Thankful Thursday

Welcome back to Thankful Thursday, a feature started by Louise at Talk Nerdy to Me, where we look back over our week to remember our blessings.  It is so good to see the good things that have 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.  Those who serve

I need to start off on a serious note, since it is so heavy on our minds, and on my heart.  I am so thankful for our soldiers, who serve overseas, who serve in our own country, who give themselves to keep each one of us safe. 

I am so heavy-hearted for Nathan Cirillo's family as they have to bury their son, brother, father, nephew, as he died while serving. It was supposed to be a relatively "easy job", standing guard and watching over the Tomb of the Unknown Solider, but that is where he was shot and killed, and the irony aches. Who kills someone at a National War Memorial? I mean, it's to memoralize those who have been killed in war. It's a place that is trying to show peace during heartache.

Thank you to all who do their job to keep the peace, but to those who also have to use force to protect us (like Kevin Vickers did). Thank you to those who dedicate themselves to keep us safe. Thank you to those who, with fear and pride, lend us your children, your spouses, your family, to stand for our country. Whether it be as a soldier, or law enforcement, or emergency responders, or intervention programs....thank you for being brave and standing up for the people.

 Everything after this may seem frivolous or too light-hearted, but I think that we can be thankful for the big and little things in our lives. It all matters.

2. Sleep-in Fridays

I am thankful in more ways than one for this! Our school (along with a few others) implemented a Late Start Friday to cut down on the Pro-D days they have. This gives the teachers time each Friday to prepare for what they need for an extra half an hour, and it gives some of us parents a chance to not have to rush. I like it! I set my alarm for 7:30 instead of 7am and it is nice! I am very thankful for that extra chance to sleep! 

3. Brunch Date

This week, I met up with friends who I haven't hung out with in a long time. We were all best friends in high school, but a move across the country, children, school, jobs, a move back home, family and every day distractions is what kept us from seeing eachother. I am so happy that we finally planned a date to rectify that!

I am also thankful that my friend picked up my bill as an early birthday gift! I wasn't expecting that! 


4. dessert

Abi has now started her Cooking class in Explorations (not that she needs a lot of instruction), so she had to make us Apple Puff Pancake one evening for dessert. It was really good, too! It's like a thick pancake, or an apple pie, maybe a little like yorkshire pudding...it's hard to explain! (you can find the recipe here)

5. pumpkin patch invite

Bryn was invited out to the local pumpkin patch with his neighbour friend, Josh, and got to take home a nice-sized one. I thought that was so nice!

6. free paint!

I was in need of supplies for a few projects I am tackling right now, so I posted on FB asking if anyone had any paint they were willing to pass along. I was so thankful and happy that I ended up with eight 3-4L cans (some more full than others) from friends this week! All for free and all useable! Hooray! And all great colours! (people like to be able to get rid of things sometimes. Especially paint since it has to be taken down to a recycling depot for disposal, and that isn't always the place you go to on a regular basis!)


7.  Books

We head out to the library every few weeks and come home with a big stack of books to keep us busy; I was so delighted in one particular one. Hugless Douglas and the Big Sleep by David Melling. I loved the story and the illustrations were awesome. We laughed so hard that we cried! Seriously! A herd of sheep are stuck to his back!!! And he sneezes the sheep out of the rabbit warren!!! HAHAHA.  Hugless Douglas is my new favourite kids' series!

 




8. mild sleep apnea

I got a call from the Respiratory Therapist with the results to my sleep test. (remember my lovely headgear that I got to wear to bed for two nights?)  Apparently, I have "mild sleep apnea". I'm not too sure what that all entails (because I never think of these types of questions when I'm talking to them at the time), but it looks like it doesn't effect me much. Which means that I don't need to wear attractive headgear to bed on a daily basis! Hooray! I am so thankful for that! He said that if symptoms get stronger (snoring and sleeplessness and fatigue) I should get another test done in 6 months.

9. testing siblings

I was so impressed and proud of my kids when I came home one night and found homework sheets on the table. 

Bryn has a test on his Mapping Unit on Monday, and he is a bit nervous as he's never had a "serious" test where he was told by his teacher to practice at home. (not to be confused with the weekly spelling or Bible memory tests he does that do not make him attempt to practice at home, haha) Abi said that she would help him out, so she actually went and printed up some sheets. There was the map of Canada he had to fill out, and graphs, and sample questions to answer! It looked so great! I was impressed with how much work she put into it (not so much with how silly B took it, though, from the sounds of it!)  She has a natural teacher's heart, and it is so wonderful to see!

10. A Stress Day Off

I am not thankful for stress... stress is a sign that I am taking on too much and not letting enough go and trying to do it all. It is not something that God intends me to have. Yet I still find myself bogged down with anxiety and stress sometimes. So I am thankful for the days that I cancel things easily and just rest a bit.


What are some things you are thankful for this week? Have you thought of starting your own list? If you do, share it with me, I'd love to hear about it. After all, "a thankful heart is a happy heart". (a bit of wisdom I learned from Veggie Tales and Mdme Blueberry!)