Gratitude Day #12

1. I am grateful for letters for the children. Sophie received a letter today from a little friend Lauren who moved a long time ago to Texas. She was thrilled - she is always thrilled to receive mail. She worried so much when Lauren moved to Texas. She informed me daily of the peril of living in tornado alley and worried about the natural disasters that have plagued the state in recent years. Thankfully, Lauren seems to be doing well and I am grateful that she is corresponding with Sophie. There is something very special about opening the mailbox and finding a handwritten letter addressed just to you.

2. I am grateful for a computer that let me download a few photos today. Rebooting is a good thing. This weekend I am going to find someone to help me with my other computer woes.

3. I am grateful for bottle feeding a baby which gives me 20 minutes three times a day to read while watching the other kids with the eyes in the back of my head. I finished The Thirteenth Tale today and now I need someone to discuss it with - Paula? Tiffany? I am grateful to the book club women who let me plug my ears while they talked about the ending on Tuesday as I was not done with the book.

4. I am grateful to Tiffany who stopped by today to get some ideas for an invitation and ended up mopping my floor while we chatted. Feeding 10 children breakfast does quite a number on my kitchen floor. I am grateful for my cool pink mop from Walmart. It swivels and flips over - the rag part is removable and then I just toss it in the washer. Love that.

5. I am grateful for prayers. I love to hear the children pray. I love that Calvin still starts every prayer with "Dear Heavenly Father, welcome to this beautiful day!" Ever since our little talk about being grateful for what we have followed by an internet search on child poverty in America, Max always prays for those living in poverty - then the next day he asks when I think we might be able to buy a new computer. Baby steps. I am grateful that the children's prayers have changed over the last few months as they have let go of some of the stress they have been living with these last few years. I know that much of that stress came from seeing me in a constant state of worry and I hope that I too have been able to let some of that go. I am grateful that the children know how to pray and know they can always turn to their Heavenly Father for comfort and guidance.


FYI - In case you were anxious to know, the score is mice 3, Stacey 0. The mice really seem to like the peanut butter and lick the traps clean every night. Tonight Sophie and I set 4 traps and I put poison in the storage room up by the insulation. Maybe tomorrow the mice will stop laughing at me. I have a friend whose husband is getting some sticky traps for me from his work though I have to tell you the thought of those traps gives me the willies - the mouse is STILL ALIVE when they step on those things! What are you supposed to do at that point?! *shiver* I guess I'll have to go over and get the neighbor if we actually catch one.