Thankful Thursday: Week 6

Hi everybody! It has already been one crazy day and it is only 11:00 AM 11:00 PM (we'll see how long it takes me to publish this post--that will be a true testament of how crazy its been!).

Despite the chaotic busyness, I've been thinking about all the things I was especially thankful for this week. I'd so love to hear what you are thankful for today, too! (note, it is now 11:00 PM and I know it is late but I'd still love to hear from you!)

This week, I am especially grateful for...

1. J's unconditional love for me and Baby C. He puts up with both of us even when we are sad-sack-crankypants (if you read my personal blog, you'll know what i'm talking about!)


2. God's grace--despite writing just yesterday about how to be joyful and content in everything i do (neither complaining nor arguing but doing everything wholeheartedly), i found myself succumbing to the pressures of the day (mind you, pressures I placed on myself!) and way-too-easily slipped into cranky-mode (see #1)--but, God gently reminded me that He is sufficient, no need to stress!


3. My Grandmas. Both my maternal and my paternal Grandmas are such strong matriarchs in our families. My paternal Grandma walked a hard road with my Grandpa while he suffered from Parkinson's Disease. Now my maternal Grandma is walking a hard road while my Grandpa undergoes chemo and radiation. I am daily encouraged by them to see what a loving Christian, sacrificial marriage looks like. Their devotion to their Lord, then husbands, and then families is astounding.
   


4. Esther Grace made it through her surgery today with flying colors!


5. The 58 people who voted in my poll! I am so happy to know what kind of giveaways you all love to enter on Fabulous Fridays and what kind of things you are hoping to learn on Tutorial Tuesdays! Stay tuned for posts geared towards your liking!

now these next two "thankful" items are slightly embarrassing for me to write about but i am thankful for them and want to honor the lovely blog ladies below for their thoughtfulness:


6. Three incredible and fun women graciously passed along the "One Lovely Blog" award. Thank you: Kelly from Our Lincoln Log, Melissa from the Duncan Dialogues, and Jennifer from Momma D and daBoyz! Kelly is my bud because she always does Tutorial Tuesday with me. Melissa keeps me laughing as a Christian wife fresh out of law school--much like J and I were a couple of years ago! And Jennifer has FOUR sons so you know she has fun escapades to talk about on her blog!





7. Finally, thank you to Southern Belle Dreaming for sending me the I-love-your-blog award. Let me tell you there were serious blushings going on over here! If you have never visited Southern Belle Dreaming i encourage you to head to her blog because she has one of my favorite Christian artists singing as soon as you click over--Bebo Norman!
   
   
   

I am now responsible for picking people and blogs that I love to read. Man you guys, I love reading all of you! So this was a hard thing to choose but, in the end, I chose the most influential Christian women who inspire me to stay close in my walk with the Lord and daily turn to Him with thanksgivings and sorrows:

Melissa from the Gill Family Adventures
The Twin from Our Little Family of Three
Julia from the Wreyfords
Angie from Love is Spoken Here
Katie from Fumbling for Truth
Amy from Douglas Days
Kim from Ye Kings of New England
Kathy from Having a Hallelujah Good Time
Rachel from His Treasured Possession
Marissa from By Grace Alone
Lauren from Whatsoever Things are True
Becca from The Stanley Clan

Thank you to the giving ladies and the receiving ladies--I'm blessed to read your life stories every day!

PS When I was at my parents' house today, I learned that, if you are using Internet Explorer, you cannot see all 3 columns of my blog. Not a huge deal at all but, if you want the full Monkeys on the Bed version, check out my blog on Mozilla's Firefox (I LOVE this browser and use it exclusively)