The Thankful Game

When the girls are being ungrateful for things, like when they pout or complain when they get something nice, we play the thankful game. When they complain, we make them say 3 things they are thankful for. For every time they refuse (yes they refuse), we add another thing. Little miss A once got up to like thirty something...pretty much she was just going to see if I was going to give up and I had made up my mind that I WOULD NOT give that one up! Luckily, she lost count of how many things she said so I just had her name things until she got in a happy mood. It drives me CRAZY when the girls are not thankful for the wonderful life I give them, but then I realize something...it isn't ME that gives them a wonderful life, AND....how many times am I not thankful for the wonderful life our heavenly Father has given me? Yeah...too many times. Sooooo............I am going to have a little thankful game of my own on here. I have seen people write something every day on facebook that they are thankful for. I love reading those people's things, but by the time I noticed what they were doing, I was too late in the game. So here is my own little game. I am going to go through the alphabet and thing of something I am thankful for with each letter. I am just going to write whatever comes to my head first, so they may not (well, mostly won't be) deep and thoughtful, but you just never know what will come to mind.

A--Adoption--It has been just about two years since we adopted the girls and I am really so so thankful. Each one has made my life better because they are in it forever. But even more than their adoption, I am SO thankful to be adopted into God's family! Just to think of that concept overwhelms.....His love and grace is so overwhelming and wonderful!
B--My nephew B. Really, what would I do without this little guy? He calls me almost every day and talks to his "TT"--that's me. You know he is a special fella if I am proud that he calls me TT!
C--Camera--I LOVE my camera! I have to remind myself often that we are not supposed to love our possessions so much. I am just so thankful to have a nice camera AND to know how to use it pretty good and I look forward to learning more!
D--Dogs--I guess I am thinking of them because they are laying here with me as I write. I love these dumb dogs. We have had Maggie for like 5 years and have had Hudson for several months. They are both a lab mix (Maggie is 60ish pounds and Hudson is 80ish pounds) and they both think they are one of the kids. Hudson has separation anxiety and if he isn't let out of the house every 2 hours, he pees. He is really annoying sometimes, but I love this guy. And no question that Maggie is the 5th child (or the first as she sees it). Today when I came home for lunch I was getting the mail and I hear someone say, "Hi there". I am not kidding when I tell you that Hudson said it. You should have been there to see my face! I was in shock but I am telling you...That dog talked to me! Needless to say he won't talk for anyone else tonight, but he DID talk to me earlier today!!!!
E--Emily--She is a wonderful girl that surrendered her life to children's ministry several years ago when she was in high school. She is in a transition period of her life right now and works, lives at home and comes to the church and helps me do children's ministry stuff on Wednesdays. I love her! We have so much fun together and she does anything I need her to AND she is so wonderful to my girls!
F--Family--I have the BEST family EVER!!! I love my dad so much and can't even express with words what he means to me! There isn't very many people who are so close to so many of their family members. I have 5 aunts that I am so very close to and I love them, then add my cousins and step-sisters and Pam...I am blessed! (I will talk about Autumn and Bethany when I get to S, don't worry)
G--Grandparents--I have so much respect for the way all 4 of my grandparents have chosen to live their lives. People come to me all the time telling me how one of my grandparents have influenced their lives. A said in her prayer tonight "Thank you god for Papa and that he lived his life good and made good choices". Amazing...even though he is gone, she realizes the impact of his life. My grandma is a constant example in the way she lives her life every day for the Lord. My grandmother is in the nursing home, but she still can pray the sweetest prayer and sing praises to the Lord, even when she doesn't even realize all that is going on around her. Her eyes light up when children come around and when you talk about the Lord. My Paw Paw faithfully stays at the nursing home and watches over her. He doesn't just sit around though, even in the nursing home, he finds a way to serve and minister to others by helping them get places and eat and such. Four AMAZING examples!
H--Happy mornings--It doesn't happen every morning, and I love my children no matter what, but I am so thankful for the mornings when all 6 of us are happy!
I--ideas--I don't always have a lot of good ideas, so I am thankful when I get one!
J--Jesus--Really...I don't even know what else to say about Jesus...I could not get through a day without him!
K--Kindred spirits (yes, I love Anne of Green Gables) There are so many people God has placed in my life that are kindred spirits--they just get me. I'm not even going to attempt to name them cause I know I will forget someone, but you know who you are!
L--Laughter--I LOOOOOVVVVEEE to laugh and pretty much laugh about everything! I even laugh at very inappropriate times. My friend Becky and I laugh nonstop when we are together. The girls love to laugh too, and I love that!
M--moments alone--I love the chaos in my life, but I am also thankful for the moments that I have alone. They are precious. Now realize that my moments alone are NOT in the bathroom like I think they might be when I go into the bathroom. But every time I go in there, it is like an alarm goes off and all children automatically need something. I am thankful for moments alone!
N--new and used clothes--I enjoy shopping for the girls' clothes. I also love it when some of our friends give us their hand-me-downs. It is fun to receive the clothes and it is so generous of them to do so. I know they could do something out with their clothes, so I am thankful they choose to give them to us.
O--Oklahoma (random I know, but it is the first thing that came to my head)...I am meaning the play Oklahoma. We love the state too, but we absolutely love going to see the musical every summer. I love that tradition!
P--peace--I am thankful that even when situations are crazy and circumstances can get really difficult, God gives a peace beyond all understanding.
Q--Quarters--The girls can get a quarter for each chore they complete. I am thankful that a quarter can keep them pretty much motivated at the time. I know that pretty soon a quarter won't cut it, so right now I am thankful for quarters.
R--real people--I am thankful for the people in my life that do not pretend. They are real. Good or bad, they are real....they are who they are...no apologies...I am thankful for that!
S--Sisters--easy one right? I can not imagine my world without my sisters! Yep, just tried to think of that world without them and I just can't do it! I love them so much and I am so so so so grateful that my girls have each other! I remind them often that not everyone has a sister and they are something to be cherished, not to fight with!
T--truth--The truth is what I cling to every day! I am thankful that God reveals His truth to us through His Word!
U--Unique family--I totally realize that our family situation is not normal. I realize we are unique and I am so thankful for our unique family!
V--Vacations--We love to go on vacations! We love going to hotels. Even if we don't go far, we like to go to a hotel and pretend like we are on vacation! It is just so much fun and I am thankful for those times together and I am thankful for those fun memories.
W--Wacky games--I love to make up wacky games to play and I love it that the girls like to play them! I am talking about games like: you have to sing everything instead of talking for the evening, dance parties in the kitchen, making animal sounds after every sentence...pretty wacky but creates lots of laughter!
X--X-tra special job! (I know that's a reach using the x) I love working with kids. I am so thankful and totally impressed with my kids at church. I learn so much for them and I have so much fun with them!
Y--I can't think of anything that begins with a y except for yawn. So I guess I am thankful for sleep!
Z--the Zoo I live in! So thankful for it!

That game was harder than I thought! I'm glad I did it...my heart is full thinking of all of the blessings in my life!