A Life of Gratitude

This morning I got to have breakfast with my best friend, Melissa. We haven't seen each other much the past few months because life has just been so busy and I live so much further away now. We enjoyed yummy bagels together and chatted for 2 and a half hours even though it only felt like 10 minutes! It feels so good share life with a best friend. I truly believe God gives us, especially women, friends so that we might point each other to Him and build one another up, laugh and cry together, and share our hearts with someone that really cares. At least that is what my best friend does for me! Today I am thankful for cinnamon crunch bagels and girl talk. Come on, give me a break, I'm 15 weeks pregnant so yes, I'm thankful for bagels! Mostly, I am thankful for a kid-free morning to spend with my best friend. It's not often that we get time to talk without being interrupted by our little ones. I am also incredibly grateful for a friend that prays for me, cares for

Tonight we visited a family friend at the Hospice House of Davidson County. As solemn of an occasion as it is to visit someone that is about to pass away, I was really impressed by the Hospice House. It was a beautiful place with a very peaceful feel to it. It really is such an amazing ministry for families who are losing a loved one.  I had never experienced the Hospice House before but I did have the privilege of meeting a Hospice nurse when my grandfather passed away. She was absolutely wonderful. She helped my grandfather breathe his last breath comfortably. She was also very comforting to my family as we said goodbye to him. Today I am thankful for the incredible ministry Hospice provides. Losing a loved one is one of the hardest parts of life so organizations like the Hospice House are such a blessing! So many families have been touched by the precious people involved with Hospice. 

Last night my friend, Kady, and I went a Kari Jobe concert in Durham, NC! We had a wonderful time! The concert was outstanding. There is something amazing about Christian concerts. Instead of it being all about the artist, its all about God! We spent 3 hours praising God with 1,300 brothers and sisters in Christ. It was just a little taste of Heaven. Today I am thankful for a fun night of worship. I've been thinking of those songs all day today. There is no better way to start a week than by singing God's praises! I am also grateful for a girl's night out! Kady and I really enjoyed ourselves! I hope we can do it again soon! If you haven't heard Kari Jobe, you're really missing out. Here's a link to one of my favorite songs.

“Forget about what’s happened; don’t keep going over old history. Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand-new. It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it?" (Isaiah 43:18-19 MSG) I heard the verse above from the Message Bible yesterday on KLove. When I heard it, I immediately loved it! I felt like God was speaking right to me. There is no point in spending any time going over what has already happened. Its much more productive for us to let us go of the past and look at the new things God is doing. If we pay attention, we can see that He is always up to something! As we continue to wait for everything to work out with buying our new house, it can sometimes feel like the waiting will never end. I often find myself thinking back over the steps we taken, all of the things that have happened, wondering what I could have done differently, etc. But now, I feel like God is telling me to stop. Stop looking back. Be alert. Be present in the here and now. He is doing somethin

Dylan and I got to go on an impromptu mother-son date this evening! We had to run some errands in Greensboro and then to go to church in High Point so Evan stayed home with Daddy and Dylan and I set out on a little adventure, just the two of us!  As part of our errands, Dylan went to a doctor's appointment with me. He even got to hear the baby's heart beat! He was so excited. Tonight while saying his prayers he thanked God for letting him hear his baby's heart beat! He also prayed that it would keep growing and stay safe in Mommy's belly.  We also went to Chick-fil-a for dinner. Dylan kept saying he was enjoying our "date." It was adorable. As I tucked him into bed tonight I told him that enjoyed our time together today and he said, "let's go on a date again tomorrow." Sweet boy! I'm so glad he likes spending time with his Mommy! Silly Boy! I can't believe how big he is getting! Today I am thankful for some alone ti

I can't believe my little monkey, Evan, is almost 2 and 1/2 years old. He has grown and changed so much in the past few months. Although he'll always be my baby, he really isn't a baby anymore. He talks very clearly and in complete sentences. He is a great helper and very sweet little brother. He loves to learn, play outside, throw balls, collect rocks, and play with trains. He also has more energy than any individual I have ever encountered! This afternoon I enjoyed rocking my little guy in the rocking chair while he was watching his favorite cartoon, "Team Umizoomi." After a while he said in a quiet little voice, "I love you, Mommy." As my heart melted I said, "I love you too." He quickly responded, "And you love Dylan too, right Mommy." So I said, "I sure do!"  I pray that he will always know how much I love him and his big brother!  Today I am thankful for my sweet little boy, Evan.  Its amazing to watch this pr

