My Six Things

1. The fresh air of fall

2. A lower electricity bill this month...under $100!

3. Local playgrounds and parks

4. A sister who loves me even when I'm feeling exceptionally moody

5. Fifty Five years of life for mom!  Today's her birthday!

6. Coffee, especially with sugar and caramel and whatever else goes into a caramel macchiato!

Today's Spirit of Thankfulness

1. God's Patience with me

2. Compassion International--this organization provides such an easy way for people like you and me to make a difference in the lives of others...halfway around the globe!

3. Friends who pray when I am in need

4. God is in control...I am thinking specifically about our upcoming presidential term.  "The king's heart in in the hand of the Lord, he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases." Proverbs 21:1

5. Naptime

6. The Bible

I'm Thankful...

I am doing this post because a good friend challenged her blog readers to list 6 things that they're thankful for.

1. my God, my Abba Father, my Comforter, my Shield, my Strength, my Peace-giver, my Deliverer, my Savior, my Friend, I AM, my Rock, my Salvation, my Daily Bread, the Living Water THE Way, THE Truth, THE Life

2. Jadie: my husband, my friend, the one person who I choose to love each and every day

3. Caleb: my precious son, the one person I can't help but love, the one who God uses to teach me patience, the one with whom I am trusted to raise by God's grace

4. my family: Mom, Kristin, my memories of Dad, these are the people who have shaped the person I have become, these are the people who love me most, and whose love I feel every day of my life

5. my friends: I could not possibly list every friend who has stood beside me for a day or for a lifetime.  I am thankful for Melanie who trusts me with her heart and encourages me in my walk with the Lord.  I am thankful for Nicole who is a constant in my life, always waiting in the wings to share in my joys and pains.  I am thankful for Desiree, Stephanie, Abbie, Tiffany, Lori, Tracy, Amy, Aimee, Shannon, Tracy, Bonnie, and many more...

6. my opportunity to be a home-based mom.  I thank God for blessing our family with a job for Jadie that provides a steady source of financial stability so that I do not have to work.

I can go on, but I think I'll reflect on other areas on another day...

Jadie's Mom

Please be praying for Jadie's mom.  Her doctors have found that she has an irregular heartbeat.  It is significant to the point that they are trying to get her a cardiologist appointment ASAP, and trying to cut through the red tape that usually takes up to 3 months.

Pray that she will rely on God's power to heal her body and her life.  She has been dealing with other stresses for a while and this is a HUGE deal on top of everything else.

Mother Load!

We went to the M&M Mars factory last night for some trick-or-treating. We were invited by a friend (and had to have arm bands to be admitted). Major score!  Not only did we get a giant bag full of candy, but it was all good stuff.  There's pretty much nothing made by M&M Mars that isn't yummy!  

Here's Caleb's total haul...

We decided to set aside all of the snack size candy for Caleb to eat over the next month...it will take that long since we really only want him to eat one or two packages a day.

Jadie and I split the full size candy down the middle.  This is what I'll be eating and giving away over the next month.  I will not be eating a candy bar a day...although I like my sweets, I just cannot afford to eat a whole candy bar every day!

My half...

Point of No Return

I have found that in the life of my soon to be three year old, there is something like a point of no return when it comes to taking a nap.  If I have not gotten him in his bed and closed the door before about 2pm, I'd might as well forget it.  And trust me, I don't want to forget it.  

Here are just a few of the things that may happen if I do:

Increased whining.

Increased disobedience.

Increased misbehavior.

Increased mischievousness.

This is a recipe for disaster.  And I am experiencing it today!  

Hmmm...