Thankful in November, Day 5 & Day 6

Day 5- I'm thankful for these little monkeys! 

 

I posted this yesterday on facebook, for the amusement of many.  This is how we woke up on Monday morning!  We heard some giggles and Travis went to investigate...He appeared in our doorway and said, "Steph.  You have to come see this."  That's never how you want to wake up :) There they were, two little "toothpaste artists" frantically trying to clean up their painting job with toilet paper and baby wipes!  Carter took one look at me and said, "I clean up! I clean up! I clean up!"  Umm, yes...Thankfully we had the presence to react carefully because although messy, really we were just tickled!  We laughed, warned them not to do that again, and then I cleaned it up.  (Thankfully, kids toothpaste is pretty easy to wash off walls, FYI!) Was it my favorite way to start a Monday morning?  Probably not.  Am I thankful for funny moments in life like this one?  Yes!  At some point in my former (read: pre-children) life, this would have thrown me for a loop.  Now, after 3.5 years of going with the flow, I'm finally learning to just let my kids be kids, knowing that we all learn what's good behavior and what's not usually by doing the wrong thing first!  Choosing your battles, keeping some perspective, and giving them GRACE as they grow up and mature...these are all things the Lord is working in me as I parent.  Some days I model it well, some days I don't.  But I'm grateful for these two little people who are helping us grow and mature ourselves.  Like marriage, I think parenthood is a refining work of God.  And for the days we can laugh instead of cry, I'm thankful! 

Look at those two stinkers! 

Don't you just love Daddy's choice of PJ's for Carter, by the way?  Rocket ships and whales...Gotta love when Daddy gets the kids in bed!! 

 

Day 6- I am thankful for the freedom to vote!



I managed to get to the polls today with my little people in tow and cast my vote, which is incredibly important and defintely a freedom that we should not take for granted!  This election is an important one for all of us.  In addition to the Presidency, in Minnesota we have the Marriage Ammendment on the ballot, protecting the definition of marriage between one man and one woman.  It's a big deal and it's been hotly contested and the source of much contention.  I am praying that we will vote to protect traditional marriage, but I just have no idea how our state will go.  We believe strongly that because the Lord designed marriage very clearly in His Word, He's also the one who gets to define it!  Not culture.  However, we do have a responsibility to defend God and His Word, so that's how we voted. 

 

Elections tend to bring out the ugliness in a lot of people.  All of this slander and mud slinging and judgementalism, I'm so ready for it to be OVER.  I'm so thankful that my eternal future isn't in the hands of government, that my peace doesn't depend on politics or that my hope doesn't rest on who is ultimately in the White House.  I think we can all agree that no matter who gets voted in that office, they both need the Lord to give them wisdom and guidance.  We have much to pray for, regardless of outcome!

So with gratitude in my heart for the opportunity to cast my vote, we wait. 

And no matter what happens, this is why we'll be able to rest tonight...