Thankful Thursday

Welcome back to Thankful Thursday, a feature started by Louise at Talk Nerdy to Me, where we look back over our week and remember our blessings.  It is so good to see all that has happened, especially if you have had a particularly tough week. Being grateful is good for the soul. Here are just a few things that I am thankful for...

1. Talent and Bravery

This past week was the LCS Middle School Got Talent show. Last year, Abi and a friend made up their own dance to a song and performed it. This year, she and a few of her friends sang the song "Hey Soul Sister" by Train.  They did good, despite a few hiccups (such as some of the mics not working) and I was impressed!  

I love watching some of these students go up in front of their peers and show off a talent or interest. There were some solo acts and group acts in dance, song, instruments, and even comedy acts!  I love the confidence some of them have...and absolutely love the bravery it takes for some to go through with it!

2. Bowling Party

I was dropping Abi off at a birthday party at the bowling alley with R and E and they were so upset and angry with me that they didn't get to stay! I told that them "maybe one day" we will go bowling, since they had never gone. When we get home, there was an emailed invitation for Rhys to go to a bowling birthday party! Haha! Perfect timing! He was so excited!

3. sidewalk chalk

 I am so thankful for neighbours that play!  

4. Surprise gifts

I was surprised to find a gift for me from a teacher friend after school, and then I LOL'd to find it was black jellybeans! Haha. She gave me a box of black jellybeans for Valentine's after she posted on FB the gifts she was making for her students and I commented how I loved the black ones. She just throws them away! Now she shares them!

It was a nice surprise and I got to share them with a few others at the playground too. It really made my Monday better!

5.  Teddy Bear Picnic

Rhys and his kindergarten class had a Teddy Bear picnic this week to end their unit on Bees. (bees..honey...bears...see the connection?)  It was a fun, but very humid, afternoon!

6. new living room

I mentioned before that I have a friend who is moving soon so she is selling and giving away a lot of stuff that has been piling up in her home for the past 7 years. She already gave my kids a bunch of toys already (things that her kids had outgrown, now that they are teenagers) but this week we picked up the big items: a whole new living room set!  We have a new couch/love seat, end tables, coffee table and area rug! WOW!!! And she just gave them to us!!!!  How awesome is that?  I am so thankful for new (to us) furniture. Our living room looks so nice.  Well, actually it looks really crowded since we have to get rid of the old couches still. But that aside, it looks so nice with new stuff in it! What a blessing!  We got a needed face-lift for the house, and she got rid of a lot of furniture that she didn't want/need anymore. (she is downsizing and plans on getting something new) Win-Win all around!

Sorry, no pictures of my crowded living room. I'll have to post one after it's all neatly put back together!

7. Coffee interview

I had an interview this week. Not for a paid position anywhere, but volunteer. It's quite an exciting, yet surprising, change for me!  I will tell you more about it when it is finalized and I've actually started in September.  I am just so thankful for this opportunity to do something like this and to grow and stretch out my faith. 

8.  Chutes and Ladders

One of the toys that the kids received from my friend (refer to #6) was the game of Chutes and Ladders Dora version!  So far, every game we've had for the Youngers has ended up spread all around the house with missing pieces. It drives me nuts! It doesn't take long for me to just toss them all out into the recycling!  But so far, this one has lasted pretty good.  I make sure that it gets cleaned up when we're done and it goes back away.

Eden and Bryn had some time before we left for school to play a game. (toddler games aren't very long at least)  I am thankful for free games and for siblings that play together.

9.  Encouraging messages

A friend sent me this message this week.

It really meant a lot to me. We don't talk a lot (not nearly enough) so for her to out-of-the-blue send this to me, saying she thought of me when she saw it, really touched me. I am so thankful for friends who can encourage even in something as simple as a FB message, and for a God who prompts friends to do things like that because He knows how much I need it.

10.  Provisions

Some months we are really living just week-to-week, some are more day-by-day, in stretching out our budget. Some months are just fine (although it's been a while since it's felt like that) But right now we are in the first two. I have spent time in prayer, reminding God of what we need and asking Him for faith and patience in waiting for Him, and for wisdom in how I work with what I have. I am so thankful that He is a faithful God. He has truly never left us and He really does care. We always make it to our next pay day without any major crisis!  He has blessed us in so many ways. Sometimes it's by a friend or family member giving us stuff that we need, sometimes it's just in making days go by where we don't need to spend any money on anything, and sometimes it's in miracles by us somehow finding money in our account for the things we need!  He is good, and I am so grateful.



So that's my week in a nutshell. How has your week been?  I'd love to celebrate your Thankful list with you: share it in the comments!