A Life of Gratitude

The past few days have been full of funny little moments. Dylan has been saying and doing some very hilarious things! My Little Comedian Yesterday Bryan pretended to take some of  Dylan's chocolate dessert. Dylan looked straight at him and said "Hey, back off man!" We laughed so hard! Today, I was cleaning the kitchen and I hear Bryan tell Dylan to get a tissue. Dylan said, "I think I'll get a baby wipe." Bryan responds by saying, " I don't care how you do it but get that booger off the wall!" Tonight, Dylan was rubbing my belly and talking to his brother. I told him to say "I'll see you in 13 weeks!" He looked up at me and said "Then Evan will come out and be able to talk to me!" He is so sweet! Today I am thankful for these funny little moments. Kids really make life so special!

After a year and a half, Bryan and I have decided to take our house off the market. We've been hoping to sell this house for so long but now that we are only 13 weeks away from having another little one, we thought it would be best to settle in here until after Evan is born. So, today we worked hard to "freshen" up the house. We worked in the yard this morning, rearranged the living room this afternoon, and then throughly dusted the whole house this evening. Whew....I'm tired! Tomorrow we're planning to the organize closets and work in the baby's room. Although I wish we were moving into a new house, today I am thankful that we have a nice home and that we are making the most of still being here. It will be great to be settled in our home when we bring baby Evan home.

Tonight our church, Green Street Baptist Church, had a family movie night. They showed "Tangled" and had popcorn, cotton candy, and drinks. We took our chairs and blankets and watched the movie together as a church family. It seemed like everyone had a great time and Dylan really enjoyed the movie. Today I am thankful for fun family times. I truly enjoy spending time with my family.

My poor little boy, Dylan, has been sick all day today. He has had a fever and an upset tummy. He had to miss his T-ball game tonight because he was feeling so badly. Today I am grateful that I am able to be home with my son and take care of him while he is sick. Although I hate when he is sick, I love snuggling with him and helping him to feel better. I am praying that he feels all better tomorrow!

This may sound a little silly but today I am thankful for chocolate. Hey, give me break, I  am six and half months pregnant! I've been craving a few things with this pregnancy such as tomato sandwiches, chicken wings, and now chocolate. I even had a chocolate milkshake for breakfast a few days ago. Today I've been enjoying Milky Way Mini Ice Cream Bars...yum! They are hitting the spot! HAHA!

Tonight while saying his bedtime prayers, Dylan said "Please help me and my Daddy have fun in Suouneoht woerhonmfg." I'm really not sure what he said. It could have been San Deigo, Sunday School, or anything else that begins with "s". It was absolutley hilarious. I really wanted to bust out laughing.  I couldn't help but wonder...does God laugh? He must love hearing his children talk to Him, especially the young ones who say the such silly things. Today I am thankful that my sweet little boy is learning to talk to His Heavenly Father. I hope he will always make a prayer a priority in his life.

I've haven't been having the best of mornings and I've been feeling kind of yucky. Just when I least expected it I heard my sweet Dylan's little voice say, "Mommy, I love you!" Its like God knew exactly what I needed to hear when I needed to hear it. Today I am thankful for God's timing. That sweet little voice made me feel so much better.

We've had such a busy week and weekend so today I am thankful for lazy Sunday afternoons. After church this morning, my guys and I took a long afternoon nap and then spent the evening together. Its been a nice relaxing day.

I truly enjoy celebrating others by throwing parties and showers. Tonight I was able to celebrate my lovely sister-in-law, Darcie, by throwing her a lingerie shower in honor of her upcoming wedding. We had dinner at Yarborough's in Lexington, played games, ate cake, and Darcie opened some very nice gifts. We had a really nice time. Today I am thankful for the opportunity to show others that I care for them by celebrating the milestones in their lives.

 Isaiah 49:23 says, “Then you will know that I am the LORD. Those who hope in me will not be disappointed.” Today during my quiet time, I read a devotional about having hope. While reading, my attention was drawn to the bible verse above. Don't you love it when it seems like God is yelling at you from the pages of scripture? I felt as though God was talking directly to me. He was telling me "d oubt and hope cannot live in our hearts at the same time!!!" I had a doctor's appointment today that I have been dreading for weeks. The last appointment with my back surgeon didn't go very well and I was worried about how this appointment might go. I have prayed and prayed over this and today I felt at peace, knowing that the Bible says if I put my hope in the Lord, I will not be disappointed. I must have repeated that verse to myself 50 times during that appointment, reminding myself that I cannot have hope and doubt at the same time. Guess what??? I wasn't disappoin

Today I am thankful for my heating pads! Several months ago Bryan bought me 3 heating pads because I use them so frequently due to my back pain. I have been using one of the heating pads since he gave them to me but tonight it suddenly stopped working. I am so thankful that he had gotten more than one! Now, even though my heating pad broke tonight, I am sitting with a new one. My back pain gets significantly worse as my belly gets bigger so I absolutely love these heating pads!! Thanks Bryan!!!

