11.30.2011

1. I praise God that my son is growing in his communication skills. We have been teaching him some sign language in addition to the other work on his speech and tonight, he used sign language to tell me he was hungry and wanted to eat. I didn't even prompt him on the sign! He came up to me and I asked him what he wanted and he signed "eat." I was so proud and when I acknowledged what he said, he became so excited that I knew what he wanted. It was such a great moment and I am so thankful to God for it.
2. I praise God for the productive evening I have had this evening. I still have a few dishes to wash and I need a shower, but everything else I wanted to accomplish this evening has been accomplished. Yay!
3. I praise God that there is laughter in my home on a daily basis. It is such a beautiful sound and I can't imagine how sad life would be without it.

11.29.2011

1. I praise God for my wonderful husband. I woke up incredibly late this morning, stressed out because I barely had time to get ready, let alone tackle the pile of dishes I decided to put off until this morning. But, when I got to the kitchen to pack lunch, it was clean. My husband not only washed the dishes for me last night after I fell asleep, he also dried them, put them away and wiped down the counters. I am a blessed woman.
2. I praise God for my best friend (other than my husband, of course.) Today is her birthday. We have been friends for over a decade now and I treasure her friendship deeply. She is a true blessing to me.
3. I praise God for my productive day. I got a lot of things accomplished at work, came home and accomplished even more. It has been a good day.

11.28.2011

1. I praise God for "Na, Boo, Gee." Those are my son's words for "One, Two, Three." He has been counting non-stop the last couple days. It is pretty awesome.
2. I praise God for my job. As hard as it was to come back from "vacation mode," I am so thankful to have a job during this season.
3. I praise God for the promises the future holds.

11.27.2011

1. I praise God for our home. It isn't much and it still needs so much more work than my husband and I have already put into it, but it is ours. It was so nice today to be able to come home to our house. We had so much fun, but there truly is no place like home.
2. I praise God for warm chocolate chip cookies. My husband, son and I shared some this evening after we had gotten home. They were so delicious.
3. I praise God for the continued progress in my son's speech development. He is talking more and more every day and can even count to 5 on his hands in his own language. (He has a word for each number, 1-5; some of them sound like the real number, some not at all, but he is consitent with the use of the words and their meaning for them.)
4. I praise God that we were able to go to the family reunion. It was so much fun and I know how incredibly blessed my husband's family is to have been able to do that.
5. I praise God for my crazy boys. My husband and son are very energetic when they get to playing, but we all have so much fun being crazy together. Many laughs are shared in my home and that is such an incredible gift from God.

11.26.2011

1. I praise God for the beautiful drive my husband and I had today. With all the family here, my husband and I were able to take a little bit of "us" time today during our son's nap time. We wanted to go for a hike, but the rain forced us to just take a cruise through this beautiful country. It was so nice and relaxing.
2. I praise God that there are washers and dryers in the cabins we stayed at the last few days. I was able to wash all the laundry we have dirtied up to this point, so I won't have a bunch of dirty clothes to wash when we get home.
3. I praise God that we will have leftover food to bring home with us. Not only will I not have to do laundry, but I won't have to cook when we get home, either. I am so thankful that the last day of my vacation will not be loaded with a bunch of work.

"11.25.2011"

1. I praise God that I have been having such a good time at reunion that I didn't have the opportunity to do my post last night. It has been so nice and I am so thankful for this time.
2. I praise God for campfires. My husband and I sat our by the campfire until after midnight last night. It was so peaceful and relaxing.
3. I praise God for good food. It has been non-stop eating the last couple days and I know how incredibly blessed we are to be able to enjoy all of this wonderful food.

11.24.2011

1. I praise God for family. My husband's family gathered for a family reunion today. What a joy it has been already to see everyone. So much love. It is just wonderful.
2. I praise God for safe travel. Everyone made it to the reunion safely, that is something to be thankful for.
3. I praise God for the beautiful day it has been. It hasn't felt at all like Thanksgiving, but it has been a wonderful day.

