DAY NINE

I am thankful for caregivers.

This morning I worked the nursery at church and got to be with the cutie 'walkers' class. It was so sweet to watch how happy and joyful the sweeties were during class. They played, we sang, had a snack, we colored, and then we had a Bible story. As I sat there with the little ones, I began to realize how cool it is that we are showing them the love of Christ at such a young age. It made me think about all the Sundays I nonchalantly drop Pearce off at Sunday School so Jimmy and I can go to church. I totally take that opportunity for granted so today I want to be thankful for all the caregivers out there.

I am thankful for Miss Sheron. On weekdays when I work, we take Pearce to her home and he is so happy there. I love that she cares enough to add an extra special touch to each day. Pearce looks forward to visits from the Music Lady, the Firemen, and the Tumblebus. She genuinely loves the kiddo and I love how secure he feels there. She is like a nana to him and I feel blessed to have found her. No matter how much a mom loves her job, leaving your kiddo during the day is difficult. Knowing that Pearce is being loved on and cared for makes my days at work so much easier.

I am thankful that we have family members who love to keep Pearce. Their generosity has afforded Jimmy and I date nights and much needed weekends away. I love that Pearce gets to spend time with his extended family and gets to be with them on a regular basis. I remember when Pearce was a newborn my mom and sisters would insist that they get up with Pearce during the night so I could get some solid sleep and so they could have alone time with him. Those nights were so precious to me and it warmed my hear that they loved Pearce that much. It truly takes a village to raise a child and I am grateful for our village of family members.

I am grateful for all the volunteers and staff members at church. Each Sunday Jimmy and I have the privilege of attending church and Sunday School together. Some weeks, that is our only opportunity for quiet time together. I am thankful that we can leave Pearce in the little toddler class and know that he is being loved on, played with, and cared for. We seriously treasure our Sundays at church and I am so grateful for those that care for Pearce.

Thank you Jesus for blessing us with wonderful caregivers. Whether it's during the week, on Sundays, or time with family you have always provided someone special to love on our boy. Thank you for that.

DAY EIGHT

I am thankful for the comforts of home.

In the midst of all that life brings, isn't it wonderful to have a place called home? A place where you can be yourself, walk around in your torn up Gap PJ pants, and strut your ever-so-wonderful bed head. I love home and I am so grateful for the comfort I find in our home.

Last night Jimmy and I flipped our mattress and put on clean sheets. It was nice and cold in our room so I was eager to jump into bed. After a few minutes of swooshing my feet around the sheets to warm them, I was settled. The newly flipped mattress was an amazing comfort and I sort of felt like I was laying on a cloud or something. (not exaggerating about that one). Anyhow, as I lay there in my cozy bed I began to think about those who don't have it so good. All too often, I am blissfully unaware of the reality that so many go without...but last night I was acutely aware.

And I was grateful.

I began to think about all material and comfortable things I take for granted and thought they would be a perfect topic for today's post.

I am grateful for clean sheet day. I love the feeling of crisp, clean sheets on my toes.

I am grateful for a hot shower on a cold day. I feel blessed that showering is a commodity I get to enjoy daily.

I am thankful for our soft leather couch and the warm sweatshirt blanket I have to wrap up in. They make movies that much more enjoyable.

I am thankful for our vacuum and the way I can simply make a spill or dirt track disappear. Life is so easy sometimes.

I am thankful for our air conditioner and heater. Because no matter what the weather is doing outside, we are comfortable and that is something to be grateful for.

I am thankful for the space we enjoy in our home. I love that Pearce has his own little room where he knows he belongs. We have places where we spend family time, and of course places to play. It is so nice to have space for each of us.

I am thankful for our fridge that we are able to keep full of food to nourish our family. We are blessed to always have enough.

I am thankful for the laundry that I often dread folding. Because clean laundry means we have clothes on our backs...and the luxury of a machine to wash and dry them for us.

There are a million other things I could list off, but these are the ones that stand out right now. Sometimes when my friends and I get together we all like to sit and gab about all the frustrations of keeping a house, doing laundry, cooking, etc. I don't know that I have a right to complain anymore. Because isn't it enough that we have a house? Or better yet, a home?

Lord, thank you for the blessing of our home. Thank you for simple things like a bed to sleep in, a roof over our head, and food to eat. You are our Provider and I am so thankful for all Your hand has given us.



DAY SEVEN

I am thankful for the medical profession.

