Filled up with Thanks

Today is Thanksgiving in Canada.   Our American neighbors to the south also have a 'Thanksgiving' holiday but they celebrate late in November.  Our Holiday lines up with Autumn and harvest.  It is a day set aside to reflect on the abundance we have and give thanks to God for our blessings.  

We started our holiday a little early with a visit to our good friends who live a few hours away. 

I'm so thankful for friends that are just as strange as we are.  It's not very often in life when you find a family that meshes completely and naturally with yours.  The more our life looks a little odd, or we make decisions that are out side of the norm...the more we come across raised eye brows,  criticism, or the opinions of others on how our life should be.  Not that we expect, or require, the approval of anyone...I had my people pleasing idol painfully crushed a few years back.  We have friends and family that we dearly love and enjoy spending time with on all different paths through life, but it's completely refreshing and encouraging to just put our feet up and hang out with our friends who "get" us.  They have the same love for Jesus, the same intentional heart for orphans, the same passion for traveling to serve and love people who are living in desperate circumstances,  they happen to home school their kids, they have a larger than average family, the same sense of humor, and they even drive a big old van like we do.  

 If you've ever home schooled, lived as a mixed race family, or adopted you know what an asset and gift it is to be able to share struggles, glean wisdom, and gain lots of practical advice on everything from curriculum choices, to parenting a child that has a past filled with trauma and loss.  

It's pretty awesome just to be our "weird" selves...and have sweet fellowship in our weirdness.  We spend a lot of our time together laughing...and drinking a a lot of coffee (the secret to keeping up with 10 kids) 

I love all of our kids!...and I love that our families are continuing to expand, and that they will grow up sharing life together.  

Duncan, our friend's new puppy is the newest addition to the pack.

Our Thanksgiving weekend Saturday included cleaning up the yard and garden for winter, washing windows and generally preparing to be snowed in for the next several months...and then tea and cake with friends we haven't seen in a while.   On Sunday we worshiped with our church family, drove out for a quick visit to see my sister and her new little princess.  After that visit, we joined with some friends from church, two other young families, and had a delicious thanksgiving dinner complete with home made pumpkin pie.  We got home late again last night now I have a horribly crabby over tired toddler to bring me back down to reality.  It was worth the pay back though.

Roman is away on a fishing trip with grandma and grandpa.  We're expecting him home tonight and I know he'll have many tales of adventure to tell us.  

My new little neice is such a gorgeous baby...she looks so incredibly familiar as I clearly see two of my sisters in her little face.  

It was pretty sweet to hold a newborn baby again.  

A proud cousin marvels over her tiny little hands.

This guy has always adored babies. 

Today, and every day, I have SO much to be thankful for.  

I am thankful for each one of my five little treasures. I am thankful to have a husband who is continually growing deeper in his faith and selfless love for his family.  He intentionally and humbly leads his family closer to Jesus.  I am thankful for a husband who only has eyes for me, and still tells me everyday that I'm beautiful.   I am incredibly thankful that both of our adoption processes both have an end in sight.   I am amazed, and humbled, and so filled with thanks that our China adoption is now fully funded...and that money will not stand in the way between us and our new son.  I'll write more on that miracle later.

I am thankful for family, for friends, for new life, and growing families as hearts and homes are opened.  I'm thankful that God provides what we need before we even realize we need it. 

I am thankful that a holy and good God would love a wretch like me.  I thankful that He lived the life I couldn't live and died the death I should have died. I'm thankful that I am now free, and no longer a slave to myself.   I am thankful that I stand completely covered in the righteousness of Christ, a righteousness that I could never earn, merit or add anything to.....AND as if that wasn't enough, that He would have a beautiful purpose for this broken, redeemed, vessel.   In Christ, I can live life abundantly, secure, and filled with every good gift, continually amazed that He would fill me up, so that I can be poured out for His glory.  

Soli Deo Gloria,