23rd

I'm thankful for my friend, Carolyn, and so excited for her wedding this weekend! Wish I could be there, but will look forward to seeing pictures:).

I'm thankful for each day that the Lord allows me to spend with my family.

I'm thankful for the freedom to homeschool. I'm learning many things as I work with each of the kids and it's exciting to see them reach different goals each week. Caleb is working up steam with his reading and I think he's going to be a runaway engine soon! He read 6 lessons, because he wanted to, today. This is huge! I've had to tell him to read most of the time, but he wants to work through both of his 1st grade Bible readers quickly and his reading keeps getting faster with each lesson passed. Kiersten seems to be one step ahead of me. She already seems to be able to sight read a bit, which might mean she starts reading this summer, with a bit of extra time. She's picked up so much by listening to the others that she sometimes frustrates the others by answering first.

I'm thankful for the blessings of my evening devotions. I've read through the Bible several times, but the Lord is always teaching me:). I just finished reading a book called, "Why I Am A Baptist" by Doug Hammett. I think it was part of my dad's library that we inherited. I may have even read it before, but it was a good refresher and I'm thankful for the blessing of a godly heritage.

So thankful to have been brought up with parents that read the Word of God to us and encouraged us to read it for ourselves, to hide it in our hearts and to ask the Lord to make it real in our lives. There are so many times that I feel inadequate for this job of being a mother, but with the Lord's help, it is possible to be victorious and joyful in the everyday! To grow in my love for my husband and children. It's all because of the Lord's help.

I'm thankful when the kids don't have to be reminded to say Please and Thank You.

I'm thankful as each of our children start to notice things that need to be done and take care of them, rather than waiting for me to direct them to clean certain areas in the house. I'm thankful for the times that they don't complain about not having been the one to make the mess:). I could use that excuse 95% of the time, but I choose not to:))).

I'm thankful for friends who challenge me to write down these things because my list grows day by day and it takes the focus off the negative and onto the positive things that the Lord has done and is continuing to do in all of our lives.

Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised! This is the day that the Lord hath made, we will rejoice and be glad in it!