Thank you

three sleeping boys. thank you Lord.
for baby Luke rocking soundly asleep in his swing. he'll be awake again in two hours to eat. thank you Lord that he is healthy. thank you for his first smile yesterday. It was quick and it didn't last long because he is still learning but in those 2 seconds he melted my heart and made my day. his name says it all "gift from God".

Caleb is upstairs laying on top of his bed because he likes to sleep with his animal blanket and not under the covers. with cody the camel snuggled close to his chest I tuck him in and pull his blanket up to his little chin...he gives me a wet kiss goodnight. I love kissing him on the left side of his forehead where his cowlick pushes his blonde hair back. it's the perfect place for a kiss. thank you Lord. he is pure joy to me.

Josh-my oldest son- oh thank you Lord! He's so dear to my heart. He's getting so big Lord. Thank you for his long skinny legs. Thank you for allowing me to care for him. before bed i put chapstick on his little lips because he sleeps with his mouth open and his lips get chapped. thank you Lord that I am his Mommy. He doesn't like to sleep with his animals anymore. Dory is now one of the many stuffed animals in the toy basket. But not to me...Dory fish holds a special place in my heart. i remember when Matt brought her home from Kentucky for Josh. I remember thinking "he brought home the blue Dory fish out of all the characters in Finding Nemo?" But in the heart of this little boy Dory was his fish. She became a fixture in our house. We took her on all of our trips. We spent many nights going back down the stairs after tucking Josh into bed looking to find his Dory. I remember the day he road on the lawnmower with Matt and accidentally dropped Dory. He brought Dory in to me because Matt accidentally ran over her. We sewed her back together which ended up being one of many times that we would have to sew Dory back together. i remember one of the times that I had come to the end of myself and the Lord so gently revealed to me that I was like that Dory fish. I will never forget the freedom that came to me. Lord thank you for Dory. Thank you for the little boy that cared so deeply for her, that prized his father's gift, and that is now upstairs sleeping without her. Lord, i think after this blog entry I might start sleeping with Dory.

Matt is across the world tonight. thank you Lord that he is so close to my heart and not far from my thoughts. thank you for uniting us as one. i can see him now in my thoughts. i wonder if he has scratched his arm today and how many times that he has talked about us to other people. i wonder how many times he has made the team laugh and how many times he has talked in a chinese accent. i think of the ways he must be so impressive to the people he is meeting with just like he is to me. i wonder how many times he's felt honored to be sitting where he is and how many times he's thanked you for going before him. thank you Lord for my husband. thank you.

thank you for this computer. thank you that it's been a window into his world these past few days. it's been hard to leave it. but Lord thank you. you have always been so sweet to me.

Thank you for the "Comfort & Joy" tea that I am drinking in this huge Hong Kong Starbuck's cup. I remember buying the tea after Christmas last year on sale. Lord you know that i love finding things like that. and the HK cup. I picked it to drink out of tonight for the very same reasons the boys and i have eaten noodles and pot stickers. It's because where he is and what he's doing is where and what we want to be doing as well. Thank you Lord for these desires.

Thank you for this time- it's been priceless. you Jesus are priceless to me. thank you for your love. for your gentle care. for your leading. for your shepherding. for your sovereignty. thanks for a bigger story. thank you for allowing me to be a part. thank you for your divine appointments. for the works that you planned before time. thanks for being my center. Jesus thank you.