30 days of thanks: Day 29

Today I'm thankful for the newer friendships that I expect to be lifelong. These friends you know God placed you at the same longitude/latitude at the exact same time because He knew you would need each other.

30 days of thanks: Day 28

 

 Today I'm thankful lifelong friendships.

Friends that remember me when I used to wear overalls (like a lot) and still choose to spend a week with me every summer. 

30 days of thanks: Day 27

Today I'm thankful that being a Christian does not mean having it all together. 

Because I definitely don't. 

photo courtesy of Mary Anderson!

A friend of mine posted this on FB today, and I'm thankful she did!

When I say, “I am a Christian”
I’m not shouting, “I’ve been saved!”
I’m whispering, “I get lost!
That’s why I chose this way”

When I say, “I am a Christian”
I don’t speak with human pride
I’m confessing that I stumble -

needing God to be my guide

When I say, “I am a Christian”
I’m not trying to be strong
I’m professing that I’m weak
and pray for strength to carry on

When I say, “I am a Christian”
I’m not bragging of success
I’m admitting that I’ve failed
and cannot ever pay the debt

When I say, “I am a Christian”
I don’t think I know it all
I submit to my confusion
asking humbly to be taught

When I say, “I am a Christian”
I’m not claiming to be perfect
My flaws are far too visible
but God believes I’m worth it

When I say, “I am a Christian”
I still feel the sting of pain
I have my share of heartache
which is why I seek His name

When I say, “I am a Christian”
I do not wish to judge
I have no authority
I only know I’m loved

Copyright 1988 Carol Wimmer

30 days of thanks: Day 26

I'm thankful today that my boys know the value of sunscreen. I got distracted for 5 minutes this morning and then found Mark in the closet lathering up for the day!

30 days of thanks: Day 25

Today, I'm thankful for Skype.

Definitely not the same as a nice warm hug, but its the next best thing!

30 days of thanks: Day 24

Today I'm thankful that when we have nothing else to do, we get to do this.

30 days of thanks: Day 23

Unfortunately, Black Friday really lived up to its name in the house of Anderson. Let's just say that technology is awesome when it works. When it fails, it can bring you to tears, make you sick, cause you say mean stuff to your kids, and basically propel you into a daze of regret, guilt, and "what ifs" from morning until night.

The good news is that epic failures cause us to examine our hearts (not usually how I like spending my long weekend).

When I really take a look at mine, I find that it is lined with bookshelves of idols that I deny are there until a little person takes one down and smashes it to smithereens. Only then am I faced with the real "me" - not a pretty sight.

So, today I'm thankful that God gives me "black fridays" every once in awhile to remind me that my ugly heart is still in need of a Savior. I'm thankful that God (and my kids) are so eager to forgive me. And thankful that God allowed me to learn a big lesson a such a small price.

And on a lighter note...

thinking about getting this for Scott for Christmas... what do you think?

30 days of thanks: Day 22

Today, I'm thankful for wonderful friends here in Hawaii who can be our family when our family is 4,000 miles away. 

Also I'm thankful that my first Thanksgiving dinner cooked almost completely solo was a success - including the turkey which was neither over or underdone (thanks google!). 

Also, I'm thankful for these fashionable place cards that Keaton made that were the perfect touch to our Thanksgiving table!

 Happy Thanksgiving Everybody!

30 days of thanks: Day 21

Today I'm thankful for one specific individual who went out of her way to encourage me today. As much as I love being a full time mom, I often miss the sense of accomplishment and external gratification that I received when I worked outside the home. I know what I'm doing is valuable for my kids and God's kingdom, but its not always easy to keep that in perspective. So thankful for a stranger's kind words that made me remember once again that my job is the most important job in the world.

30 days of thanks: Day 20

Thankful today for Google: 

30 days of thanks: Day 19

Today I'm thankful for silly stay-at-home Mondays.

Also thankful there's only one in a week. Whew!

30 days of thanks: Day 18

Thankful today that I have nothing to fear. 

30 days of thanks: Day 17

Today I'm thankful for the changing of the seasons! The stagnant heat has finally gone and we are left with lovely trade winds and consistent rain showers. On Friday morning, we even broke out our long sleeve shirts just for fun! How exciting! :-)

30 days of thanks: Day 16

Tonight, I'm thankful for old friends. Allison and I went to kindergarten - 9th grade together and remained friends through high school, and college. We've stayed in touch over the years, but we've not seen each other for 9 1/2 years! Wouldn't you know I had to move to Hawaii for us to meet up again! She and her husband are vacationing on Oahu this week, so we met up for dinner at one my favorite restaurants, Haliewa Joe's. Dinner was amazing, and it was so fun to catch up.

30 days of thanks: Day 15

Today, I'm thankful for the little conversations that make me laugh and scratch my head and keep my day interesting. 

In the car today, I witnessed a near accident right in front of me. 

I exclaimed, "Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!" 

Keaton: "What?! What is it?"

Me: "Those two cars almost had a wreck!" 

Keaton: "Oh, I thought you saw a centipede! Don't scare me like that, Mom!"

On our way into the gym, Keaton spied a another friend walking in front of us.

Keaton: "That girl ALWAYS comes to the gym when we do." 

Me: "Are you sure that's a girl?" 

Keaton: "Oh, yeah. She's actually a boy. She just looks like a girl, but she's really a boy."

Keaton: "MAARRRRK!!!"

Mark: "What, Bubba!" 

Keaton: "I was talking to mom."

