his goofy juggling act
142. animated storyteller=Sarah Elizabeth
143. new bones for the dogs to chew on
144. a shopping trip to Food Lion that took 1 ½ hrs with the most well behaved little girls
145. a husband who unloaded all the groceries
146. Shabaka is doing better
147. Chris had a good day at work
148. only 1 more school day this week
149. Pastor Alex’s visits with the MCHF kids always makes my girls day
150. singing in the car
151. Grace is really taking off in her reading and writing, I am amazed everyday
152. Sarah Elizabeth is her own person-she is 1 of a kind
153. I laughed like crazy this morning on the way to school- funny doctor stories from my mom
154. I am so thankful that she can laugh about it
155. A life with Faith is free from the control of fear
156. pumpkin bread
157. a committed husband (to us and to keeping his word)
158. learning about God's word with others
159. sleepy girls who go to sleep easily
160. warm blankets on a cold night
161. SE climbed into bed with me this morning at 4:45, I love her sweet face and sweet sleepy sighs
162. the girls worked so hard after school cleaning
163. their bedroom
164. their closet
165. the kitchen
166. and it was all on their own- not even my idea
167. for all the little things I take for granted each day
168. I had time to read books to the girls before school
169. generous friends
170. I love hearing funny stories from MCHF
171. early morning talks with Grace she had some silly dreams
172. no coffee filters, but Chris saved the morning with the camping coffee press
173. Lilly went to work out in the marsh with Chris today=1 VERY tired puppy (and husband)
174. 2 beautiful little girls. I got some great pics of the girls today (think Christmas cards/Christmas gifts)
175. I made some huge progress with my closet cleaning and ebay
176. I finally went through the 3 garbage bags of hand-me-downs and so many of the girls needs have been met
177. Chris got a major project at work completed (a long day in the marsh)
178. Chris is learning so much about being a “boss”
179. Tacos are easy to make and they are a hit every time
180. football on TV for Chris to watch with the girls (“go white” or “oh no red has the ball!!”)
181. At the last minute my creativity created a lovely tacky Christmas vest
182. fun time out with friends tonight (plus I won some cool Pampered Chef things)
183. I can see growth in my ability to let God squash my 1st impulse reactions
184. 2 healthy little girls (something that I can easily take for granted- but should not!)
185. our needs are always met, our wants are less important
186. peace in our house
187. God is always just one word away- for everyone
188. I am so thankful for PC3- for SO MUCH
189. I am thankful God never stops teaching us
190. Both girls who climbed into bed at 7:30 this morning to snuggle and visit.
191. Sarah Elizabeth, she has the most expressive face, especially when she is very intent on making her point known
192. Grace spent some time trying to teach me how to play the "rope cutting game" on Chris' iphone and even though I was horrible she kept trying to help me get better.
193. crispy bacon and yummy coffee
194. The girls Sunday School teachers, for committing their time every week
195. celebrating Communion with OBC
196. being able to freely take communion, a free gift from Jesus
197. Chris, who without complaint let me go to Salisbury to see Breaking Dawn, shop and eat dinner with a van full of girls
198. spending time with a great group of ladies today
199. finding the “just right” gift for a few people
200. browsing in Target- what a treat
201. bathed little girls asleep in their beds
202. a car that did not leave me stranded despite obvious brake issues
203. Food Lion refunded the money they overcharged me for my turkey, they were really nice about the whole process and did not make me go home to get the turkey
204. Chris has a job that he is passionate about – even though most of the time I don’t understand his passion
205. Chris can share his frustrations with me in such a non-confrontational manner ( I need to learn this)
206. It’s time to start getting the house ready for Mom an Dad to come down for Thanksgiving
207. parenting- it’s an awesome responsibility
208. an awesome parenting partner
209. the mission of PC3 “to reach people and help them walk with God” and the impact it has on my own walk
210. PC3 devotional (see previous wall post) on marriage was awesome
211. following Deuteronomy 6:4-9 3.
