Pages

Thankful Thursday

Thursday, January 24, 2008

collage3

(These photos are old but I don't think I ever posted this collage and I came across it this week.)


I can honestly say that I am always thankful for my life. I am not a jealous person because I believe that we all have our joys and we all have our pains. I feel incredibly blessed because I think I have it pretty darned good. I certainly have much more joy than pain. However, sometimes I realize it is Thursday and I am "reaching" for something to write about being thankful for. Even if I don't post every single week, I force myself to think about what I am thankful for that week. It really does make me realize how very lucky I am.


So, this week I am thankful.....


~that I am beginning to come out of the fog. Next week will be a year since our referral for Kate. She has been home almost 10 months. I simply cannot put into words the love I have for her but she has really thrown our family for a loop. Or as my sweet hubby likes to say, "Kate kicked our butts." What do I mean? Well, for our family, going from one child to two was a piece of cake. It really was. But since Kate has come home, we have had trouble catching our breath. Her security and adjustment has been our first priority and EVERYTHING else has taken a backseat. I used to read a few books a week. I have read 2 books since she's been home (unless Fudge and Superfudge by Judy Blume count?). We used to have a date night almost every week. I think we have had one or two in 10 months. We used to entertain a lot and we are just starting to do that again. I am not complaining. I am not sure I even noticed it happening. But what I have noticed is that I am starting to read again and we are trying to find a sitter and have date nights again. I finally feel as though Kate has adjusted and we are adjusting too. I am coming out of the fog and for that I am grateful.


~for the wonderful community of Moms at MOPS. Today, I was the speaker at Mops. I was invited to talk about marriage and communication. This has been on the calendar for several months. As luck would have it, Miss Kate refused to go to the nursery this morning. It was not pretty. So, I brought her to the meeting with me. I had tears in my eyes walking into the meeting with her again and thought , "how am I going to get up and speak to all of these women with Kate?" God answered my request and all of my friends and table-mates offered to entertain Kate while I spoke. Kate was an angel. She came up a few times but for the most part, she sat with my friends and was very well behaved. They worked very hard to entertain her and I am so grateful. Thank you fellow Moms for helping us out today:) I know some of you read this now (thanks to Pip);) I am also vey thankful for all of the kind comments people gave me after my talk.


~for the special surprise my friend received today. I am so happy for you.


~for the great time I had this weekend shopping with my friend, Elissa. We went to the big city for a very long day of Spring clothes shopping for our kids. Oh, just wait until you see the bathing suits and dresses I bought!!!!


~for the fun and relaxing dinner we had with friends Sunday night. I had a few glasses of wine for the first time in a long time and we enjoyed entertaining again.


~for the new activity my boys LOVE. They began Judo a few weeks ago and they are just loving it.

~that I have finally figured out how to do my own blog decorating. Thanks to those who gave me pointers. Once you figure it out, it is really fun! I am sure I still have a lot to learn but I can do what I want for now:)


~for the good news that another friend will be coming to visit soon.

See, if you really sit down and think about, there are always things to be thankful for!

33 comments:

  1. I always love your thankful posts. I've said it before, but I'll say it again . . . thank you for writing about the changes and challenges you experienced this past year. It really is educational, and generous of you to share.

    Warmly,
    Jennifer, mommy to Adrienne LiHua

    ReplyDelete
  2. Kim,

    What a wonderful list of thankfulness. It's funny reading what life has been like for you in the past 10 months, it helps me realize what is to come for us. I am thrilled for Denise, and CANNOT wait to see the dresses and bathing suits. I am having such a hard time, I start to shop, and then feel like I have absolutely NO IDEA what size to buy, so I get upset and put everything back!

    Thanks for sharing!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi Kim,

    Great post! The blog looks wonderful, too.

    Glad you got to give your speech and I am sure it went well despite the snag with Kate. Luckily, it was to a MOPS group and they should be the most empathetic of all audiences...

    Happy to hear your fog is lifting and you are finding a groove again. May God bless you with the many activities you desire...

