Blessings & Tragedies

 I haven't been so good at keeping a daily post on what I am thankful for.  I am definitely thankful for a lot of things.  Even in these hard times we face, I can find so much to be grateful for.  

I hope all of my reader friends had a great Thanksgiving.  Ours was spent with my mother-in-law and sister-in-law.  The next day we were shocked to find out that my husband's stepmother suddenly passed away.  They moved to Kentucky over a year ago, where she's originally from, so they could be closer to her kids and grandkids.  Her health wasn't always great and we had a feeling something was going on, but we had no idea it was going to lead to this so quickly.  

Pam was the epitome of a southern girl, for sure.  Everything from her accent to the way she dressed.  She was sweet, kind and gentle and lived her life serving in the music ministry.  I never heard her speak a bad word about anyone and there is no doubt she's now singing her heart out in heaven.  

Then the next morning, at 3:30am I received a phone call from my dad that I had to hurry to their house  They live 40 minutes away.  My dad said he needed to pee but it wasn't coming out and he felt like he was about to explode.  Let me tell you, there's no traffic at 4am.  I got there and he drove himself while I tried sleeping on the couch while my mom stayed in her bed.  He came back a few hours later with a catheter and foley back installed.  He's wearing that until Thursday.  If he's able to go again on his own, great, if not he'll most likely need surgery.  I'm praying for the best.  

It's not easy watching as our parents are aging.  It's quite frightening, actually.  With my mom's stroke and Alzheimer's she can't take care of herself and if anything happens to her I'm the only child of theirs here in PA.  It's all going to be left up to me and I'm not sure I'm mentally capable.  Ugh!  It's a lot.  One day at a time, I suppose.

We are now in the holiday season and our decorations have gone up.  It's just going to feel a little different this year.   

Nov 24th Thanks

 

Thankful for this boy who made me a mother 14 years ago.

Nov 22 Thanks

 

Thankful for these quiet mornings before the sun rises and everyone in the house wakes up.   Lately, it's been hard dealing with fighting kids and a house that can't seem to get clean so I started setting the alarm at 5:45am so I'd have some quiet time.  I start the day by having a conversation with God and exercising my body.   Then sitting with a hot cup of coffee in peace until the chaos begins.  

Day 20 Thanks

 So, I'm not good at keeping this thing updated every day.

My girl and I have been sick but I am thankful for negative covid tests.  

Day 16 Thanks

 Thankful for the days I get to spend with my mom.

Day 14 Thanks

 

This photo doesn't do justice of what was actually in front of me.  I am thankful to live in such a beautiful state.  

Day 13 Thanks

 On Christmas 2019 my hubby got tickets to see Lauren Daigle for me and my daughter.   The concert was for July 2020 but I don't have to tell you why that was cancelled.  It was rescheduled, then rescheduled again.  Finally, last night we got to go.  It was an amazing and powerful show.  Lauren Daigle is a contemporary Christian artist and her song You Say can be heard on a lot of regular stations.  We also had a VIP pass to see her in a pre-show and that was phenomenal.  

Nov 10th Thanks

 It's been a rough couple of days.  My daughter has been dealing with some emotional issues and has diagnosed herself with having anxiety (she's only 10).  She's a sensitive girl who is always whining, crying and complaining.   On top of it all there's some boy in her class that's been picking on her and nothing is being done.  The last few days have definitely been hard.  Right now I'm dealing with a tension headache.   I'm at my wits end and I don't know what to do.

So, it's been hard to get my mind to feel thankful but regardless of what my little one is going through I am still very thankful for her.  She is kind and sweet and so very loving.  That's what makes all of this even harder to deal with. 

Nov 8th Thanks

 I am thankful for my job in the cafeteria.   It's nothing fancy and often quite messy and stressful, but it's a lot of fun.  Admittedly, this is the best job I ever had.  

I love that I only work a few hours and can be home when the kids are.  I got this job because it worked best around their schedules.   It may only be temporary but I'm savoring these days.  

Day 7 Thanks

 Today my parents celebrate 51 years of marriage.   They have been through, and continue to go through, rough times that would have separated most couples.  They believe in "for better or worse" and "til death" and I am so incredibly thankful for them.  

4 kids, 15 grandkids and 10 great grandkids (if I counted that right.)

Day 6 Thanks

My son and his team won the 13U championship yesterday.   I'm so proud.   It was an incredible and well deserved experience.   I am thankful for the coaches, the team, and especially for my son who has a love for baseball and works so hard to get better.  

 

Nov 5 Thanks

 

This quote is so perfect for the time we are currently in.

So many things seem unexplainable and leave us to wonder when we'll see the light at the end of the tunnel.  I am thankful that in these dark times God is already ahead of it and will get us through.   His will, not mine.  

Nov 4 Thanks

 

I'm thankful for this guy who came into our lives when we least expected it.  Our friends posted pictures of him on Facebook.  After a month of fostering him after being found on the street they had no luck finding an owner.   With having two other dogs they weren't able to keep him.  I was the first to comment that I would love to take him.  My husband talked about wanting a black pug for a long time.

He's an old guy and would rather sleep than play.  It's okay because he makes a great snuggler.

Thanks Day 3

 

I took this picture this morning at the bus stop.  The neighborhood is filled with trees of many fall colors and there is frost on the ground from our first cold morning of the season.  Winter is coming and soon these trees will become completely bare until new life blooms in the spring. 

I am thankful to live in a place where I can experience all 4 seasons.  I'm not a fan of the cold and as I've gotten older I'm starting to loathe the heat but I'm glad we get the mix.  

Nov 2 Thanks

 Today is election day and even though it's not a presidential election it's just as important. 

So, since it's election day I want to say I am thankful to live in a country where I am allowed to cast my ballot that will have my choice heard.  It doesn't always go how I had liked but I think of the countries who don't have the option at all.  

Giving Thanks Nov 1st

 "Give thanks to the LORD for He is good; His love endures forever," -- 1 Chronicles 16:34

We have entered November, a month where we celebrate Thanksgiving as we reflect on all things we are grateful for.  I decided to pop in this blog every day this month and write something I'm grateful for.  In a time that has been so crazy it's nice to remind ourselves of the good that's still there. 

Today I'll say I am thankful for how faithful God has been.  My husband has spent 20 years at a job he's done well in but there were things that made him unhappy.  I'll spare those details but after a lot of prayer he found a better job.  Today is his first day.

So, I'm thankful how God has answered this prayer and provided my husband with something better.  It also happened at a time when our country is experiencing inflation and leaves us wondering what finances are going to look like in the future.  

Thankful that when one door closed a better one opened.