11.23.2011

1. I praise God that I am taking the time to enjoy this vacation. I still have so much stuff to do before tomorrow afternoon, but I am getting stuff accomplished at a decent pace and am not stressing about everything. That is what a good vacation is all about: no stress.
2. I praise God that I can put my faith in Him. He has yet to let me down (and I know He never will) so I can continue to confidently put my faith in Him for all things in my life.
3. I praise God for little frustrations (like peeling 2 1/2 dozen boiled eggs.) They help me to practice my patience and keep things in perspective.

11.22.2011

1. I praise God for lists. I have a lot of things to do and pack in the next couple days; without lists of everything to be accomplished, I know I would forget something and feel totally overwhelmed. I love being able to cross things off my lists. Tomorrow will have a lot of crossing off.
2. I praise God for snotty kisses from my son. Not really a huge fan of the snot, but those kisses are so full of raw love from my child.  What a blessing to have the love and adoration of a child.
3. I praise God for my extra long weekend. Today is my “Friday” and I am off of work for the next 5 days. It is going to be a great weekend and I am so excited. This weekend, and the activities it holds, will truly be a blessing from God.

11.21.2011

1. I praise God for all the sleep I got last night. I fell asleep before 9:00, woke up just before 11:00 (which is when I did yesterday's post) and was in bed before midnight. When my alarm went off this morning, I actually felt rested. What a blessing.
2. I praise God for raining evenings. Last night, it lulled me to sleep much earlier than planned; tonight, it is making me feel very cozy (and motivated to finish going through my closet and getting out all my winter clothes.)
3. I praise God for the progress I have already made this evening on my closet. My son took a late (and long) nap, so when I got home from work this afternoon I was able to get started. When he goes to bed in a couple of hours, I am going to return to my bedroom and finish. I am very excited to see all my winter clothes again. Cleaning my closet also provides another blessing: I will have another load of items to take to a charity resale shop!

11.20.2011

1. I praise God for the sound of rain on the roof. It's a beautiful noise.
2. I praise God for the good weekend I had with my boys. The weekend didn't work out as I had originally planned, but it worked out even better than planned.
3. I praise God for the short week this week. I will only be working two days, due to the holiday, and am very thankful that I have PTO to cover the time off.

11.19.2011

1. I praise God for "family date day." Today, my husband, my son and I spent the day on a "date." We went to see a friend in the country, had pizza and spent the afternoon at the park. We all had a great time and it made for a wonderful day. What a blessing to be able to have such a great day with my boys.
2. I praise God for His healing. He truly can make everything new.
3. I praise God for beautiful fall days like today. Today was an incredibly beautiful day and I am so thankful my Lord allowed me to enjoy it.

11.18.2011

1. I praise God for progress. Even baby steps in the right direction are worth rejoicing.
2. I praise God for my boys. My husband and my son are the two most important people in my world. They are both so precious to me and I am so thankful to God that they are a part of my life.
3. I praise God for the weekend. This weekend promises to be a very good, though full, weekend. I am so thankful for the time off of work so I can focus on my house and family.

11.17.2011

1. I praise God for the beautiful drive I had today while working. I had to drive a long distance through beautiful countryside to get to the town I was marketing in today. On the way, there were so many trees with leaves changing into deep fall hues. My radio didn't pick up any of my stations, so I had a very quiet drive admiring God's art. So beautiful.
2. I praise God for revelation. It is so exciting when a light suddenly turns on and there is an understanding.
3. I praise God for His forgiveness. I truly would be lost without it.
4. I praise God for my son's development in his speech. My husband and I have been working with him almost non-stop when we are with him the last week and it is really starting to show some results. This is a huge answer to prayers.
5. I praise God for answers to prayers. It is so wonderful when I get to cross something off of my prayer list.

11.16.2011

1. I praise God that my employer appreciates me. I had a meeting with my two immediate supervisors and my CEO/co-owner of the hospital today and had nothing but positive feedback. My CEO even told me that I am "a jewel." It feels really good to be appreciated (especially by the person who signs my check!)
2. I praise God for my two previous jobs that brought me to my current job. At the time, I was constantly stressed out and going crazy, but I see now the reason for that season in my life. Had I not gone through what I did, I would not have the knowledge that is making me so valuable to my current employer. I am so grateful I went through what I did to get to where I am.
3. I praise God for an early bed time. I have been very tired lately (and it is starting to make me grumpy.) Tonight, I intend on being in bed early to attempt to remedy some of that sleepiness.