    Happy Thankful Thursday,
    Lisa

    ReplyDelete
  4. First of all, I love your new look, you must teach me! Secondly, I love your list as always. I am glad that the fog is lifting, I knew it would! I wish I could have shopped with you, I could really use a day like that! That is wonderful about the boys loving Judo, such a great activity! I am sure your speech was perfect, even with your little helper. I am sure you were in a room full of moms would could relate! Been thinking about you alot lately, miss you!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I LOVE the header!!! TOO CUTE!!!The pictures are adorable as always.

    ReplyDelete
  6. As usual, a great list of things to be thankful for. What a blessing your talk to MOPs group had to have been for the women there. I'm glad it ended up going well for you. Thanks also for sharing about the fog lifting. So many people feel this way, as did I and still do, and it's great to hear that others are going through the same thing. Can't wait to see all your new purchases. They'll all be adorable as usual. :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thank you for being a constant source of encouragement for me...you are right, there is so much to be thankful for! Hey, would you be willing to share some of your MOPS talk with me? And, oh yes, love the new blog look, you must help me next!

    ReplyDelete
  8. a wonderful list.. Thank you for reminding us all of the things we can be thankful for.
    I am so glad the meeting went well. Kate is such a sweetheart I am sure they loved entertaining her. Sometimes we get in our heads exactly how an event is going to play out and it does not. Who knows if someone in the meeting today was inspired by seeing Kate's beautiful smile and oozing cuteness?
    Yes I used to read too, hubby and I have just begun reading together at night and it has been a blessing. Made me realize how much I miss it.
    Have a wonderful weekend! oh and the collage is beautiful...

    ReplyDelete
  9. As one of the aforementioned "moms in the MOPS group", your talk was awesome, and having Kate underfoot only made us more aware that you are where we are in life - it took off that "professional speaker" edge that makes it easy sometimes to shrug off a talk. You did a great job, Kate was an angel, and we are blessed to have you.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Yes...there are! Sweet post...perhaps O should make it a point to do this kind of post as well! ;)

    ReplyDelete
  11. You have the sweetest heart! Thanks for sharing your TT post! I must say Kate's little toes are precious! I love that collage! Hey...I can SEE it!!! you know why???? I have my blingy glasses on!!! ;) tee-hee!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Thank you for inspiring me to stop and take a minute to be thankful for the many blessings in my life.

    The black and white photo collage is beautiful. I especially LOVE her little feet. So sweet.

    ReplyDelete
  13. That dress is divine...I loooove black and white photos.

    As for the Rumi poem, borrow away my dear friend, absolutely. And please no link needed; it is now yours to embrace and to share. Pass it on.

    P.S. I will borrow it back when my times comes ;)

    ReplyDelete
  14. Ohhh, Kim- I LOVE this new look! I told you you could do it and how fun it would be- and now look at you! You are so good! :)

    Beautiful photos of Kate, too!

    Hugs, Shana

    (so far so good on you know what)

    ReplyDelete
  15. LOVE the BLOG :D You are going to be a "pro" before you know it :D

    I love your list and I need to get back in the habit of posting on Thankful Thursday. It is the little things in life and seem to mean the most when we stop and think and it. I really do have a lot to be thankful for.

    BTW - I am so excited too :D I will try and get you and e-mail out to night - but I am exhausted! Li Li got her hair cut today and I want to try and get a page and post done.

    Ladybug hugs,
    ;D

    ReplyDelete
  16. You always have such a great list! Here's to the fog lifting!!

    ReplyDelete
  17. That was a great post and I am so thankful for your honesty and powers of description! I worry about how Bailey will change our lives so its great to know a little of what you must go through. I suppose everything worth having is worth working for and this would be true of a bio baby too.
    I' know the ladies at MOPs must just adore you!
    PS Your Blog change looks lovely and I so admired the last one also!!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Great post. For those of us that are waiting for our children, it's great to have a glimpse to see how much our lives will change. Thanks for sharing your experiences.

    Love the new look of your blog, I'd really like to learn how to this myself. Have a great weekend.

