I'm Grateful For...

I decided that it's time to start up my Grateful section again. This one deserved its own post.

Thursday, May 7th: Greg and I sat on the couch and discussed plans for the upcoming weekend. We decided that after my doctor appointment the following day, that we would stop at the Nursery and buy plants, seeds, and manure needed to get the garden going. We would drive to my parents house, pick up the tiller (you know - the one that crossed the plains with my ancestors; okay, it's not that old - but close), and we would spend Saturday preparing the soil and planting our garden. We discussed what we would like to plant this year and where to try to fit everything into our small yard.

Saturday, May 9th: Kade decided it was simply too stressful living inside my body, so instead of planting our garden, we decided to bring two little boys into this world. They have consumed every waking minute since.

A week or two after we had been home from the hospital, my parents decided they needed a service project. They chose me. Knowing that fresh tomatoes, carrots, zucchini, and corn make me happier than Christmas morning, they showed up on my doorstep with plants in hand, tiller in the back of the Tahoe, and my brother as Worker #3.

Today, I am grateful to my mom, my dad, and my brother for doing what I could not. I'm also grateful for Greg for staying on top of the weeding and maintaining our small but happy garden. I have been reaping the rewards for several weeks now.

Tonight, with the use of 13 fresh tomatoes, I made this:

My house smelled of just the perfect blend of garlic, onions, and tomatoes. My heart was happy. For information on how to make the marinara sauce, go here.

Afterward, I used this:

To make this:

For information on how to make the cake, go here. For information on how to make the adorable children, go here.

Monday, September 18th: Greg and I sat on the couch and discussed our many blessings. We were actually talking about a family crisis (or two) and our role in helping to ease the burden a bit. Then we talked about how we have spent the past several months swimming as hard as we can just to keep our heads above water. This was not a discussion full of self-pity; we laughed as we discussed our survival techniques and creativity. Twice last week, I woke up about 2:30 in the morning to find that we had fallen asleep in mid-conversation with several lights on (and Greg's contacts still in). As I sleepily wandered around the house in the middle of the night, turning off lights, locking doors, starting the dishwasher, and flushing toilets (seems like that always needs to be done), I thought about how we are exhausted, but in the best possible way. I can't think of any other way I'd rather be expending my energy. Ironically, challenges have a way of highlighting our many blessings.

Thank you to everyone who has sought a service project and thought of my family over the past several months. We have felt so much charity and Christlike love enter our home. Thank you for helping so willingly and sharing your love with us. I truly am grateful for all the good, good people in my life.