This Our Hymn of Grateful Praise

For the joy of human love,

Brother, sister, parent, child,

Friends on earth and friends above,

For all gentle thoughts and mild.

Lord of all to Thee we raise

This our hymn of grateful praise.

(Folliot S. Pierpoint)

the house is clean

the air smells of turkey and pumpkin pie

and someone's exotic perfume :)

two little men run around just as their daddies did (a long time ago) but with shorter hair (long story)

one little prince can say his abcs, the other can pass a football better than some thrice, no quintuple his age

our grandparents who raised us are now gone from our table; we would set a place for them, but space doesn't allow. and that is good, for my table is full of siblings. the siblings in whose home i was not raised. pieced together, patched together, one phone call, FB message, and txt msg. at a time. and the babies. little 2 year old princes who are a perfect blend of the daddies and mommies and the grandparents. tiny men who grow stronger and smarter every day.

sifting through the memories, gleaning warmth and love's embrace from the past-- choosing which to perpetuate (someone must learn to make THE CANDY) we have the stuffing and fixins under control, and my husband's turkey is better than (bacon makes everything better)

we'll keep up the joke of the NO FUN HOUSE, but really we can have some fun. we'll play wii at Christmas and maybe there will be stockings; each one bursting with one apple, one orange, one Hershey bar, and maybe a chapstick

how many Buckeyes must one eat to fill the pit in your stomach, the ache of missing Oscar and Lorene so much? why does it hurt more today than last month? last year?

how much love can we lavish on each other to match what those two dear people gave us?

what should we do each day to carry on their legacy? the hole they left is in the shape of ladylike manners and Boy Scout camp expert... working hard for every dime, saving, sharing, and even sometimes splurging. if it costs too much and it's made of plastic, built it yourself, make it better and nicer! you get what you pay for. take care of what you have. be kind to God's creatures. Don't spend all your money in one place. Don't use too much toilet paper!

Visit the shut-ins. share what you have with those who don't. Don't be greedy. Teach Sunday School. Take your turn at VBS and the nursery. Wear an underslip. There is no need to show cleavage. Don't talk with food in your mouth. Conserve your paper plates. Read your Bible. Send a get-well card. Send a sympathy card. Keep your car's gas tank FULL.

Keep your heart thankful every day.

feelin' greedy or showin' gratitude?

As we draw nearer to the Thanksgiving holiday, I am committed to being intentional in showing my gratitude for the everyday blessings that I am often tempted to overlook. We have vehicles that get us back and forth to work. We have a roof over our heads, and some of us (jacob) have a room decorated in an aesthetically pleasing way. COLTS.

We have food to eat, and even have the option of eating some of our meals out. We have friends to share our lives with. We have a great church family and a super pastor/pastoral family who genuinely care about us and our daily lives. THANK YOU, AL AND GINNY :)

I have a steady source of income for the first time in over 3 years. I have a valid and current teaching license. I work with 6 different groups of children everyday, and am thrilled to see their academic progress.

I have a husband who works 2 jobs to support our family. He is very low-maintenance and keeps our family stable. Thank you, daniel:)

I have a great neighbor who taught me how to read literature and think critically about books and film. Thank you, Amy.

Tomorrow: more on my thankful list--which will include our children, our kitty, my departed grandmother, and my new teacher friends at school.