Giving Thanks

Today was a great chance for our family to slow down. We have been running around this week taking care of annual doctor visits, finishing up summer classes, and scheduling activities for our next school year. We have been very busy. This morning we put things aside. Gus read the The Daily Advertiser (A friend from Church was in the paper), and we all ate a slow breakfast together. We went outside to journal and read The Secret Garden (second time this week!) On this odd day, we were happy to work together to clean out the flower beds and do some tidying up in the yard. After lunch I got to work on a lesson with the kids. We had the opportunity to mix some science and religion as we planted seeds. We talked about Matthew 13: 1-23 and how to prepare the soil for the seed. It always awes me when I want to teach the kids something and they teach me instead. Watching the kids interact, and the older ones teaching the younger ones, was beautiful.

After we finished they ran off to clean their rooms. I had a chance to spend some time with James. Kissing him, and smelling that sweet organic smell that comes from baby slobber, it hit me hard that I could be missing this experience. Everyone has a different calling in life. Some moms need to work, and I am most grateful that there are women that can offer me assistance at the bank, teach a library class, or sell me a scapular. Today though, I am so thankful that I am able to witness my children interact with each other. I am thankful that I am with them so they can teach me. I am thankful that I have seen their first smile, first tooth, first step. What a blessing to hear (or see) their first words and understand what was most important to them. I am in awe that I would be given such a heart-filled gift from God. Each of my children is a gift to me, but each day is a gift as well. Thank you God and thank you Carey for helping me in this life. Thanks to all my friends and family who help and support our decisions. I know that my life could be a lot less full without all of you!