New Year Thankful

  • For these boys in red on Christmas night. Christmas with them is always Christmas at home.
  • Finally living in a place where people eat their black-eyed-peas for good luck on New Year’s. (It’s almost impossible to find black-eyed peas in Philadelphia or San Francisco and it just feels wrong to go without those little gray beans on New Year’s Day.)
  • That we go to a church where we get to celebrate Christmas for 12 days…way into the New Year. It’s such a relief to not have to be done when you go to bed Christmas night! (Isn’t Christmas bedtime sort of depressing?) So…maybe I’m still listening to Christmas music, okay?
  • For the dearest kind of friends in Philadelphia: cocktails with friends in the city, a late-night talk on Barb and Casey’s couch, laughing in Joe and Kate’s kitchen while their girls entertain our boys, bread and cheese with Em, Pete, Jeff and Christina, coffee with Nancy, playing with Brooksie on the Ballbachs’ kitchen floor, midnight tea with Cat. I’m so blessed to know such love (even if I didn’t know much sleep last week).
  • For a mother-in-law who loves my boys deeply and whose spiritual gift is cooking and feeding!
  • For the 9-month-old chunky legs crawling around my living room. For his joy of of newfound exploration (he discovered crawling Christmas Eve!). For how much he loves his daddy.
  • For the line of twine across our wall, Christmas cards clothes-pinned on. So many faces we love smiling at me while I wash the dishes.
  • A late night apology to my boy in the dark, leaning over his bed. I’m sorry for yelling. And his sweet kiss of forgiveness.
  • For the little boy with the new cool bike who would rather go inside and read the book about germs from the library, no matter how much I insist that riding a bike is awesome. For the reminder that my job is to love him well, not make him fit my expectations. Oh brother…this might be a long lesson to learn.
  • For the coziness of home and the joy of rest.
  • For the two days it takes to unpack and how okay I am with mess.
  • A long weekend with Chris at home and the reminder of how good he is with our boys. He has always been sweet with them but lately I’ve been amazed by the patience he’s developed this year, his ability to play long imaginative games and share secrets with August and Brooksie. Our baby squeals when his dad comes into the room. Sunday, when Chris asked August what the best part of his life is, do you know what that boy said? “Donuts with Dad,” their Saturday morning ritual. All little boys worship their dads. Few experience the sweet safety of playing with them. I’m so grateful that my boys know they are loved and received and embraced by their father.
  • My mom is coming to visit today! And it’s my parents’ anniversary.

It’s a New Year Thankful Tuesday! What are you thankful for?

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9 Comments

Filed under Thankful Tuesday

9 Responses to New Year Thankful

  1. Caq

    I started a blog! Partially bc of yours. Moving to another country and the ensuing adventures. Captain America. Going to see my friend’s comedy show. Writing. My family! Xocaq

    • Caq! I immediately googled your name and the word “blog” but found nothing yet. Do tell where this blog exists because I will be its biggest fan. And we need to catch up because your moving to another country is definitely news to me. Much love!

  2. Christina

    I’m thankful for the mystery of the year ahead! Looking forward to God’s unveiling and feeling the excitement of the year’s potential.

    Of course, I’m happy to see the fictional book selections and loved our time together! My new year’s resolution is to build community back into my/our lives. I’m starting with having people over or visiting someone once a week.

  3. burdenofglory

    I love to read how thankful you are for your husband and your boys. I grew up without my dad around, and I cherish the relationship my daughters (4 of them!) have with my husband. Priceless.

  4. Alysia

    Love seeing your pictures and feeling “caught up”-though I am a bit jealous of time with Philly friends over Christmas! I know I am posting this on the wrong day, but I just read Wallace Stegner’s Angle of Repose and really appreciated it. As a midwestern/southern girl with Eastern experience and connections, I think you would enjoy it too. =)

  5. absolutelyspeechless

    One of our favorite Christmas memories is when we, with much fanfare, wheeled out a bike for my son at the end of present-opening. He looked at it and said flatly, “I don’t want that.” We were flabbergasted. “Why not?!” ” I don’t know how to ride a bike!” Hilarious. We explained that was the idea, that he was going to learn how.
    The poor boy felt guilty for years later about his response (unbeknownst to us). After our initial confusion/deflation, it was something that we always laughed about.
    (By the way, this son just got married last week. :) )

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