Thanksgiving!

I will praise God's name in song and glorify Him with Thanksgiving. Psalm 69:30

I took the first five days of this week to thank God for my "family". Some of my "family" is human... some are not. All hold a special place in my heart and are in no particular order.

Friday November 22: Meet Flash, Bonnie, Clyde and Molly:

Photo courtesy of Megan

These are the four legged friends of our family. Each one of them came to us in their own special way. Molly was adopted through a local pet adoption agency, Flash came to stay when my sister got a new job that required a lot of traveling. Clyde lived in the wild but decided to call our house home. We originally caught him and released him in the country far away... but he returned 6 days later, so he's stayed. Clyde brought us Bonnie (aka Flower) as a small kitten this summer and she quickly warmed our hearts. Pets are such great companions and great teachers of unconditional love. Thank you Lord for pets... they are family too.

Saturday November 23: Meet Marcy, Andy, Mikayla, Miranda and Melaina:

My sister Marcy and her husband Andy have blessed me with three of the best nieces a girl could ask for. Mikayla is a natural athlete and so much fun to watch. Miranda is my little chickadee and the girly girl of the family. Her upbeat personality and contagious smile make it hard to believe the struggles she has faced and still faces for such a young girl. Melaina is the baby of the crew and at 3 years old is FULL of surprises! Thank you Lord for the Bundrens.

Sunday November 24: Meet my Mom and Dad:

Words cannot even begin to tell you how thankful for them and I could never repay them for all they have done for me. I am so very lucky to have two parents who love me unconditionally. So very lucky. Thank you Lord for my parents.

Monday November 25: Meet my other sister Megan:

She's on the left!

The above picture of all three of us sisters in NYC is just one example of Megan's generous heart and love for adventure (Go... See... Do ;) ). Megan is always there for me with a listening ear, encouraging words and the advice to go for it! I wouldn't trade either of my sisters! Thank you Lord for Megan.

Tuesday November 26: Meet Devin:


I could write an entire post on this kid. And maybe I will one day. Just know that he pretty much changed my life and I'm eternally thankful for him. While I'm extremely uneasy about the teenage years that are upon us, I'm strangely excited as well. It is so much fun to watch him grow into a young man. Ok, so occasionally the moments don't seem as much fun as they do stressful in the moment, but then you start looking back and realize just how fast it's going and how much you need to stop "sweating the small stuff"... And just how much of the stuff really is small stuff. Thank you Lord for the sweetest gift, my son.

Wednesday November 27: Today I'm thankful for grace. My family, teaches me so much about grace. I'm thankful they are willing to show me grace, quite possibly on a daily basis. I'm thankful that Jesus Christ radiates grace. Because I know I need it. I pray that every day as I become more and more like Him, that I show others the grace that I continually receive. Thank you Lord for Your grace.

Thursday November 28: Today I'm thankful for time. I'll be the first to admit that I waste way more time than I should. Time that should be spent loving other people. That's probably why the week of Thanksgiving is one of my favorite times of the year. During this week our family spends a lot of time together and I look forward to it every year. We have many special traditions that I enjoy, but most of all I just enjoy the time I get to spend with them. Another important reminder of just how precious time is will be the empty seat at our table today. Our time is not guaranteed, God has me here for a specific time and purpose, I pray I'm doing what He's asking me to do. Thank you Lord for the time you give me.

Enter His gates with Thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. Psalm 100:4