This morning Dylan came into my room around 6:30am and climbed into the bed with me. He laid there for a bit and then started rubbing my face. He said "Mommy, where's Evan?" So, I put his little hand on my belly and he felt Evan kick!  Then he yelled "Mommy, I felt him wiggle." It was so cute! Evan has really started moving the past few weeks! Bryan has been able to feel a lot at night. I get to feel him move all the time which is absolutely wonderful but it is just so precious when Bryan and Dylan get to experience it too. Today I am thankful that my sweet little boy and my husband are getting to feel this miracle moving inside my belly!

I've been teaching Vacation Bible School each night this week. I am one of the teachers in the 4 year old class. Our group of kids is very energetic and a lot of fun to teach! Tonight during our time learning about Missions, the teacher said that a Missionary tells others about Jesus. One of the little girls yelled out, "Jesus!! He is my most favoritest man!" Isn't that what VBS is all about? This little girl is learning to love Jesus and put Him before mere men. Today I am thankful for VBS and what it teaches our children. Dylan is having a great time in his class and is learning about Jesus! I am so grateful to be a part of VBS at Green Street!

I've been bothered by a situation for a few days now, feeling badly about myself and my family's financial situation, wishing for this and for that. Today after praying hard over this situation, I felt as though God suddenly gave me peace. It was as if He reminded me that He has provided all that we need and that I do not to feel badly for not having the money that others have. We may not have the extra money to do all the things others can do and we may not have the most elaborate home or cars but God has blessed us with so much. I don't have to feel as though others are more valuable than us because they have more possessions; our value comes from another Source. It is an amazing feeling to be content with where God has placed us and with what He has given us. Today I am thankful that God reminded me of all He has done for us, that He has given me peace over the ordeal we've been dealing with, and that I feel content with what we have. God is so good!!   

Today I was a substitute in Upstreet at church. Upstreet is the children's program for 5-11 years old at Green Street Baptist Churh. I was truly amazed by this program! The kids all gather in the "Clubhouse" and start with praise and worship music. Next, the Pastor illustrates a character trait with a game followed by more praise music and prayer time. The Pastor then shares a brief message with the kids and then they break into small groups. I was a substitute for one of the small groups. We talked about the message, played a quick game, and prayed together. I'm glad I got to see how Upstreet works. I'm really impressed with how Green Street is teaching the young people! During the prayer time, I looked up to see that all the young men in the room had gotten down on their faces to pray. (I'm assuming the girls don't do it because of wearing dresses.) My eyes filled up with tears upon the sight of these 5-11 year old boys humbling themsleves in prayer. Wh

This evening we had dinner and a game night at the Baptist Children's Home. Our Sunday School class has adopted one of the girl's cottages. We truly had a great time. We had tons of yummy food and the girls were a lot of fun to spend time with. Dylan quickly made some new friends and especially loved the trains that kept going by. Today I am thankful for the opportunity to be a blessing to others in our community. These girls are ages 8-16 and have had difficult lives to say the least. Each of their stories are different but they've all ended up living at the Baptist Children's Home instead of at home with their families. Although I think the house parents are doing a terrific job with them, it must be difficult for these young ladies. I hope that our Sunday School group brought them joy this evening. It was a blessing for me to be around the girls and their house parents. I'm also thankful that Dylan was able to participate with us. I pray that our children will a

Today I am grateful for the break from the heat. It seems like its been scorching hot for months now! I am so glad today was only 75 degrees. Dylan and I rode around with all the windows down today and it was so refreshing! Being 6 months pregnant in July isn't easy, so I am thankful for today's cooler weather.

I've spent the last two days serving in the jury of a criminal case. The trial ended today and I was the Jury Foreman. As I led the deliberations among the jurors, I couldn't help but think about how grateful I am to live in a country where a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty. Its because of this fact that our group found the defendant not guilty. The District Attorney simply did not provide enough evidence, therefore, we couldn't find him guilty (even though its quite possible this gentleman was guilty.) In countries all over the world, this man would have been thrown in prison or abused in some way with absolutely no trial. Although there are many things wrong with the United States government, today I am thankful to live in a country where guilt must be proven. I am also thankful for the opportunity to serve as a juror. The thought of jury duty usually brings about groans and complaints but overall, it was a very interesting experience!

I've had the great "honor" of being called for jury duty this week. While I was sitting the jury lobby today I had the opportunity to share my faith in Jesus Christ with a fellow juror. I was able to share that accepting Jesus as my personal savior and living my life for Him is the most important thing I've ever done.  She was very attentive and even asked some questions about baptism and the term being "saved." Thankfully, God gave me the words to gracefully explain what the Bible says. Although there was no great epiphany or life changing experiences for her, today I am so thankful that I was able to share what my relationship with Jesus means to me. I will continue to pray for her and hope that my words planted a seed in her heart.

