I’m Blessed

I have to admit, I almost feel like putting prayer requests on this post today instead of blessings.  I’d ask for prayer that I’d somehow catch up after this bout of sickness my family has had.  Our garden is way behind.  My house is way behind.  Really everything is way behind.

That’s not the point, though.  In all circumstances, there is reason for thanks.  I totally agree with the main message in the book I’m reading “One Thousand Gifts” that thankfulness, grace, and joy are intimately tied together.  Joy does not come without gratitude.  As I’m overwhelmed by the stuff I think I need to get done before I can be happy and content, I want to shift my focus this morning to what I have and am grateful for.  I want to give thanks.  That’s really the only sanity-saving way to go.

I’m not going to talk about our sickness much today.  That’s boring and gross.  Some amazing things came from it this last week, though.  I usually sort of quarantine the family when we get sick, and don’t go anywhere.  By Saturday, I really, really needed to get some grocery shopping done and I just needed to get out.  I had at least 5 stops to make in town, and I didn’t feel comfortable bringing sick kids along.

Knut had to work, and I didn’t think I’d find a babysitter willing to come out when Solveig at least, still had a fever.  Silje was at the tail end of it.  She felt fine, and just had a scratchy voice left.  Well, it turned out that one of my favorite babysitters was free the whole day.  She’s never free because she babysits for so many families because she’s just so awesome.  I got her.  Last minute, with 15 minutes notice.  I was shocked.  I’m so blessed.

One thing I’ve learned as a mother: never ever take an amazing babysitter for granted.  Treat them like gold.

So I got the day off.  It was wonderful in so many ways!  Even when I got home with groceries, I asked if she could stick around so I could just get some stuff done at home.  She had no problem with that.  So she stuck around for another hour and a half.  Isn’t that awesome?

I’m blessed that Knut has been taking such great care of the chickens while I handle everything here at home.  There’s a lot on my plate right now, and I’m grateful he’s taken over out there for awhile.  I’m back on laying chick duty today, I guess.  I can’t wait to see the girls.  My layers are in the coop now, and I haven’t even visited them there yet.

I’m grateful to realize that my kids actually do help.  I was surprised how much extra work I had to do when they were sick.  It made my heart glad to see so severely that all the training I’m doing is actually doing something.  My house is a little messy right now.  I’m hoping that will change today as everyone is feeling better.

I’m blessed that my sister is done with teaching this school year, and has the time to chat with me on the phone again.  I’ve missed my friend deeply these last months that she’s gone back to work.  I feel like a new person having her back again.

I’m grateful for moments like supper last night.  Silje asked me if she could open up and listen to the CDs sitting on the school shelf.  I explained to her that those were for school next year.  It was music from the composers we are going to study.

“Studying music is school?” She asked.
“Yes.  We’ve done it before.” I said.
After pausing to think, she said “So do you mean, those CDs with the geography songs are school?”
“Ha!  Yes.  Those are most definitely school.” I said.
“Oh.  I just thought they were fun.”

It was a good moment for me.  I needed that.

Knut chimed in, “And you know all of those geography puzzles you like to do?  Those are school too.”
Silje’s jaw dropped.  “I thought those were just presents!”

“Learning is a gift.”  I said.  “So yes, they were gifts for you kids.”

I’m also blessed with an abundance of yarn right now, even though it is sort of overwhelming me.  I’m blessed with this house that I love that gets messy so easily.  I’m blessed with snuggly kids and a very open-minded husband.  I’m blessed by cell phones and the ability to talk to family thousands of miles away.  I’m blessed by my church family who minister to me in such amazing ways every Sunday morning.

I got to see Knut’s grandparents at church yesterday.  They don’t normally go to our church, but they were there yesterday.  This month they are having an anniversary.  This will be their 70th.  70th wedding anniversary!  Have you ever heard of such a thing?  Man, I’m so blessed by both of them.  Knut’s grandma especially, who knows how to do so many things, never makes me feel stupid for not knowing how to do any of them.  I’ll have to do a post sometime about some of our conversations about knitting.  It’ll be too long for today.

My friends, I’m blessed.