A whole lot of thanks...

What a wild, wonderful, chaotic week it's been!

A week ago our new grandson was born 5 weeks prematurely.

Thank God, he's doing great and shouldn't be in the NICU too much longer.

Unfortunately, my son-in-law's father passed away this week as well.

He had to fly across the country for his father's funeral, leaving baby and mama in the hospital,

and the two oldest grandkids with us.

Life is so unpredictable.

Times of great joy and and times of great sorrow don't always happen when it's convenient.

Yet, though it all, God's faithfulness, goodness, love and grace remain steadfast and reliable.

Through it all, He's worthy of praise, worthy of my gratitude.

And so, I give Him thanks.

**********************

Since 2009 I've been counting my blessings thanks to the prompting of Ann Voskamp.

 I continue to count my thanks

piling up gratitude day by day

in my little black journal.

(and capturing some of my blessings via my camera or iPhone)

#4621-#467

(posting two weeks of my gratitude list, since I was at the hospital getting a grandson last Sunday!)

5-5-14-

-a day to stay home

-baking cookies

-going on my run

-God's help with preparing my Mother's Day message for church

5-6-14-

-waking up with a big to-do list on my mind and God's help getting them done

-meeting with a blog friend

-a husband that's easy to please when it comes to meals 

(bacon, lettuce, tomato, avocado sandwiches for dinner)

5-7-14-

-my pregnant daughter's blood pressure being stable today

-inexpensive and comfy casual shoes

-a husband who stops at antique stores for me

-my favorite meal at our favorite restaurant at the coast

-a really long, lovely walk on the beach

5-8-14-

-a retreat with all of our church leadership

-the couple from our church who cooked all of our fabulous meals

-my oldest daughter, son-in-law and two youngest granddaughters getting to join us

5-9-14-

-a beautiful home to have our retreat at

-our son-in-law's message to our leaders

5-10-11-

-a safe, very rushed trip home from the retreat due to our daughter's worsening preclampsia symptoms, necessitating an early delivery of our grandson

-my daughter's best friend being there for her the whole time

-a few hours sleep on the waiting room couch

5-11-14-

-getting to go home for a shower and going to church to preach the Mother's Day message

-rushing back to the hospital and the hub's preaching my message instead,

(I got lots of texts that he did a great job!)

-our grandson! (4 lbs 9oz, 17 1/2 in.)

5-12-14-

-my oldest grandson's tenth birthday

-his daddy and Papa making sure he had a great birthday,

(in spite his mama being in the hospital with his new brother)

-my oldest daughter making him a birthday cake and all of us celebrating together at the hospital

-friends and family buying unexpectedly needed preemie size baby clothes

-my daughter getting to hold her son of the first time

-spending the night in the NICU with my grandson, 

(because his mama isn't discharged from her room yet and his daddy needed some sleep),

and getting to hear his little noises and cries

5-13-14-

-my daughter feeling better and stronger

-my grandson's breathing improving

-the She Reads Truth devotional of Nehemiah

-running a few errands and getting a bite to eat outside of the hospital on this beautiful sunny afternoon

-the view of the full moon from my grandson's room in the NICU

-the NICU doctors and nurses

5-15-14-

-holding my grandson for the first time

-his improvements each day

-our oldest daughter coming to visit him

-stories about our funny youngest granddaughter

-our youngest daughter home from a trip to Missouri

5-16-14-

-my son-in-law's dad, now with Jesus

-going to grandparent's day at our two oldest grandkids' school

-our grandson getting to be off his breathing machine

-my youngest daughter getting to see him for the first time

-my daughter getting to breastfeed him for the first time

5-17-14-

-my son-in-law getting to go to his dad's funeral

-our grandson's first bath

-Papa getting to hold him for the first time

5-18-14-

-our church

-our faithful God and His wonderful Word

-our family

gratefully yours,