365 Days of Blessings, Day 240

Giving Thanks and Praise for:

1. My oldest daughter's 12th birthday!

2. The sweet memory of seeing and holding my daughter for the first time the day she was born.

3. My oldest daughter is 12, but she still likes to sit on my lap and cuddle.

4. My oldest daughter liked her birthday pancakes, even though they fell apart from griddle to plate so that each letter was halved.

5. Hearing my daughter tell Grandma and Grandpa about how wonderful her birthday party was last weekend, and watching her show Grandma and Grandpa all her gifts, and the amazing handmade cards her friends made for her.

6. Being able to take most of the day to celebrate.


7. Giving my daughter a fun gift, and a serious one too, trying to celebrate this time when she is in the crossover between young girl and young woman.

8. The laughter over a messed up birthday dine out dinner with family between a dance photo shoot and a dance class. Our timing was off, our favorite restaurant is out of business, and we ate at Wendy's and had burgers. However, we sang Happy Birthday anyway, ate happily, and talked, and my daughter opened presents with joy and thankfulness.

9. My youngest daughter's comment, "Wow, I guess God doesn't want us to eat at Ruby Tuesday's tonight! He must want us to eat square burgers (Wendy's)."

10. Seeing my daughters enjoying a little time with two Grandmas, two Grandpas, and a cousin.

11. Enjoying a little extra studio friend time . . . unexpectedly and the humor that comes only at the end of a long day . . . when we are all too tired to say words without turning them into something midly hilarious (to us).

12. Jesus is the way. He is the direction for our family, and everything else is a dilapidated roadside attraction.

Scripture Blessings:

"Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'" John 14:6