11.15.2011

1. I praise God for the truth. It may not always be easy to swallow, but it is so much better than lies.
2. I praise God that my love for Him is greater than my flesh. There are many times I want to act in ways that would be pleasing to my flesh, but not glorifying to God. However, my love for Him keeps me from acting in such ways many times; this is usually good as the fleshly desires usually do not produce positive long-term results.
3. I praise God for my son. He is such an incredible child and I feel so blessed God has trusted me with such a precious gift.

11.14.2011

1. I praise God that He is bigger than any of the disappointments in my past. Not only is He bigger, but He can use all of them to make me a better person. His grace is amazing.
2. I praise God for the amount of stuff I have been able to get done around the house lately. I still have so many projects, but each day I feel closer to my ultimate goals for my home.
3. I praise God for the many mysteries I don't understand, and possibly never will. It is not intended for any man to understand everything and I am glad for that. All I need to really understand is that He is in control and He is Lord of my life; everything else is just minor details.

11.13.2011

1. I praise God for quiet evenings with my husband. I am currently sitting in the shed he just built while he is working on filling it up. Periodically, he breaks and we chat for a few minutes. It is making for a very peaceful evening.
2. I praise God for books. I know I am so much more fortunate than a large part of the world because of the library of books my husband and I own. My son has more books than some people ever dream of owning. We are so incredibly blessed to be able to own and read so many books.
3. I praise God that He has a plan for every thing. Remembering that helps me to not stress so much about how certain things in life are going. I can remember He is trustworthy and give my stresses to Him. That is a pretty awesome God.

11.12.2011

1. I praise God for hard work. My husband and I have been working hard around our house lately and it is really starting to show. Very thankful for the progress.
2. I praise God that I have all the hard work for dinner tomorrow night out of the way already. I took care of it tonight while cleaning up after dinner and now I will have an easier day tomorrow.
3. I praise God for my husband. He has been really wonderful lately and I am so thankful to God for that.

freedom

1. I praise God for the veterans we honor with Veterans' Day. If not for the sacrifices so many of them made, I would not have many of the freedoms I enjoy. I am grateful to them.
2. I praise God for the freedom I have from His sacrifice. His sacrifice was the greatest of all and nothing can take away the love that made that sacrifice.
3. I praise God for the time my son had at EC this semester. He really enjoyed it and I am so glad he was able to be a part of it. I am really looking forward to the spring classes.

11.10.2011

1. I praise God for the progress I saw in my son's speech tonight. We talked back and forth with each other for nearly ten minutes. Almost every word he said was unintelligible, but I understood the general ideas he was conveying to me. It was great communication and a huge step forward. What an incredible blessing.
2. I praise God for my husband's boldness in his faith. This evening, we had a friend over for dinner who has expressed, very adamantly, his dislike of Christianity many times to us before. Just before eating, my husband took my hand and my son's hand and blessed our food. God is so good.
3. I praise God for so many things. All throughout the day, I have so many praises overwhelming my heart. He is so good and the more I think on how good He is, the more I want to just lift up my hands in thankfulness to Him.

11.09.2011

1. I praise God for my husband. This morning, he woke up an hour before me, turned on the heater (so the house would warm up), took care of our son (including diaper changes and getting him dressed) and got my car ready and warming up for me. My morning was so relaxing. It was such a great way to start the day.
2. I praise God for walks to the post office with my son. It isn't a very far walk, but it takes about twenty minutes (or more) because it becomes a mini "nature walk" every time. We stop and look at the birds in the bushes, talk about the sky and the trees and explore our little world. I really enjoy those moments.
3. I praise God for my weaknesses. Through them, His strength and glory can shine.

