Thankful

We have a new habit at the dinner table. We say a short prayer. Usually Karsten leads with a simple prayer. Then we ask each other: "What are you thankful for?"

I underestimated the kids' answers. I thought it would be simple things like: my toys, watching cartoons. But what they said were things like: "I'm thankful for my family. I'm thankful for when daddy comes home from work. I'm thankful for Zachary coming home from school. I'm thankful for our new bunk beds."

And one day, Zachary said, "I'm thankful that God is with us." I teared up thinking about that. He is with us. And how awesome that Zachary recognizes that.

The kids prompt us and say: "Mom! What are YOU thankful for?" One night, after some thought, I said, "I'm thankful that I get to stay home with you guys." When we first moved, staying home with the boys was harder than I thought. The change was hard. Not working, not going, not doing and not being in constant motion was hard. But now, I'm thankful for my new life. This suits me. I can't imagine being constantly going, being stressed out and unbalanced. This life of being able to spend time with the boys. Baking gingerbread men. Going to the library. Going to the grocery store. Reading stories. Doing projects. It's all a part of a life that I'm thankful for,

So our new habit at the dinner table helps us to all reflect. What are we thankful for? It's a daily reminder that we have a lot to be thankful for.

I am thankful that God allowed this change in our lives. It helps me to appreciate those people closest to me.