Reunions and Redwoods...

I'm a day late posting my weekly gratitude list, but I have a good reason!

I'm sitting here in a hotel in Crescent City, California, with my second born and youngest daughters and my two oldest grandkids.

Over the weekend we had a family reunion on the central Oregon coast with all of my siblings, and many of my nieces and nephews and their children.

We had such a wonderful time together.

The Hubs was able to come for only one night since we are having the final inspection for occupancy on our new church building in just a couple of days. (YaY!)

So, I thought that it would be fun for the girls and I to continue on down the coast, once the reunion was over, and see the Redwoods.

What a beautiful day it was to drive down the coast!

We drove through part of the Redwood National Forest today, and will drive further south to the Trees of Mystery tomorrow.

Then we'll drive back home to Portland, where my son-in-law will be flying in to meet his family after two weeks apart.

Oldest daughter and her family will get back home from their vacation Thursday, so our whole family will be together in a couple of days, for the first time in a year.

What a blessing!

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I’ve taken the Joy Dare.

I’m counting one thousand thanks in one year.

I hunt for thanksgiving using the prompts Ann gives us each month.

If you are interested in joining in, click the link above or at the bottom of this post.

I continue to count my thanks

piling up gratitude day by day

in my little black journal…

#2226-#2246

3 gifts of serving-

-watching two youngest granddaughters so my daughter can pack for their vacation

-laundry, laundry and more laundry - thank you, God, for my washer and dryer!

-making dinner for my family - beef stroganoff and creamy mashed potatoes

a gift straight-

-on my run, the straight stretch after I leave my house

a gift curve-

-turn right, then run around the curve and up the hill

a gift turn-

-at the dead end turn around and do the whole loop again

3 gifts in light-

-morning sun on dewy grass

-fingernail moon in blue hour sky

-visiting with friends and family around a backyard fire pit at a friend's house

3 gifts old-

-old metal bottle carrier from a wonderful blogger

  

-a pile of old family quilts folded and stacked on top of the armoire in our bedroom

-the grandkids playing with the toys my girls played with when they were their age

3 gifts moving-

-reliable cars

-youngest daughter moving back to Portland

-bike riding with my grandkids

3 gifts fragile-

-relationships

-human hearts

-this life

a gift cut-

-fresh cut flowers from my nephew and niece-in-law at our family reunion

a gift sewn-

-grandson's beloved, favorite stuffed animal all stitched up and repaired by my daughter

a gift buttoned-

-my Hub's favorite button shirts that he has laundered, starched and pressed so I don't have to!

Gratefully yours,

Elizabeth