Thankful Thursday

I recently finished reading One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. I will openly admit that this was a hard book for me. Normally, I am quite the fast reader. This is something that I inherited from my father but didn't really hone till the last 10 years. But this book took all my energy. I would have to read whole pages not just once but multiple times. I would start other books and then return to "gifts" only to get frustrated and start something else.

At first I thought it was the writing. Then I thought that maybe it had been a little too long since I read. That was followed by, "I just don't have the time to devote to this book."

Really the answer was: it was me. This book really made me look at me and what I saw. And I didn't really want to do that. So I put it off. I blamed everything else for not finishing this and then finally (towards the end I might add) a light bulb went off.

I stand by my early assessment that this is not an easy book to read. But it is worth it.

With that in mind, I thought Thursdays would be the perfect time to summize my "thankfuls." (Plus I totally saw it on someone's blog once and found it catchy)

I'm thankful for:

• My sister, Marci. We fought like crazy when we were little and made my mom cry because all she wanted was for us to be friends. Well mom, we are more than that. I love the fact that although we are completely different in most ways, we are so similar in the ways that count. I love that fact that we can call on each other for child rearing advice and laugh about our families via text. I am so thankful that she is my not only my earthly sister but my Heavenly sister as well.
• My baby sister, Jordana. I have always looked at her as my surrogate child (I am 9 years older than her) and I'm sure that has driven her mad on more than one occasion. But I love that she loves with reckless abandon. I love that she's joining the "mom club" soon and can join in the convos between Marci and I. She loves my children and you can't ask for more than that! 
• Cards. I love to write cards and it makes me so happy to know that the recipient is going to have something other than junk mail in their mailbox. Plus I love to receive cards too.
• Bedtime talks. I learn so much about my children in those few minutes before sleep takes over. 
• Thank yous. Two small words but they sure do have a lot behinde them.