212. Smooth morning routine with the girls today
213. Work was a breeze today
214. A grocery shopping date with SE
215. When SE snuggles with me I love the smell of her neck
216. Bro has a roof over her head again
217. Mom's X-ray showed no blood clot
218. T-giving prep is pretty much finished
219. when my parents come to visit the stress of getting ready is non-existent, they are so easy! We can’t wait til they get here tomorrow night!
220. little girls who are so proud of their clean room and
221. beds. All their own idea.
222. girls who love to listen to books on tape
223. ballet bun in Grace’s hair
224. sweet ballet girls playing at home
225. Grace fixed her door frame with her play tool set
226. getting a few tiny this on my to do list done makes me feel VERY productive
227. Sid the Science kid
228. A hard working husband
229. Mint chocolate chip ice cream
230. one more day of work/school
231. Montessori Children's House of Franktown, it's an awesome school!
232. Gillian because she is an awesome teacher- she truly loves what she does and we are so lucky to have had her as the girl's 1st teacher
233. Both girls are self confident and self motivated
234. Both girls love to learn
235. Both girls are growing, changing, maturing
236. Hannah b/c we are so excited for Grace to have her as her next teacher
237. Lori and Phillip for watching the girls after school so we could go to our p/t conf. and then out to dinner
238. shared fajita texanas at El Maguey- yummy
239. finally got the oil changed in the van
240. got the Subaru to the auto shop before the brakes caught on fire
241. a clean house- wish I could keep it this way
242. realizing that life is messy
243. realizing that life is messy means more than a dirty house- life is hard- but it is never without hope
244. my parents are on their way down
245. sweet news from Hawaii- Angelina had her 1st hula/ballet performance
246. the girls are more than happy- they are content
247. being able to “think on my feet” when plans for a rowdy group of 3rd grader fell through
248. making plans with Monica
249. a husband who can see the good in everyone
250. perspective on what is really important
251. swept floors
252. knowing there is more I should be thankful for- so I keep searching it out
253. Chris handled my mis-handling of the alarm clock snooze button so nicely (I accidentally turned it off at 5AM instead of hitting snooze- so he slept in until 6:45)
254. My parents got here safely
255. Snack treats from Connecticut: Drakes Coffee Cakes, Corn Toasters, and Hummel hot dogs
256.PopPop and Grace playing ball outside
257. MeMa and SE playing Little People inside
258. a beautiful thankful tree
259. my girls are thankful for God because “He is everything”
260. a trip to Wal-Mart kid free
261. a trip to Food Lion kid free
262. finally found a set of curtains I like for the living room
263. leftover spaghetti for dinner
264. Mema reading stories to the girls
265. the girls creating their own ending to the stories and
266. their own illustrations to the stories
267. inside while wind blows outside
268. a few more Christmas gifts knocked off my list
269. sharing stories about the girls ad school with my parents
270. we found all the turkey fryer tools
271. we have enough oil for frying the turkeys
272. Lilly has been on her best behavior
273. my mom was able to come down despite constant medical issues
274. the Subaru’s brakes are fixed
275. the turkeys are injected and ready for frying!
276. My brother called, we wish he was here.
277. My mom was here to enjoy the girls and celebrate with us
278. My dad has been able to relax and spend time with the girls
279. Chris took the day off today to fry turkeys (5)
280. Fried turkey is awesome!
281. Ault bacon in the green beans and mashed potatoes
282. apple pie
283. pumpkin pie
284. chocolate graham cracker pie
285. I should get off the food thankfuls, but here is one more: LEFTOVERS!
286. a beautiful fall day
287. the kitchen is clean again
288. talking with family today
289. My sis is happy and healthy with her family in Hawaii
290. the food coma after a huge meal
291. silly times with Sarah Elizabeth
292. Grace takes brushing her teeth very seriously
293. a day of prepping and cleaning in the kitchen yielded a delicious feast
294. a quiet house watching football napping on the couch, and reading magazines
295. the girls playing in the dirt with Lilly and Guinness
296. a laid back low stress Thanksgiving
297. those who provide Thanksgiving meals for others in need or without family near by
298. a new friend for Lilly- Charlie!!
