Category: I’M GRATEFUL FOR

Over Labor Day weekend, we drove 10 hours to go visit Ross’ family in Arkansas. It was such a relaxing and food-filled trip with lots of fun memories made with our 1 year old. Traveling definitely isn’t the same with a toddler! But it’s a lot more exciting in many ways as well. For Ross and myself, it also felt like a nice time to unplug. To have undivided attention with each other and family is so needed sometimes to really connect and refuel internally. Traveling can also make you excited to come back home and motivated to get back into your normal routine. Overall, I’m grateful for the refreshing perspective that can come with travel and removing yourself from your typical daily life sometimes.

I really do put myself down more than I’d like to admit. Why do I do this? I feel like it’s so easy to self-sabotage and compare yourself to others. It’s so hard for me to be positive towards all that my body has done and is capable of when all I see is extra flab or other areas that I pick apart that no one else probably notices. What I think people appreciate anyway is kindness instead of what we think looks “perfect”. It’s easy for me to be hard on myself in this area, but now that I’m a mother, I really want to only ever demonstrate what a healthy relationship with your body looks like. I’m so grateful that my body was able to give me my daughter after all!

Growing up, I took for granted that I had 3 sisters. That’s 3 people guaranteed to always be around and hopefully be willing to play with you. We turned those opportunities to play and have fun for fighting sometimes, but overall I think we’d all say that we’re each other’s best friends now that we are older. What’s even more amazing is having each other’s kids be friends too. Of course they’re cousins, but the hope and desire is that they’ll choose to be around one another as well. Thinking back on how much I enjoyed having lots of siblings makes me think about how many kids we may end up having! The more the merrier I suppose, right? So grateful to have the built-in best friends that I have today.

As I was thinking about what was going to be today’s gratefulness spotlight, I found myself struggling for a minute to come up with something. I knew that my mind was not focused on the right thing when it took me more than a couple minutes to really think about something that I’m truly grateful for. It’s crazy that the biggest thing in my life could be something that I think of last on my list of things to be grateful for. And that thing is hope. Hope is what truly has anchored my soul. It’s what I want to teach Isla every day and model that in my life—that the hope of Jesus truly creates life abundant no matter life’s circumstances because we have the hope that Jesus saves us—we need only believe that to be enough. I find myself trying to think of all kinds of solutions to the problems in my life and in the world and neglect to see that the solution has already been provided. My job is to spread that good news to people so that they have something to also put their hope in. I was embarrassed that it took me a long time of thinking to remember this wonderful thing to be grateful for, but it’s something that is on the forefront of my mind now that I want to share with everyone today, tomorrow, and as long as I live.

My husband is truly my best friend, and I realize how blessed I am to be able to say that as well. I love my husband with everything, and I know he loves me the same. My marriage to him has produced years of cultivating a love that Christ has demonstrated and continues to demonstrate to us. It is our goal to love each other sacrificially and unconditionally for as long as we both shall live. I’m so grateful for each day to serve as an opportunity to love my husband and cultivate the marriage we are so blessed to have.

Last week, for a variety of reasons, I wasn’t able to go on a morning walk like I had been doing most mornings. So being a fresh week, I wanted to start the week off right this Monday morning and go on that walk not matter what! How refreshing! These walks are more than exercise for me, it’s time with my whole family as I’m normally pushing the stroller while my husband walks our dog. So many awesome conversations are had during these walks. I didn’t realize how much I missed that morning sunshine. Since it’s been so hot lately, I feel like I haven’t outside as much as I’d like to be, and I feel like Isla could easily get overheated as well. I’m determined to keep up the morning walk routine, as it truly starts my day on the right foot!

The question every Sunday after church is what we are going to do for lunch. Today, while going through our options, I threw out getting a sandwich at Quiznos. It was so nice to be just the 3 of us together. It was one of those times where you just want to box up the moment and remember it forever. Yummy food, the best company, and all the love made for a wonderful afternoon. This may have even solved the Sunday lunch debate, as I think we’ve found a winner from here on out! So grateful for food but even more grateful for the memories made.

Earlier today, I was working out to an exercise video and thinking to myself how difficult it was and how my body was feeling fatigued. It’s as if the trainer, through my phone screen, heard my thoughts because she then proceeded to say, “Isn’t it great that we can do something so awesome for our bodies today?” It made me pause for a minute and agree, YES! It is amazing that I am able to workout and do something healthy for my body by getting it moving. Exercise takes discipline and hard work, which alone can be rewarding, but it’s also great to be able to feel stronger when tackling each day with my husband and daughter.

This is a given as I am grateful for this amazing man every single day, but today was just one of those days that I really needed him, and he was super helpful. I’ve been exhausted lately, and as Isla gets older, she’s only getting busier. Keeping up with her on these days where I’m already tired is extra challenging, so he saw a need and stepped up. He started a bath for me and took Isla for an hour out of the house while I was able to relax. What a blessing! It was so refreshing and needed much more than I even knew. I’m so grateful to have a husband that loves our family so much and is supportive in any way he can be.

We are on a shared medical plan instead of using insurance since it’s cheaper for our current circumstance. However, things like getting shots at our regular pediatrician’s office can be so stinkin’ expensive when you’re paying for it all out of pocket! That is why I’m so grateful that the health department is able to provide what my daughter needs at just $8 per shot. We literally save hundreds doing it this way! I know it can sound silly to say I’m grateful for the health department, but for me, it’s important to be mindful of things even like this that are such blessings for our family.