30 days of thanks: Day 14

Today I'm thankful for the growing friendship I see between my boys. From about 5:25 in the morning to 7:30 in the evening, they talk, laugh, play, build, plan, create, learn, and pretend together.  Of course, they have their share of pushing, hitting, biting, tattling, and shouting matches - after all, what are brothers for?  One of my greatest joys as a mom is watching them interact and develop their own unique relationship of love and trust and genuine brotherhood. 

I pray this is a friendship they can count on for a lifetime.

30 days of thanks: day 13

Thank you, God, for Scott, for a million different reasons, but mostly because I could not have asked for or chosen a better husband or a better Daddy for my boys.

30 days of thanks: Day 12

Today I'm thankful for a beautiful Monday that Daddy did not have to work! 

The boys had an awesome time at Bellows trying our our new body board! 

30 days of thanks: Day 11

"We sleep soundly in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm." – Winston Churchill 

It is such a honor to be surrounded by so many military servicemen and their families here in Hawaii that give up so much in the service of protecting our nation.

Thank you veterans!

30 days of thanks: Day 10

Sorry, I'm a few hours late on this post.

Today, I'm thankful for courageous  and inspiring people like my friend Lisa who is in Eastern Europe right now adopting a special needs orphan. They have a long road ahead of them with many challenges, but they have stepped forward in faith. They saw a need and they acted. So thankful to walk beside them in this journey!

Here's a link to her blog: http://oh-three-ohana.blogspot.com/

30 days of thanks : Day 9

Today I'm thankful for Friday nights and the promise of a long weekend! 

Tonight we popped popcorn and watched  The Amazing Spider-Manwithout my little aspiring superheros. 

I know, mean parents. 

I gotta say, I think I like the new Spidey better than the old. 

But, this one will always be my favorite:

30 days of thanks: Day 8

 This is the passage we studied in at BSF today. 

Genesis 9:13-18

I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”

taken from our lanai a few weeks ago

Today I'm thankful for rainbows. We see rainbows quite often here in Hawaii, but we never get tired of them. The boys still rush outside every time to "ooo" and "ahhh," because rainbows are so brilliant and beautiful, and they remind us that God is good and he keeps his promises.

As Keaton would say as he sings along to Rich Mullins,  

♫ ♪ ♬"Our God is an awesome guy!"♫ ♪ ♬ 

 :-)

30 days of thanks: Day 7

Today I'm thankful for a delicious meal on my table that I did not have to cook! My very thoughtful friend brought me dinner to Awana just because she knew I had a long day. Popcorn was my menu plan tonight, so we were all very appreciative of the yummy meal.
So thankful for loving friends that anticipate my needs and serve me when I don't expect it!  

unrelated cutie pie

30 days of thanks: Day 6

Today, I'm thankful for the duty and privilege I have as an American to vote! For over a year, I've prayed that today God would allow the right leaders to be elected that can make wise decisions that would prosper our country and honor Him best! So thankful that God is the one in control and not any one elected official.

Kinda bummed I didn't even get a sticker, though! :-)

30 days of thanks: Day 5

This morning, Keaton said something to me that really bothered me at first. See, I've gotten in the habit of taking the boys with me to the gym in the afternoons. They have this really fun kids club at my gym, and the boys love it there. They're always begging me to go, which is a total win/win, because its just more motivation for me to get out the door and exercise! Anyway, this afternoon, Keaton says to me, "Mom, the reason I love going to the gym is because I don't have to learn about God there." 

GULP. 

I told him that this hurt my heart that he didn't want to learn about God all the time. 

That God was the most important thing that he can learn about. 

That maybe we just won't go to the gym anymore if this is the main reason he wants to go.  

Then I realized: he learns about God at church on Sundays, MOPS and Cubbies on Wednesdays, BSF on Thursdays, and Keaton Academy every other day. No wonder he enjoys going to the gym in the afternoons where he can just PLAY for a change! Needless to say, today I'm thankful that we live in a free country where I'm free to teach my boys about God as many days of the week that I want! And I'm so thankful for all the wonderful programs available to support me in doing this.

30 days of thanks: Day 4

Today I'm thankful for dirty boys and Oxiclean. 

They found a nice red pile of dirt to play in at our church picnic. 

Not the smartest day for me to wear white pants.

30 days of thanks: Day 3

Today, I'm thankful for daylight saving time! Hawaii does not participate, so when the mainland falls back, it means that we are one hour closer to all our friends and family! Every little bit helps!

As you can see, we're still in costume mode around the Anderson casa.

30 days of thanks: Day 2

Today I'm thankful for impromptu trips to the zoo, and hippos that always make us laugh!

This week at BSF, we learned about Noah's ark. I like talking to the boys about what it must have been like to live on a big boat with animals like this for over a year! 

I wonder whose job it was to feed the hippos?

30 days of thanks: Day 1

Already November! Wow! I'm looking forward to another 30 days of thankfulness. 

Since this is what I blog about every day anyway, I might as well get the easiest one out of the way first. 

I'm so thankful for these boys, and the amazing blessing of being their mom! 

Side note: also thankful for toothbrushes, toothpaste, and fluoride drops that will hopefully see us to the bottom of this bowl with no tooth decay!

Happy Halloween!

Last night, we had our friends (and close neighbors), the Hewitts, over for a chili dinner, and then we walked over to their neighborhood for some trick or treating!

Mark was so hilarious! I wondered how he would do, but he was SO into it! He stomped down the street and yelled "trick or treat!" like a pro. Then he would immediately put the candy in his mouth (wrapper and all). We came home with tons of loot, which I promptly raided once the boys were in bed. :-) Such a fun and memorable night!

Here's some of my favorites of my little superheroes!

gotcha, Batman!

 

Happy Halloween!