Weekly Gratitude Journal

In the past two weeks I flew to North Carolina, drove from there with my second born daughter, seven  year old grandson and seventeen month old grandson, through Virginia, stopping to visit Williamsburg, Jamestown and Yorktown and then to Washington D.C. to see the sights there. We had a wonderful trip together! 

I then flew home and dove into catching up on my work at the church and pre-holiday cleaning and organization at home. I'm excited that we will have a house full of family for Thanksgiving. 

Speaking of family, more big changes for our family are on the horizon after the holidays. My Mama/Nana heart is taking a beating in 2021! First our second born daughter and her family moved to South Carolina and now our youngest daughter and her family are going to move to Florida. We've been blessed to have all of our daughters and their families living near us-to have all eight of our grandchildren living near us. Now two of our daughters and sons-in-law and six of our grandchildren will be on the east coast. I'm sad for us. I'm sad that my daughters and their children, all of the cousins, will no longer be living near one another. Everyday, I'm having to surrender my "I wants" and "I thinks" to God and lean heavy on Him. Every day I am choosing to trust Him even though it feels like a huge part of what makes brings me great joy is being taken away-having my grandchildren nearby where I can be a regular part of their lives. Everyday I am still giving thanks, because even when life hurts, even when life's changes are hard to accept, there is always, always, always something to be thankful for.

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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 journal.

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

#15,041-#15,091

10-31-2021-

-Reformation Day!

-beautifiul Mt. Hood, Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Adams and Mt. Rainier seen from the plane

-a safe trip to Charlotte and my daughter and two of my grandsons picking me up at the airport!

11-1-2021-

-a beautiful autumn day on our drive to Williamsburg

-a safe drive

-my baby grandson remembers me!

11-2-2021-

-a good night's sleep

-seeing beautiful parts of our country I've never seen before

-a really fun, interesting day in Williamsburg

11-3-2021-

-encouraging news from home

-a big answer to prayer

-seeing Yorktown and Jamestown

-a safe drive to D.C.

-the first glimpse of the Washington Monument

11-4-2021-

-all of the helpful people in D.C. going us directions

-our grandson's solemn moment at the Lincoln Memorial

-D.C. at night and the best tour bus driver!

11-5-2021-

-youngest grandson's baby kisses

-hotdogs from a street vendor

-finding my grandson's lost "special sweatshirt"

-my daughter's generosity to me on this trip

11-6-2021-

-youngest grandson waking up humming

-seven year old grandson asking me to tell him stories about my childhood

-this week full of special memories

-a safe trip home

11-7-2021-

-a good night's sleep in my own bed

-the powerful presence of God 

-lunch with friends

11-8-2021-

-this sunny, blue sky autumn day

-knowing that God hears my prayers

-God's provision

-phone calls with my siblings

-a dinner that my husband said was "so good!"

11-9-2021-

-God's help with the notes for tonight's meeting

-pre-holiday keep cleaning of the kitchen cupboards, drawers and pantry done

-a really good meeting with the women from our church

11-10-2021-

-a day away with my husband

-no wind or rain at the beach today

-my favorite cozy sweatshirt

11-11-2021-

-for all who have served and are serving our country

-solving a problem

-listening to encouraging, uplifting podcasts while doing chores

11-12-2021-

-Hebrews 12:1-3

-a cozy, rainy Friday

-an eye issue that turned out to be nothing serious

11-13-2021-

-the Holy Spirit's help

-instrumental classic Christmas music

-crafting and creating

11-14-2021-

-Jesus' body broken for me, Jesus'  blood shed for me

-lunch with friends

-a phone chat with my girl

still following,