299. another successful Bentley Thanksgiving- doing it since 2003 :)
300. Grace asked Chris to tell her more about something (like the solar system, how propane tanks work, the sun)
301. Ault sausage for breakfast
302. scrambled eggs with mushrooms and onions
303. a full morning of coffee drinking
304. the girls and Lilly took a walk around the farm after breakfast
305. playing outside in the great sunshine
306. the girls solving problems on their own
307. leftovers for lunch
308. mid-day apple pie
309. I had time to finish a book
310. coloring with Grace
311. Elf on tv- brings back some funny memories
312. no Black Friday craziness for me
313. cooking in the kitchen again
314. prime rib- successful 1st time attempt
315. steamed clams
316. watching Grace dig into the clams with help from Mema
317. Sarah Elizabeth couldn't get enough "meat"
318. packing for an overnight trip to Damaw's to see the Robertsons
319. braiding the girls hair is getting easier for me
320. a game of Farkle
321. a hug and sweet words from mom this morning
322. pumpkin pie
323. Chris took on dish duty tonight
324. watching and listening to my girls build memories with my parents
325. reading with Grace during quiet time- she had her book I had mine
326. Saying goodbye to my mom and dad is never fun, but I am thankful they were here and we are counting the days until they come back
327. Truly enjoying my parents, a relationship I aspire to have with my girls
328. The girls have such great relationships with all their grandparents
329. Safe and quick trip for them back to CT
330. Safe travels for us to Damaw’s house in Charles City
331. Getting to see SE run to Jamie to give him a big hug
332. Watching 5 kids ages 3-7 jump in like no time has passed
333. Safe travels for Jamie and Chris to and from Charlottesville
334. Eric was so generous to get tickets to the game for Jamie and Chris
335. VT win over UVA
336. Damaw (Linda) and Papa Peter are always so welcoming and treat us like part of the family
337. Catching up with great friends, both Chris and I
338. Grace and Josh playing a game of checkers before bed
339. A sleepy SE asked to go to bed
340. Dirty, happy kids
341. a beautiful, warm fall day for playing outside
342. Lilly fit in with the Ault pack
343. Having time with great friends, how we miss weekly meals and days at the beach!
344. Listening to the 3 oldest sit down and have “grown up” conversation, like little people
345. Hearing the states/capitals song from 3 sweet voices
346. Seeing how God is working in people I love
347. Seeing how God takes care of so much more than we can even imagine
348. Peace for decisions that 1 year ago were a step out in Faith
349. the people God has put in my life
350. happy husbands
351. Little girls tucked into sleeping bags, tired and happy
352. 2 girls hopping into a single bed with Chris this morning to cuddle and share some snuggles
353. 2 girls hopping into a single bed with me to cuddle and share some snuggles
354. 5 happy kids eating breakfast
355. Coffee
356. Coffee on the porch with Monica
357. Kids dressed and heading out to watch the hunt (horses and dogs) with Damaw
358. Sarah Elizabeth is such a hugger
359. Watching the kids hug and say goodbye I am thankful for their relationships
360. We have Damaw’s house as a meeting place
361. A family shopping trip to Trader Joe’s
362. A freezer stocked with good food
363. Grace did not throw up until we got home
364. Grace has had 100% accuracy with throwing up in the toilet or the Tupperware container
365. As I am rub Grace’s back she whispers “I love you” during a break in her throwing up
366. I can stay home to take care of Grace tomorrow
367. Turkey casserole for dinner
368. Chris emptied the car before heading out to check things in the barn
369. Chris does not shy away from responsibility; he is a man who can be counted on
370. Another beautiful day
371. One of the girls’ favorite things is to hear us tell them stories about when we were younger
372. 2 girls asleep early
373. Grace curled up in our bed, finally peaceful
374. A great Thanksgiving weekend
375. Rye bread with butter reminds me of my grandmother
376. Memories that my children will have of their grandparents
377. Childhood innocence
378. Leftover Thanksgiving pies
379. . Grace fell asleep 1:45-5:45 without throwing up again,
380. I found SE asleep in the guest room with Chris,
381. Lori helped us out, yet again, by giving SE a ride to school
382. Ramona and Beezus it was so nice to watch a sweet movie with Grace
383. SE’s smiling face when I picked her up at 1:00 from school
384. house wide naptime- I even slept
