Thankful

Things I am thankful for this year....

That we can afford medicine for our kids when they're sick; that we can afford to eat meat everyday and that we have a well with clean water... living in our new neighborhood with the harsh poverty all around us has made me realize how many "necessities" we have which are really "luxuries" that our neighbors can't afford.

That the boys are growing bigger... life is getting a tad bit easier as they get more independent and it's so much fun to see their little personalities coming out.

That I am not pregnant or nursing a baby for the first Thanksgiving in 6 years!!!

For air conditioning in our bedroom! I love all the windows and how breezy and cool our house stays even in the heat, but nothing beats AC in the afternoons when I can get the boys down for a nap and I can have a cool place to read my Bible, write letters, and fold laundry.

For Ezra and his red hair. I love his red hair. I also love how he is learning to talk and how he blows me kisses and says "bye ma" whenever he leaves my sight.

For Helen - LIFESAVER! Helen is a national lady who comes every Wednesday and mops the floors, washes sheets and towels, cuts the pineapples, and gives me one day a week where I don't have to do dishes!

For Rachel - Rachel is my friend I home school with; she and her husband are with a different organization than we are and do totally different type of work. She is my first "friend" that I've had outside our organization in the last 3+ years we have been here, and it's such a blessing to have a friend.

For Caleb and his brown eyes. My only little boy with brown eyes and they just sparkle when he's telling me a "joke" or when he gets excited about something. I also love how he asks me to rock him in the rocking chair when he's having a rough day and just leans back on my shoulder and sucks his thumb.

For the Internet! I am so thankful for how easy it is to stay in touch with our family and friends back in the States. Not sure I could have survived 50 years ago where the only communication was by letter. Also really thankful I can check Black Friday ads, read friends' blogs and just keep up on American life and culture a bit.

For our new house in America! Can't wait to see it... someday. :) Also thankful for my dad and my brother's roles in the whole house buying process... couldn't have gotten the house without their help.

For Elijah and his sharp mind. I love the millions of questions he asks each day. I love how he is so eager to please us and how (most times!) he is so gentle and careful with his little brothers.

For tickets to go on vacation in less than 3 weeks!!!!!!!!! So ready for a break and a chance to see some civilization. It's been over a year and a half not leaving the island; no break of any kind... so very ready!

For the sometimes difficult and frustrating things that we experience as a result of living over here - has given me a chance to see God's grace and His gentleness in such a deep way that I never saw before. So thankful for all the Lord has, and is, teaching me.

For my sweet husband... I am so blessed to have him. In the past week, he has called when he was out working to tell me that a chip seller was headed down our road, so that I could buy really yummy homemade chips; he has let me sleep in when I have had a rough night; and he got up early on Thanksgiving morning to find the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (from last year) on YouTube and downloaded it so we could all watch the parade this morning!