While shopping at Wal-Mart, Dylan pointed to my belly and said "Mommy, I love my baby!" Then he rubbed my belly and said "I want to give him a kiss." He tried to lift up my shirt and kiss my belly like he does at home but since I didn't want all of Wal-Mart to see my big belly, I made him kiss my belly over the shirt..ha! It was so adorable. I am so glad he is getting excited about meeting "his baby!" Today I am thankful for these little kisses that Dylan is so eager to give his brother. I pray that they will be the best of buddies!

 I had tomato sandwiches for both lunch and dinner today!!! YUM!!! Can you tell I've been craving tomato sandwiches? Today I am thankful for home grown vegetables! There is just something about tomatoes grown in a garden in the summer time!

Today I am thankful for the hard work Bryan and I put into painting the baby's room yesterday. The room was originally light blue with stars and moons. Now, the room is totally blue, a little bit darker than it use to be. We plan on getting an adorable Monkey Bedding set to go in the room. Its going to be so cute for a sweet little boy! We still have a lot of work to do but it feels good to be started on the baby's room!

Bryan, Dylan, and I went to a yard sale this morning and found a really nice double stroller for only $25!!! I am super excited because the one I was thinking about getting at Babies R US is $140. This double stroller is going to be such a blessing to us when we travel with both children. Today I am thankful for good deals! One person's junk truly is another person's treasure!

According to babycenter.com, at 23 weeks pregnant, Evan can hear us talking to him! Earlier tonight Dylan spent some time talking to the baby while laying on the couch. He told him that he loves him and that he is going to be his big brother. It was so sweet to listen to him talk to "his" baby! Evan even kicked a few times so I'm pretty sure that he heard Dylan talking.  Today I am thankful that my pregnancy is progressing as it should and that Dylan is excited about being a big brother! I'm also thankful that baby Evan can hear us now =)

Today has just been "one of those days!" I've been needing a reminder that regardless of hopeless a situation seems or how impatient I start to feel, God is still in control and is still capable of great things. I spent the day feeling down and irritated but tonight, while reading our family devotions, I got my reminder! The story we read was of Abraham and Sarah. The couple was in their 90's when God told them that they would have a child. Sarah had always wanted a child but had given up on the idea because of her age. Can you imagine how crazy it must have sounded to them...to think that they might have a child at the age of 90? God told them that He could do anything and He did! So, as ridiculous as it seemed, Sarah believed and had a son when she was 90 years old. What a terrific reminder! If God can allow an elderly woman to conceive and give birth to a son, He is capable and willing to do marvelous things for me and my family as well. I don't know what He

Today I am thankful for summer days...days of relaxing by the pool and enjoying the sun with friends. Dylan, Hayden and I went to the Aquatic Center at North East park with the Gryder family today. We had a lot of fun. The weather was a little cool at first but by the afternoon it was perfect. Dylan really like the pool because it has all kinds of sprinklers and a slide. I really liked it because Hayden and Sage played with Dylan and I was able to relax on the side of the pool with Mary. It really was a nice day!  

Today I am thankful for the $1 children's movies at the Palladium Theater. I took Dylan for his first real movie experience with his little buddies, Hugo III and Sergio. All three boys did fabulous!! They truly enjoyed watching a movie on the big screen. I am thankful that I was able to try out this experience for the first time with a $1 movie instead of having to pay the usual "arm and leg" prices. I'm also thankful that the Palladium offers these $1 movies every week. We'll definitely be going back next week!

Today I am thankful to be an American. I consider it a blessing from God that I was born into a family that lived in the United States. I could have been born in Africa, Austrailia, Iran, Mexico and so on. I am so thankful that I was born here, in the land of the free. God has truly blessed this great nation and He has truly blessed my family by allowing us to live our lives here. We often take for granted all the freedoms we have and assume that people all over the world live as we do. Sadly, we are often blind to the horrible lives people live around the world. Today (and everyday) I am thankful for the life my family is able to lead in this great land and I am proud to be an American!

"Awake my soul and sing to the One who died for Thee!" Today, during our patriotic church service, I was reminded of how amazing it is that we can openly sing to our Lord and Savior! Our Pastor shared a story of an Iranian man who was put to death because he chose not to teach his children from the Koran. In America, we have the freedom to choose what we want to teach our children, what we believe, how we worship and Who we serve. It saddens me to think that so many Americans do not even take advantage of this freedom. Thousands of men and women have died to protect the freedom of religion but so many Americans forget to enjoy it. Today I am thankful for the freedom to go to church, to serve an awesome God, and to sing my heart out to Him. My prayer is that more people would choose to do so. I pray that their souls would awake and sing!

WOW, believe it or not, Dylan slept until 8:30 this morning! He normally wakes up between 6:30 and 7:30 so this morning was very much welcomed. Today I am thankful for some extra sleep and a well rested family!

I know it sounds silly but I am almost 6 months pregnant so, today I am thankful for soup, salad, and breadsticks. I went to Olive Garden with a good friend today and really enjoyed lunch. It was so yummy!