And there are things that have been lingering in our thoughts lately which ultimately have become selfish prayers of want. We have thanked Him repeatedly for our home/shelter but lately we have felt a desire to move into a new home, ultimately a larger home, because we feel we need it. We found the perfect lot on the perfect cul-de-sac which backs up to nothing but woods, woods that will remain woods....and this perfect lot is in the perfect neighborhood - the neighborhood that will always be zoned for the perfect school (our current neighborhood will be rezoned to a more transient, less academic school).....and on this lot we could build the perfect house using our already found perfect builder with the perfect house plans we have drawn....and this house would include the much desired 3+ bathrooms - a parents, a boys, and a girls - and 5 bedrooms....added in with a basement, a larger living space, a larger kitchen, each of these things we feel would be so very awesome to have during our adoption gatherings and the kids' friends coming over to hang out - we LOVE to have a crowd. Oh, and most importantly for Ry, a new and improved dishwasher. He is a man that lives for a new dishwasher - it's just his thing.
But these are just all things that would be nice and it is in these things that we have forgotten to say thank you for all that we have. Our home is our home filled with many memories and more memorable moments yet to come. We are snug in our home and will be even more so when the baby arrives. In this, we are choosing to give thanks.....thanks that we do have a nice home in a great neighborhood with children for our children to play with. The boys may never forgive us for their never having their own room for they, specifically our 13 year old, are at ages where they are seeking out their individuality and part of that is ownership of a room, their own space. But is that needed? No. Do we wish to fulfill that desire for them? Of course. But what a lesson it is to learn now that life is not all about them as individuals - I am still learning this:) And five children of different sexes all sharing one bathroom....should make for interesting days ahead. I am picturing the Cosby show episodes in my head - Theo yelling at his sister, who has been in the bathroom for at least half of the day! Memories, in these, we will choose to be thankful. And a larger area to entertain our adoption group and friends - selfish want but we have managed for five years and they keep coming back for more so I am thinking its all good! Now, the dishwasher piece. Well, nothing would make him happier than to have a new dishwasher and I am thinking at this point we should give thanks in the one we have...but selfishly, I do wish it to go out with a quick bang just to fulfill Ryan's current dream of a new and improved model.
So in this season of thanks, I/we are choosing to be thankful for everything that has been set before us. Thankful for our marriage, thankful for our children - their happiness, their health, their innocence - thankful for our home, thankful for our adoption, our family, our friends, and above all, our forgiving God. God has given so much to us and we, ashamedly so, forget to say thank you. Instead, we ask for more. People close to us often ask, "Have you thought about this?" "How are you going to pay for...." "Cars and college are nearing....".....and our honest answer is that we have no idea how we will do the future. We are choosing THANK YOU for today and trusting in God's wisdom for tomorrow.
A verse MK worked on this week stated, "I will sing to the Lord because He has blessed me so richly." Psalm 13:6 - A fabulous verse to reflect on during this season of Thanksgiving!