Tonight, while driving back from ToysRus, Dylan asked Bryan and I if we knew George Rosenshine. We responded, "No, never heard of him." He proceeded to tell us the story of Mr. Rosenshine. He told us that he was a first class passenger on the Titanic. He used a fake name, George Thorne, because he was taking this trip on the ship with someone other than his wife. He died when the Titanic sank but no one knew his real name until many years later.  Bryan and I just looked at each other with confused expressions. Bryan pulled out his phone and quickly looked up George Rosenshine. Sure enough! Every detail of Dylan's story was right. Somehow this kid soaks up every little bit of information he hears.  Dylan is a HUGE history buff. Anything he reads or hears about the past promptly becomes one of his new favorite topics. He has been reading a lot about the Titanic lately. Yesterday, Bryan recorded a special on the History Channel for Dylan. It was all about the Titani

The last sentence of today's Jesus Calling devotional says, "Keep your 'antennae' out to pick up even the faintest glimmer of My presence." When I read that this morning I decided that today I would strive to see glimpses of my Savior's presence in my daily life.  I noticed Him in the rain drops, the sun peaking through the clouds, the sweet words of a friend and the songs on the radio but my favorite glimpse of my Savior's presence was in the doctor's office this morning. As we watched the screen while the ultrasound technician took measurements and pictures of our littlest miracle, I couldn't help but think, "right there, there is proof of God's presence." The life of my unborn baby is proof that God is still at work in the details of lives. He is still forming His children in a mother's womb. He is still making great plans for the lives He creates. He is still here, loving us and caring for us.  Today I am thankful

This morning, we went to the Pediatric Dentist. Dylan has been a few times before but today was Evan's first visit to the dentist. I was so glad that Dylan felt comfortable and did so well. He set such a great example for his little brother. For a few minutes Evan just watched Dylan in the chair but then, he was ready to get in the big boy chair too. He got to pick a new toothbrush and have his teeth counted and "tickled." He even had his teeth painted with fluoride before we left. Dylan also had x-rays and found out that he has 4 permanent molars. I thought he only had one permanent tooth but now he has 5! The best part- both of my big boys are a part of the No-Cavity Club! They even got their names on the bulletin board! Today I am thankful that Evan had a wonderful first visit to the dentist! He is such a wiggle worm so I wasn't sure if he would sit still but he really did a good job. I am also thankful for the example his big brother set. Ever

Bryan and I woke up this morning around 5:30am to an enormous boom. It was a transformer blowing out. This crazy ice storm knocked down trees all over the neighborhood. It even split a tree in half in our neighbor's yard. Thankfully no one was hurt and I don't think there is any damage to the homes in our neighborhood.  When the boys woke up and we told them that the power was out, Dylan kept screaming, "The power's out, the power's out!" I don't know if it scared him or excited him! Thankfully Bryan's parents, who live down the street, had power all day. So we spent the day playing and watching movies at "Grandma's house." Dylan and Evan enjoyed it. Evan even laid with Pawpaw on his bed for almost 2 hours watching Mickey Mouse. Evan never lays still that long! This afternoon, when it became apparent that power wouldn't be coming back on, Bryan and I decided to book a hotel. With the low being 32 degrees in our area tonight, we

After almost 5 years my worker's comp case has finally settled! Hallelujah! I signed the papers this morning and oh, it was so sweet to finally put this case to rest! Today marks the end of so much hardship, so many questions, and so much waiting since I was injured in 2009. Today also marks the beginning of so much hope, so much excitement for the future, and so much gratitude for God's faithfulness in my life. For those of you who don't know me personally or who haven't been reading this blog long, 5 years ago I was a first grade teacher. I had 16 lovely first graders that all got along wonderfully. I'd previously taught this same group of kids in Kindergarten. The entire class traveled from Kindergarten to First Grade with me. So, as you can imagine, we all loved each other. We had a terrific time together. Life was perfectly fine in first grade until we got a new student. This student had been passed among every first grade class in the school because of hi

I don't want to jinx it but I've had a few really GOOD days! I'm still having some nausea and the mornings have still been kind of tough but the rest of the day, for the past 3 days, has been really good! I've been able to enjoy food and keep it down too. I've had a little more energy and haven't slept half of the day away. Most importantly, I feel like I've gotten to enjoy my family more in the past 3 days than I have in over 6 weeks. This is an enormous praise for me! My God has sustained me through some very rough days. He carried me through and by His grace, I am looking forward to the days ahead instead of dreading them. I know there is a possibility that tomorrow will be another rough day. The next 6 months could be rough for that matter. But today, I am thankful for a few days of normalcy. It is so hard to be a Mommy and a wife when you're sick. I am grateful to have the energy to care of my precious family. I am thankful for less time in the