11.08.2011

1. I praise God for forgiveness. In all forms (His forgiveness, my forgiveness of others, others' forgiveness of me) it is such an incredible blessing in my life. I couldn't imagine life without it.
2. I praise God for knowledge. The more I learn, the more thankful I am for it.
3. I praise God that He is such an awesome God. He is the most important and vital thing in my life; I am so blessed to know him.

amazing

1. I praise God for the look on my son's face when he's looking at the sky (this includes stars, the moon, clouds, birds, airplanes, etc.) The look is one of amazement, joy, excitement, fascination and pure awe. I swear his eyes sparkle when he admires the sky. I like using that opportunity to help explain how amazing God is. Good God stuff.
2. I praise God for the radar and weather information available on the internet. I feel so much safer having the weather at my fingertips when severe weather is possible. Not having to wait for the television to share information with me and being able to look at things like storm tracks and speed of the storm help me feel more prepared in the event something may happen.
3. I praise God for the thousands of miracles that occur around me every day. I am in pure awe of His creation and power. He is absolutely amazing to me.

feeling better...

1. I praise God that my family is no longer sick. We have survived "Vomit-fest 2011." (Gross...) It makes me so thankful for our daily health.
2. I praise God for the "extra" hour this weekend. With the majority of it spent sick or recovering, it will be nice to wake up an hour "early" tomorrow to get some stuff done before work.
3. I praise God for my crock-pot. It sure made cooking a tummy-safe, nutritious meal much easier today. I needed all the help I could get today after yesterday.

more vomit...

1. I praise God that my husband and I waited to contract my son's stomach bug until he was better. It would have been so much harder to take care of a sick toddler with both of us being sick, too.
2. I praise God that my son is such a well behaved little boy. With us both being sick today, it could have been a real nightmare, but he didn't get in much trouble today and he was really sweet. He kept coming up to us to hug us and he even covered me with his blanket earlier. We are so blessed to have such a great son.
3. I praise God that I can still praise Him when I am spending the day hugging a bucket.

11.04.2011

1. I praise God for AAA. I locked myself out of my car this morning, but didn't have to worry about what I was going to do; I just had to place a phone call and the rest was taken care of.
2. I praise God for the bonus I got from work today. I had no idea I was going to be getting one, they surprised us this morning on a conference call. The money is a huge blessing to us right now and I am so incredibly thankful for the job I have and the people I work for.
3. I praise God for 90.9 KCBI radio. I spent a long time alone in the car today and was able to listen to some really great programming. So very thankful to have a radio station I can listen to that brings me such peace and joy.

11.03.2011

1. I praise God when I get a "bonus, mini bouquet" from the flowers my husband gives me. Today, I went to throw out the flowers he brought me home a couple weeks ago, when I realized there were still a few stems that looked quite beautiful. When this happens, I pull the few stems, re-cut them and put them in fresh water in a smaller vase, to create a "new" bouquet. It gives me a few more days to enjoy the beauty of the flowers.
2. I praise God that I have cooking knowledge. I enjoy creating meals from scratch for my family. Not only is it better tasting and better for us, but it brings me such joy and I am so thankful I can do that for my family.
3. I praise God for the little miracles that occur every day. I am so thankful that I am paying more attention to them. He is so good.

vomit, vomit, everywhere

1. I praise God that my son is no longer vomiting. He spent the better part of the day vomiting everywhere. There was so much vomit. I am pretty sure my house smells of vomit still, but I will deal with it later. Right now, I am just so thankful he is no longer getting sick.
2. I praise God that He loves me unconditionally. His is the only love I will never have to fear losing. What a comfort that knowledge is.
3. I praise God for difficult days, like today. They are the days I get stretched and pushed, but I know they are necessary for growth. I also know that God uses all things for the good of those who believe in Him. (Romans 8:28.) Even the difficult days are a gift from Him.

day 95...

1. I praise God for my exercise class at one of the local senior citizens centers. This morning, when I showed up, I received a round of applause. I always feel so good when I finish the class, because I see how much it means to the seniors who attend. My class has been steadily growing and it is greatly appreciated by those who attend. It really is a blessing to be a part of that.
2. I praise God for the fun my little family had in the back yard this evening. My husband and son were running around playing and I got to take pictures of them and our 3 dogs. It was really a great time.
3. I praise God for His love. Every day it becomes so much more evident to me. He is amazing and His love is the greatest gift.