Giving Thanks
As I sit here in disbelief that it is already December, reflecting on our last month, I realize how many things we have to give thanks for.
Our health:
My husband and I finished the half-marathon again this year. The date of the race was perfect, in that my pregnancy nicely wedged in between last year's race and this year's one, so I actually could participate both years! Once again I am so grateful for the ability to run and challenge my body in this way. And it WAS definitely a challenge this year, as I only had 8 weeks to train. It is reflected in my time, but I wasn't running for a time this year, just to celebrate my health and get back into exercising again. I am also thankful for my amazing husband who continues to support me and "run the race" with me.
Our friends and neighbors:
My son is enjoying his "preschool playdates" with our neighbors. They recently spent some time at the zoo after learning about the letter G & giraffes. He's also enjoying gymnastics class on Wednesdays, and we both enjoy our lunch dates with our friends after class. We are blessed to have wonderful, fun friends in our lives who bring us much joy & iron-sharpening!
Our food:
Since we've recently joined a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), I've been learning how to cook more locally and seasonally. It does take more effort in menu-planning and recipe-hunting to use all of the produce we pick up on Saturday mornings, but so far, I am enjoying it. I've never cooked with things like turnips, kale or radicchio before, but for the time being, I am having fun learning. (I hope my family agrees!) Here is a really yummy curried chicken with butternut squash, baby bok choy and pomegranate seeds. I'm grateful to live in a place where we have such access to lots of farms and produce.
Another thing that I'm learning to do with food that I never really enjoyed before is baking. But I love to eat baked goods and have them on-hand, so it really is a good thing for me to learn. Can you believe that I'd never made a pie totally from scratch until this Thanksgiving? My good friend, Jamie, offered to teach me how, so I took her up on it and together we made an apple pie from scratch! She documented it on her blog here. It was yummy, fun, & not as hard as I thought it would be. Who knows what I'll attempt next?
Our children:
This one is obvious, but I have to mention it. There was a time not so long ago, that we weren't sure if we'd be able to have any children at all, and even more recently, if we'd ever be able to have a second child. So we feel doubly blessed when we look at our two beautiful, healthy children. They bring us joy every day and we hope that they will always treasure each other.
Our faith:
This is something that I always come back to. No matter what has happened or where life's road has taken me, something draws me back to my loving Lord. I don't always feel like I have a strong faith and I don't even always feel close to God. But as I look back over my life there is a testimony of God's presence which I can't deny. Somehow I believe He has me in His grip and I cannot be moved. So I am grateful for this. In fact, I think I would feel so lost in life without it.
Last weekend we had the privilege to dedicate ourselves and our daughter to the Lord in front of our church family. This happened to include several members of our own biological families as well. I like that our church approaches it as a dedication of the parents too, not just the children. I like that the whole church is asked if they will, as our community, help us in raising our children to know God and follow His ways. It is a lot less intimidating knowing that we have many people together with us in this! We are humbled at the opportunity that God has given us to raise these precious kids & again, are grateful that He's entrusted us with them.
A note about the outfit: the dress that our daughter wore for her dedication has now been passed down through 3 generations. My mom wore it at her christening over 60 years ago, I wore it at my newborn baptism (which is what was practiced at the church my parents attended at the time) and now our daughter has worn it too. I wasn't sure how I felt about her wearing that bonnet, but it was a gift from her grandma, and it can be converted to a handkerchief to be carried on her wedding day. I'm not sure if my daughter will want to carry a hankie on her wedding day, or if she will even be sentimental like that, but I decided to give her the opportunity, just in case she is.
Our health:
My husband and I finished the half-marathon again this year. The date of the race was perfect, in that my pregnancy nicely wedged in between last year's race and this year's one, so I actually could participate both years! Once again I am so grateful for the ability to run and challenge my body in this way. And it WAS definitely a challenge this year, as I only had 8 weeks to train. It is reflected in my time, but I wasn't running for a time this year, just to celebrate my health and get back into exercising again. I am also thankful for my amazing husband who continues to support me and "run the race" with me.
Our friends and neighbors:
My son is enjoying his "preschool playdates" with our neighbors. They recently spent some time at the zoo after learning about the letter G & giraffes. He's also enjoying gymnastics class on Wednesdays, and we both enjoy our lunch dates with our friends after class. We are blessed to have wonderful, fun friends in our lives who bring us much joy & iron-sharpening!
Our food:
Since we've recently joined a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), I've been learning how to cook more locally and seasonally. It does take more effort in menu-planning and recipe-hunting to use all of the produce we pick up on Saturday mornings, but so far, I am enjoying it. I've never cooked with things like turnips, kale or radicchio before, but for the time being, I am having fun learning. (I hope my family agrees!) Here is a really yummy curried chicken with butternut squash, baby bok choy and pomegranate seeds. I'm grateful to live in a place where we have such access to lots of farms and produce.
Another thing that I'm learning to do with food that I never really enjoyed before is baking. But I love to eat baked goods and have them on-hand, so it really is a good thing for me to learn. Can you believe that I'd never made a pie totally from scratch until this Thanksgiving? My good friend, Jamie, offered to teach me how, so I took her up on it and together we made an apple pie from scratch! She documented it on her blog here. It was yummy, fun, & not as hard as I thought it would be. Who knows what I'll attempt next?
Our children:
This one is obvious, but I have to mention it. There was a time not so long ago, that we weren't sure if we'd be able to have any children at all, and even more recently, if we'd ever be able to have a second child. So we feel doubly blessed when we look at our two beautiful, healthy children. They bring us joy every day and we hope that they will always treasure each other.
Our faith:
This is something that I always come back to. No matter what has happened or where life's road has taken me, something draws me back to my loving Lord. I don't always feel like I have a strong faith and I don't even always feel close to God. But as I look back over my life there is a testimony of God's presence which I can't deny. Somehow I believe He has me in His grip and I cannot be moved. So I am grateful for this. In fact, I think I would feel so lost in life without it.
Last weekend we had the privilege to dedicate ourselves and our daughter to the Lord in front of our church family. This happened to include several members of our own biological families as well. I like that our church approaches it as a dedication of the parents too, not just the children. I like that the whole church is asked if they will, as our community, help us in raising our children to know God and follow His ways. It is a lot less intimidating knowing that we have many people together with us in this! We are humbled at the opportunity that God has given us to raise these precious kids & again, are grateful that He's entrusted us with them.
A note about the outfit: the dress that our daughter wore for her dedication has now been passed down through 3 generations. My mom wore it at her christening over 60 years ago, I wore it at my newborn baptism (which is what was practiced at the church my parents attended at the time) and now our daughter has worn it too. I wasn't sure how I felt about her wearing that bonnet, but it was a gift from her grandma, and it can be converted to a handkerchief to be carried on her wedding day. I'm not sure if my daughter will want to carry a hankie on her wedding day, or if she will even be sentimental like that, but I decided to give her the opportunity, just in case she is.
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