Thankful Thuesday

Yeah, I know it's TUEsday... but that doesn't "go" with Thankful.
I could have waited till Thursday...
so get over it! :)

Today I am listing some things I am thankful for, in no particular order!

I am thankful for the Barney VHS I bought at a garage sale for .25! So far, we are up to $.016 per minute of peace and quiet! Well worth that investment.

I am thankful for the cooler fall weather! While I may have frozen most of my children through the night, the cooler air brought an additional 45 minutes of sleep to two of my babies last night! YAY fall!

I am thankful for my hubby. When he isn't here, I think of all the things I could have had help doing, thinking, saying or dealing with... and I realize how much he is a part of me. He loves me even when I am at my worst... 5 days into a sugar-free/chocolate-free existence, and listens to my heart on all the things that I wonder about our future (without freaking out or making me feel like I'm insane).

I am thankful for my children. All 7 of them. I am thankful that the Lord thought enough of me to allow me to parent His babies and that He allows me to continue to do so. The days are long, but the years are short and I realize this more and more the older they (and I) get.

I am thankful for my family and friends.

• My sister blogs over at The Boltons. She is VERY funny and such a great mom to her new baby girl, my first niece, who is now 6 months old! She takes great photos and always makes me laugh about something! Where as my blog tends to be adoption/orphan/borderline-depressing ... hers is adorable, funny and happiness-inducing! Go say Hi! 
• I am thankful for my friend Jamey who encourages me and reminds me to be thankful in little things! She is a great mom also and quite an inspiration with the courage she has shown in the face of adversity over the past 4 1/2 months since arriving home with Little Miss from Ethiopia. She always admits when she fails and falls, but always gets back up... and that's the best any of us can do! 
• We met wonderful people in our travel group when we went to Ethiopia, and while we all live far away from one another, a quick email back and forth helps immensely! To just hear from folks who have been home the same number of days and weeks... and to know you are not alone... it's a huge blessing! 
• I am thankful for my new friend Katie who just returned home with our kids care center buddy, Yishak! They came over yesterday so he could see that our three aren't afraid of our giant Wooshah, and hopefully he would adjust better to their dog! It was so sweet to see these four kiddos playing together yesterday for the first time since July when they were all still waiting for their families! 

I am thankful for friends who drop off bags of hand-me-down's for my newest babies! This has helped SO much!

I am thankful for those shopping carts at T@rget that will mostly happily seat 3 littles... one in the cart and two in the 5 point harness molded plastic bucket seats! Aaahhhh!

I am thankful for my big comfy couch, which will cradle me this afternoon during nap time while I nurse my stupid headache!

I am thankful for leftover chicken made into chicken salad. I love chicken salad.

I am thankful for our swing set and trampoline. Never underestimate the power of outside play things.

I am thankful for sippy cups and baby gates. They keep my sanity more intact.

I am thankful for Sam's club and their .33/lb bananas. We do not currently have any, which reminds me ow much I miss having bulk bananas in the house.

I am thankful that my Grandpa made it through surgery last night. Life is short and sometimes it takes those harsh reminders to make you appreciate each day a little more.

Perspective

I can easily lose my perspective.

Some people are "The glass is half full" people...

some are "the glass is half empty" people...

some people wait and find out if you are 

drinking or pouring to make that determination.

I would be the third type of person.

I tend to let my situation determine my perspective

instead of finding good perspective to color my situation.

I try to catch this when it happens.

We didn't do our yard sale today.

Pretty sure EVERYONE else in our town did.

I know we made the right choice.

I needed to go through our stuff, see what could be saved,

what needed work or help, and what needs to be tossed.

Finding my good perspective:

I sorted, tossed, cleaned and loaded an entire 

mini-van full of clothes for the flood victims. 

And I made $60 from a friend of 

Paul's who stopped by to shop!

Paul went to help flood victims and

our day turned into an opportunity to love others, 

enjoy this beautiful day, and spend some time relaxing.

Mother's Day.

All my babies aren't home yet.

I am struggling with this one.

I really WANT to be all together.

I can't do anything to make it go faster...

so I wait.

My babies won't be with their mom tomorrow.

I miss them very much.

My best try at changing my perspective:

Next Mother's Day will be even sweeter.

I have a friend who is struggling.

It's been a hard week for her.

I have no way to help her physically...

but I can pray for her.

I wish I was able to go give her a hug...

but she lives far away.

I want to be able to DO something more.

But I pray.

The it's-not-about-me perspective:

Her Heavenly Father loves her even more than I do 

and HE is able to care for her better than I could ever do. 

He can be her comforter, her protector, 

and her source of strength in the middle

of the storm. And she has a 

wonderful husband who loves her

and will help get them through this too.

Court date coming

As much as I tell myself I am not going to bank on

passing the first time, it's SUPER hard not to be expectant.

I would SO love for ONE thing in our process to 

go through easily!!

3 Committee dates...

USCIS problems and delays...

flood on our fundraiser day...

I feel like being able to pass court the first day is

somewhat out of character for our process...

but it SURE would be nice!!

There are like 12 people THAT I KNOW OF

going to court on that same day.

Lovely.

They can't possibly see and process that many cases in one day.

Some will be delayed or rescheduled.

Finding the right perspective:

Think, think, think....

ummmmmm...

Ok.

We DID pass committee.

We DID get our 171H.

We are doing fine on funds (unless you factor in travel..).

This will happen too...

probably just not in the exact way I would want.

It COULD happen...

no sense worrying about it till I hear results.

I think this is a personal improvement for me!

I used to be the FOURTH type of person...

"The glass is half empty and will soon be 

totally empty because it is slowly draining 

from a hole in the bottom."

Yep.

This is an improvement.

Everybody loves a giveaway!

My friend Jamey, fellow adoption-in-process mom and crafter is having a giveaway on her blog!
Go post and tell her Chrissy told you to stop by!
Heres the D.L.:

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You can win 1 entry for each of the following:

 Please leave a comment for EACH ENTRY

* be a follower (old or new)

* visit Uproar and tell me what your favorite item is

* become a facebook fan of MamaEnat

* Share this giveaway love on facebook or on your own blog

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You can win 2 entries for each of my buttons 

(see the left and right of your screen) 

that you add to your blog!

Let the entries begin!!

This giveaway will end on February 19 at 3:00pm.

Now come on... that's a LOT of ways to get entries to her drawing!!

Her sister is the owner of Uproar on Etsy and has the CUTEST crocheted baby things! I am partial to hats, and she will even sew in a satin liner for those of us with the need for such an upgrade!

Go see her now!

www.zehlahlum.blogspot.com