Today I’m thankful for my siblings. All 6 of them.

There are too many of them for me to take a day sharing about each of them, because I have so many more things to be thankful for and the month is gone.

Let’s just say, that growing up was always very interesting. 4 boys and 3 girls (plus the parental units to guide them) made for a good life. I remember people always teasing us about being Catholic (which we’re not). As if we didn’t realize that we had a big family.

We grew up in an age of innocence. (of course every child should feel that way.) There were no set belt laws (so my little sister and I rode in the back of a station wagon); we could drink water out of the hose; McNuggets were new; you could trade a Tootsie Roll Pop wrapper with an Indian and a Star for a free candy. You wouldn’t waste an afternoon playing video games because although Pong was fun, you could only beat that ball around so many times. Good memories.

We never had a lot of things growing up, and the things we did have were always from a yard sale. (It’s kind of funny to compare growing up with Alan, because all his toys were new from the store, but we had them later from a garage sale.) That didn’t really matter. I remember friends would see how we played together, and I think they were jealous of what we had. Each other.

Of course, with 7 kids there was also a lot of sibling rivalry and teasing and fighting. I remember one of my brothers said to me, “I’m the only one that gets to pick on you.” This was after he defended me from a mean boy at school.

I was thinking about this yesterday as I finished up a calendar I have been making with pictures of all of us from this year. Now that we are all grown, we live in separate states and towns. I was filled with a sense of gratitude for these reasons: Even though we live many miles apart, we still see each other as much as we can. (I have many pictures of us gathered in varying numbers through out the year.) The other thing that I am most thankful for is that we have healthy relationships. I know I’m not the best at keeping in contact with them (and vice versa), but when we see each other there aren’t any guilt trips about not keeping in touch. There are no awkward moments of time passed. We’re family, and that’s enough.

Today I’m thankful for my siblings.

These are my two sisters and their families with my parents

This is a picture of 3 of my brothers with my family (I'm the one holding the camera)

This is my other brother with my sisters' families.

I know. . .it’s a big family. and I LOVE it!

You are my God and I will give thanks; You are my God and I will exalt you. Give thanks to the Lord for he is good; His love endures forever.

Psalm 118:28-29

Tags: 30 days of Thanks, family, thanks

Day 15?!? November is flying by way to fast.

Today I’m thankful for my parents (in-laws).

Not only were they incredibly patient and loving to Alan during his most insane years as a teen, they have lovingly and unconditionally accepted me into the family.

I have never felt from either side of Alan’s parents the typically portrayal of the in-laws. They have always been great sources of love and guidance as Alan and I have “grown-up” into adulthood.

I don’t call them “mom” or “dad” like some daughter-in laws may. I think it’s because I look to them as friends. They aren’t replacements to my parents, but are part of our loving family and friends.

It is a true blessing to feel love and acceptance unconditionally.

Today I am thankful for my parents (in-law).

Tags: 30 days of Thanks, family, thanks

Today I’m thankful for my parents.

This picture was taken several Thanksgivings ago.

I think that when you look at a person’s parenting style, you should look to see how the kids turn out, although this isn’t always the case (sometimes you have great parents with kids that make you scratch your head in wonder, and other times you have terrible parents who manage to turn out pretty decent kids). Oh sure, my parents could have done things differently, I fear that most people feel that way. When you have 7 kids, your bound to make mistakes along the way, but as a whole my parents did an incredible job in raising us.

When I think about my dad as a father, I am most grateful. A testimony to his love and dedication is seen in the way that my own brothers father. They each love their kids deeply and take (or took) the time to invest in their lives and interests. My dad would even show interest in our friends lives, modeling a father figure to them as well. When I think about my dad, he worked very hard to provide for our family, and made sacrifices of his own interest in order to provide for us.

My mom fills my heart with gratitude as well. It is a blessing to know her as an adult. She is not only my mom, but a best friend that I can call on at any time. Growing up, we never had to worry about things around the home, because our mom took the time to care for our needs. She (unlike myself) never complained about cooking, and doing laundry, making sure we had what we needed for school. But she also would take the time to share her life and interests with us.

My parents took the time to invest in our lives. They put their own wants aside and made huge sacrifices. They both have exemplified hard work and dedication, along with honesty. Their love for God was never pushed on us, although they took the time to teach us about their faith in God. I have many memories of family outings and day trips. Most of all my parents demonstrated unconditional love.

It is a testimony that they have been married for nearly 50 years. Their love for one another is not based on any modern notion of love, but the kind of love that puts the other first.

Today I’m thankful for my parents.

17 I will thank the LORD because he is just; I will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.

Psalm 7:17

Tags: 30 days of Thanks, family, thanks

Today I am thankful for Sweet T. (not the drink, but MY Sweet T.)

Sweet T. is a lover. (I tell her that all the time.) Her love language is words of affirmation. You could literally beat her black and blue, but she won’t bend her strong-willed ways. However, you speak love and encouragement to her and she is like putty in your hands. She loves deeply and sweetness oozes from her every being.

Last night she was particularly needing love and affection. I had tucked her in at least three times. She came to the steps and said, “Mommy, do you think one day when I am a mommy I will be as great a mommy as you?” Of course I couldn’t be mad at her for being out of bed AGAIN after saying that.

My response to her was something along the lines of, “Oh, Sweet T. You will never be as awesome as I am.” To which, she giggled. (I try to convince them all the time about how awesome I am. That, or I tell them how mean I am. All jokingly.)

She is a beam of joy and bliss.

One of my favorite things she said to me was when she was about 3 or 4 years old. I asked her why was she so sweet. Her reply, “Because I’m cute.”

Today I’m thankful for my Sweet T.

Let your roots go down deep into him and let your lives be built on him.

Then your faith will grow strong in truth that you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.

Colossians 2:7

Tags: 30 days of Thanks, family, thanks