Thankful Thursday (on a Friday)

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. A Baby Born in Blefleham

On the last day of school, Rhys' Kindergarten class had a party and the kids all sang a few song for us parents. These were songs they performed at Grandparents' Day (not for the Christmas concert, but for the visiting grandparents) Oh goodness, could they be any cuter?

I am in love with this boy.  I love that he enthusiastically sings and does the actions and signs, and I love that he pronounces it "Blef-le-hem".  

2. Not Mono and Good friends

Abi was diagnosed with strep throat (yes, again!) and was told that she couldn't go back to school, which meant that she missed all of the last week. It was disappointing for her. She wasn't too sick, but she was bored at home. I am so thankful that the test came back negative for mono though. We thought that was a possibilty, more so than strep, but thankfully it was "just plain ol' strep" for her. I am also thankful for antibiotics!

On the last day, I went in to see her teacher and drop off his Christmas gift from us, and a friend of Abi's gave me a gift to give to her.  I thought it was a sweet guesture. Her friend, Hannah, had all of their group of friends sign a Get Well/Merry Christmas card for her, and she included a few small gifts.

She has good friends and that makes me happy.  I am thankful for them, and for making her year a bit better.

3. Teacher's Gifts

I managed to get all of the Teacher's Gifts done and ready in time to give them away on the last day of school!  I ended up putting together 4 gift bags: two for Rhys' class (for Mrs E and Mrs. V, the EA) and two for Kai's class (for Ms. S and Ms. S, the EA). I didn't end up giving one to Bryn's teacher (although she is wonderful), but that is because two other Moms were collecting money for a joint gift. (which they completely spoiled her with; wow, I was impressed!)  Abi's teacher is a man, so these gifts wouldn't have worked for him as much (maybe his wife?... who coincidentally taught my sister and our friends in high school!); I had to go a bit more "boring" and picked him up a gift card to Chapters. Doesn't every teacher love books and want to buy more though? I know I do, and I'm not a teacher! 

I ended up making a lilac sugar scrub (I found the tutorial HERE) and a peppermint foot soak (see tutorial HERE).  I had pinned the tutorials on Pinterest a while ago.  I just put them in these cute spice jars I picked up at the Dollorama (3 for $2.50) and added a cute ribbon and label: so easy! (I just had to triple the recipes to fit the jar sizes, which wasn't hard) I figure that teachers need to relax a bit too! I hope they liked them.  I am thankful for the love, care and interest they have put into my kids' lives. I am thankful that this year is going along well so far; I feel that we are working together as a team for the kids, and I appreciate them.

4. Gifts

Sometimes it can feel a bit stressful for gift buying. There is the cost, the time and the actual shopping.... We get our kids to pick names for sibling gifts and then we take them out and let them pick out what they want to buy. For the most part, they do choose good gifts for each other; only a small few times have we had to steer them from an idea that may not have gone well! 

I love seeing their creativity in gift choices, and their excitement in wrapping and anticipation for giving.  There is something fun and wonderful about giving a gift to someone else.

5. Movie nights at home

We don't watch a lot of Christmas movies, but we managed to all snuggle up together downstairs and watch a few as a family one night. We watched the original Frosty the Snowman. It was an interesting movie. I hadn't seen it before. I know! My Hunny had grown up watching it. (the kids and I watched Frosty Returns on Netflix one night a few weeks ago...that was lame. I don't recommend it!)  Then there was a short cartoon called The Boy With The Magic Skates, a Canadian show, on after that we watched. (Don Cherry played the voice of the hockey coach) That one we liked!

I love moments where we all sit together and spend evenings as a family. I am thankful for memories like that.

6.  Sunbeams 

I managed to snap a picture of the beautiful sky as we were driving in to see my parents. This was over in the Abbotsford flat lands. The sunbeams breaking through the clouds was just so peaceful to see.

I am thankful for a visual reminder of how His love shines down on us.

7. Christmas display

This is actually from my parents' house, but it makes me very happy.  (**I must've taken the picture at a slight angle. The shelf really is on straight!)

My Dad made the shelf and handpainted the sign, and my Mom decorated the dresser top. The pine tree was given to them from Bryn when he was in Kindergarten! That's impressive; I kill every plant they give to me! *blush*  The chalkboard clipboard was also made by my Dad, and my Mom wrote Ere Zij God on it. (which means Glory To God in Dutch. It's a Christmas carol that my Mom grew up singing.)

8.  Advent

I am thankful for a few quiet evenings where the family was able to remember what we are waiting for (Christ' return one day) and what we are celebrating (Jesus' birth that fulfills a promise God made) and what a marvelous gift that is.

9. Date Nights

Yes, it may only have happened because we had to go out and get some of our Christmas shopping done, but it was so nice to be able to walk around with my Hunny and spend time together. We walked through the mall (a place we rarely ever go) and we held hands, and we took our time, and we had fun conspiring and planning and buying for our children. And it was so nice. We don't do that often enough!


 10. Blessings

I am thankful for the many gifts that He has given me, and for the many opportunities He has given me to see them.

This is just a brief glimpse of my list this week. What are you thankful for?