385. as I began to feel worse, Grace began to feel better
386. Chris left for his Bible study AFTER he prepped dinner and fed the dogs
387. I was able to climb into bed at 7:30
388. The girls managed to crack and peel their extra hard boiled eggs all by themselves
389. As I lay in bed halfway between awake and asleep the girls did exactly what I asked when I asked (pjs, teeth brushed)
390. I heard Grace stepping into the “older sister role” with encouraging SE to do the things she was supposed to do
391. Chris came home and took over the night time duties
392. Grace and SE for back rubs while I was in bed
393. reading time with Grace
394. applesauce to sooth sick tummies
395. a new story CD in the car
396. time to get laundry done
397. talking to Chris about the Old Testament
398. to hear stories of people who show such amazing Faith
399. I got to talk to Courtney
400. sisters- that I am the mom to them
401. . and that I have one
402. God heals- just not always in the physical sense
403. SE’s pigtails the bounce when she runs
404. peaceful faces on 2 snoozing children at naptime
405. Grace’s 2nd tooth is coming in
406. It’s hard to find 28 things to be thankful for on a day where most of the time was dealing with sick children or being sick- but I am thankful that this will not last forever
407. Chris was awesome this morning he
408. got SE dressed
409. put pigtails in her hair
410. packed her lunch
411. took her to meet Lori
412. in between #409 and #410 he went out to the barn to deal with an employee situation (multi-tasking at it's finest)
413. he also loaded the dishwasher
414. Lori took SE to school again
415. I was finally able to get out of bed at 8:30 (after I climbed in at 7:30 last night)
416. SE is still healthy
417. We started our Jesse Tree Advent Devotional tonight
418. inside on a rainy/windy day
419. hearing the girls share what they know about the Bible
420. finishing Christmas card photo editing
421. rye toast with peanut butter
422. mom read me Mairead’s paper
423. hearing my mom appreciated
424. realizing that even things that seem small can make a big difference
425. listening to SE “read” tonight
426. SE napped from 2-5
427. hearing how my thankfuls have been appreciated
428. this thankful practice has me constantly searching for things to add to my list, which allows me to keep a positive eye on life
429. gingerbread cookies with white chocolate icing
430. the girls wearing Chris’ hat and adjusting it to their size
431. missing any important electronic equipment when I spilled a glass of water
432. getting my appetite back
433. girls swimming in the bathtub
434. Lilly gives the girls kisses goodnight
435. my bed
436. Woke up rested and healthy
437. girls woke up happy, rested, and healthy
438. Grace was most helpful during breakfast prep this morning (she wanted to do it all herself)
439. I had great coverage for my groups at KES while I was out Mon and Tues
440. lollipop tree at the Quinby post office
441. Santa mailbox (memories of childhood)
442. awesome deal on a sweet Christmas gift for the girls
443. knowing the girls will be happy with ANYTHING
444. before bed Bible reading with G & SE
445. keeping the focus of Christmas on Christ
446. Chris had his first “Party Parent” rehearsal for The Nutcracker
447. Chris is also going to be Santa
448. Chris is willing to dance on stage
449. and wear “man ballet shoes” all for his little girls
450. I am married to a man who will do the previous 4 things for his little girls
451. having the energy again to clean the kitchen and fold laundry at 9:30 at night
452. this practice of being thankful
453. dogs curled up and sleeping
454. positive phone interview for a prospective farm employee
455. living off Thanksgiving leftovers=easy on the grocery budget
456. Grace told us “sin is what separated us from God”
457. resting in decisions we have made as parents
458. resting in those decisions because we made them together
459. I am thankful for my father, an amazing example of dedication and love
460. I am thankful for my father-in-law, another example of a dedicated husband
461. I am thankful for my mother, my example to follow and hope to live up to
462. I am thankful for my mother –in-law for being an example by always trying new things, even when it’s hard, and never giving up
463. I am thankful for the commitment the Bowers family has made to serve God
464. I am thankful for the friends in my life who keep me striving to be a better mom, wife, daughter, and Christian
465. I am thankful for this month of thankfuls, I am thankful I have so much to be thankful for!
images from One Thousand Gifts (FACEBOOK)
