Thankful Thursday

I'm very thankful today for a couple of things....

#1) Today we got our Jonathan tree. Our neighbors all pitched in to buy us a tree in memory of Jonathan--how can I express how thankful I am for all of them??? They are all so thoughtful and Justin and I are so honored to have them as neighbors. We chose a very a special tree from a tree farm about 30 minutes north of our house. It is called an Autumn Blaze Maple, and it turns a vivid red color in the fall. It has just begun to change now, and it is already beautiful! I can't wait for it to grow over the next few years--we are going to incorporate it into a whole memorial garden. What a beautiful and daily reminder of our precious boy's life! Thank you Jimmie, Charlie, Don, Kathy, Wendy, and Dennis!!

Aren't the leaves beautiful??

#2) I'm so thankful to live in this country and have the freedom to vote. Today I went with some friends to do early voting, and it just hit me, again, how wonderful it is to live in our country. Even with all of the uncertainty right now, the craziness of the economy, and many political beliefs that I don't agree with, I love that I am a part of it. Our future truly is in our hands right now--so many people around the world do not get this opportunity. Please don't let this election go by without being a part of the future of our country--you have to vote! So many crucial things depend on the results of this election--on the right person getting into office. There is only one choice for our country, even if you aren't too happy with the last 8 years. Our freedoms (financial, moral, social) will be greatly affected by our next president. The Supreme Court has such power in the checks and balances of our government, the interpretation of our laws--the wrong nominees could affect us for generations. As a Christian, I'm convinced that voting for McCain and Palin is the right decision, and the only decision, for our country. There is more to this election that all that we see--there is a spiritual battle going on. The choices we make now will affect our eternity--we can't take that lightly or make hasty decisions based on what is popular. It is up to us to live in a way that honors God--and we can do that through making the right vote! Okay...enough politics! I'm kind of sounding like my husband (which isn't a bad thing)!! =)

#3) I'm thankful for work. I don't think I mentioned earlier that I went back to work (again) this week. I did a 6 week long-term sub at the beginning of the year, but had some weeks off after it was over. My friend, Kamili, who I worked for last year, offered me my job back, and really wouldn't let me say no! =) I am a reading coach for kinder-5th graders, and I'm enjoying it. Honestly, I really wasn't looking forward to going back, because in my head, this isn't where I was supposed to be right now. But now that I've been there for four days, all the hugs I've gotten from students I had last year, have really made me feel happy to be back. I'm thankful that God has provided me this opportunity, with people to work with who really are there for me.

Hope you have a lot of things that you're thankful for this week!