    Karen

    ReplyDelete
  19. Kim,

    I can't tell you how much I enjoyed your talk today at MOPS. You have turned my Thursday into a "thankful Thursday" with your reminder that I am more than "Mommy" (as wonderful as that is) -- I am also a beloved wife with a wonderful husband. Since this was probably the first day in many that I let him have "the worst day," (and the first day of many that I will) my husband also appreciated your reminder! And I must tell you that, far from the distraction that you must have assumed it was, having Kate with you was such a special gift for us. There is nothing on earth as precious and amazing as a child -- especially one who so obviously adores her mother. I only wish you could have seen yourself with her. You were so full of grace and love. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and your family with us.

    ReplyDelete
  20. The pics of Kate truly took my breath away.... I just don't have words to describe your daughter's beauty, your incredible photographs and your beautiful collage... You my dear have outdone yourself once again. Your blog looks wonderful and I love it because I know you are having a blast playing.
    Your list is uplifting as well. I am so glad things are settling down again and that most importantly Katie Ru is feeling secure and adjusted.... Definately somthing to praise the Lord for.
    Love you and hope you are feeling great!
    Daleea

    ReplyDelete
  21. Kim,
    I was laughing when you said you had to "reach"...that was me today too. :)
    So many wonderful things you've found to be grateful for~ I'm so glad to hear you say the fog is lifting.
    This blog is look is beautiful, I love it!!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Kim,

    I love Kate's toes!

    I do miss entertaining right now, too. I would not trade a minute with my Jing, but I look forward to adding dinners at our house with other couples back :)!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Great list - it's great to take a moment to remember what we are thankful for. I can relate to adjusting to a sweet new girl in the house and all the changes that it brings. We have been home for 6 months and most of my reading consists of books with 12 pages and one syllable words :).

    The pictures of Kate are adorable.

    ReplyDelete
  24. LOVE your list and that you are coming out of the "fog!"

    Also, Congratulations on learning how to do your own blog! I know that is such a good feeling to be able to do with it what you want! I had a hard time learning some of the tricks, but once you learn it is not so bad! Your blog looks great!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Kim,
    This post of yours made me smile as I know exactly how you feel. Raising our two boys was a breeze. (even living a military life, being stationed overseas and dealing with deployments) Then we had our most precious daughter come into our lives and she "rocked our world!" :) There has never been a dull moment since and we can't even imagine life now any other way. She is the sunshine in our lives.
    Cheers for you starting a date night! We have been talking about wanting to do this for the longest time. Our daughter is 4 1/2 now and we still haven't got around to it! We joke that by the time we do our oldest son will be able to do the babysitting...and he is almost there!
    Thank you for sharing this. It is a reminder of all we have to be soooo thankful for!

    ReplyDelete
  26. Hi, Kim. This is a great Thankful Thursday list. I haven't posted a Thankful Thursday list since Christmas but I need to start again soon!

    I had that same fog after both Carson and Kamree were born. I am glad it is lifting for you.

    Love your new blog look too!

    ReplyDelete
  27. You made our Thursday wonderful at MOPS...thanks so much for your thoughts, your insights and your time commitment to share that with us. It really was a blessing. And Kate was absolutely wonderful too!

    ReplyDelete
  28. love those gorgeous pics of sweet baby kate!
    wonderful honest post full of so much love for your family!!
    xo

    ReplyDelete
  29. What a blessing to hear your talk at MOPS on Thursday. I have to say that seeing Kate just look up at you with adoring eyes, watching you talk, was precious. Your words have given me much needed insight. Thank you for sharing your wisdom and gifts!

    ReplyDelete
  30. Lovely as always. It is wonderful to give thanks!
    I remember the "fog" lifting in our lives around the same time with Lily. It feels really good, doesn't it!?
    Sounds like you have really been enjoying life - dates, shopping, entertaining...good for you.
    Enjoy your weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Your blog looks great! I think I will try my hand at designing mine as well. Thanks for sharing what you used to create it. Kate is beautiful as always!

    Blessings,
    Shauna

    ReplyDelete
  32. I love your new look...can you share tips with me now on how you did it? Also, I posted a comment earlier asking if you knew of a place that you can have your blog printed. I finally found one in case you're interested. It's http://www.blurb.com/create/book/blogbook

    Thanks!
    Jennifer :)

    ReplyDelete
  33. You are just lovely! thank you for always sharing.

    Lea

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for your kindness.