Dan and my list....

Dan will not be arriving home tomorrow morning as planned.  Instead, he is now currently scheduled to come home on December 23rd.  And y'all, I am praying that he actually does make it home for Christmas.  If he doesn't, the kids will be devastated. So, I'm praying that he will be home on the 23rd and that he will at least get to stay home 4 or 5 nights.  Although, most likely he will have to go back right after Christmas. 

In the meantime, I've been trying to remind my kids to think about our blessings and not Daddy being gone so I thought I would put down a few of them right here. So, here they are.

Things I Am Thankful For

1.  We are all healthy.  And I don't just mean that we are free from sniffles or the stomach bug, but that we are not fighting a major disease or a catastrophic illness.

2.  Daddy has a job - and a good one at that.  Even though this project isn't going well, Daddy is still gainfully employed and we have all that we need and actually so much more.

3.  My kids attend a great school.  It's a small school and it's not perfect (no school is) but it's perfect for us.  The teachers have high expectations for the kids and they usually rise to meet them.  Kindness, generosity, helpfulness and a very strong work ethic are not just taught but modeled at our school on a daily basis.  

4.  We have a house (with a really great new kitchen!) and it is filled with everything we need and most of everything we want.

5.  My parents are right next door and love to take my kids to school when Dan's not home.  And they would do anything for us.

6.  My brother is nearby and would also do anything for us.

7.  In addition to family, we have friends who love us as well and would do anything for us.

8.  We have our Catholic faith which is just so beautiful. Every season is so perfectly thought out and full of meaning and always seems to come just when you need it. Advent is a season of waiting for Jesus but this season has a different element of waiting for us - waiting for Daddy to come home! 

9.  Diversions - we have lots to do to keep us busy.  Basketball, scouts, and church are keeping us busy these days.  But we also have dinners out with friends and family, parties to attend, and shows to see.  We may be missing Dan but we have things to do to keep our mind off of it.

10.  And last but not least, I would like to put something really silly on this list.  This Is Us and Fixer Upper.  I have been able to watch all 10 episodes of This Is Us while Dan has been gone and y'all, if you aren't watching that show you really should be.  It's all kinds of good!  And, you know my love for Chip and Joanna.  It's nice to be able to watch as much shiplap and demo day as my heart desires on Tuesday nights. 

I have so much to be thankful for, how can I be bitter that Dan isn't here with us right now?  Because, ultimately, this program will be over and he will get to come home and life will resume as normal. 

Have a great weekend everybody!