Last night was a rough night at the Brann household. In fact, it reminded me of the sleepless nights here, circa 2008. It all started at 11:30 - ish and just went downhill from there. Jimmy and I rotated shifts with Pearce all stinking night long. And to make the evening more fun? I never went to sleep before that.  I am a firm believer in early bedtimes. I love to look at the clock and know that I have 10 hours of shut eye to relish. But last night I was wired and decided to watch Glee...until 11pm.

Fast  forward to 4 am and a couple of desperate parents. I did something I have never done and will probably never do again ... I put Pearce in bed with us. Gasp! But at this point, I was convinced my head might fall straight off my body if I didn't get some rest so I figured some 'rules' just need to be broken. An hour later I woke up to a little person kicking me. crying for his stick, and a wet sheet. Hummm. Pearce's beloved drumstick had gracefully fallen under our bed and Pearce's "guaranteed" overnight diaper had leaked...all over my side of the bed. Needless to say, our sheets are in the washer and I am a walking sleep study. 

Anyhow, I tell this story because last night as I laid in bed praying that Pearce would go to sleep, I was also so eager for morning to come so I could call the doctor. Pearce likes to sleep just as much as his mama and I knew our boy was not well. After a same-day appointment victory, we learned the sweetie has an ear infection...in both ears. Lovely. So I high-tailed it to Walgreen's for our antibiotic and as i sat there in the car, I was overcome with relief and hope in knowing that the medication would soon be healing our boy, and also our sleepless nights. Again, I take this for granted but we are so blessed!

I am so grateful for God's healing through the miracle of modern-day medicine.

Sweet Harper is home now... still weeks before her actual due date. I believe that the Lord carried her into this world and strategically placed the right doctors and nurses in her life to care for her. That is so cool.

I have been struggling with depression lately and while I don't believe in masking an illness, I am so grateful for the assistance medication has provided us. My doctor insisted I be on Zoloft to get through this season if our lives and I am so glad he did.

I feel blessed that we live in a time and place when we can call the doctor, go to the ER, or visit an after hours clinic when something is just not right. And most of the time, we leave with a solution to our ailment. I am thankful for that.

I am not sure that I put this as eloquently or clearly as I would like, however Pearce is napping and I plan to snooze some as well. Here's to sleeping again...

Lord, thank you for equipping those in the medical profession with the minds and ability to diagnose and treat our earthly illnesses. We recognize that any healing is from you and I thank you for the avenue we have in the medical profession.

DAY SIX

I am thankful for the Word of God.

It’s funny how something as major as the Word of God can become commonplace in our lives. I would like the think that if God were to speak in a booming voice for all the world to hear, we would listen, right? So why is it that His written, divinely inspired Word is so easily overlooked? I don’t get it and I am just as guilty as the next guy. Often times, I feel like we treat His truth as some sort of collection of inspirational quotes instead of what Scripture really is: A collection of letters, accounts, and stories that were lovingly crafted by our God through divine inspiration. Our home is decorated with a series of signs, picture frames, and hand written Bible verses that I often glance over in my day to day activities. But when I stop and take a moment to mediate on the Truth in front of me, I am so grateful for His Word in my life.


There is a Bible verse that has literally been on our refrigerator since the day we found out we were pregnant with Pearce. As I mentioned in a previous post, I was really worried about the health of our surprise baby. To be honest, I was also a little scared and unnerved at the thought of becoming a mother before we were “ready”. I woke up one morning and Jimmy had posted this sweet verse on our fridge for me to see. I never took it down and when we moved homes and got a new fridge, the verse came with me. Even today, the truth Jimmy took the time to share with me brings me an immense amount of comfort and peace. I am so grateful for that.

I am also thankful for scripture because we live in such a jaded time. Frankly, between reality television, my magazine subscriptions, and the news; it is so easy for me to forget what matters. These are the times when I desperately need the promises God gives us as His children. I believe those moments are the precise moments the Lord knew I would need truth spoken over my life…and those truths are precious. My Savior has something to say … to me. I know you all know what I am talking about when I say there have been numerous times in my life when I read scripture and it speaks so directly to my heart, I would swear that God was standing there saying it to me Himself. How dear is that? We have a God who cares enough to speak to our individual hearts, despite our unique personal circumstances!


I am also grateful for the simple Bible stories we get to share with sweet Pearce. For awhile we were a little concerned, as Pearce thought Noah was Santa and would squeal “Santa!” with delight each time we saw Noah in a book or on a toy. He has since decided all bearded mean are either Jesus or Noah, so we are making some progress. A few weeks we were at Zio’s and there was a painting of an Italian man on the wall. Pearce was so proud of himself as he pointed and yelled, “Look Mama! Jesus!”


But in all seriousness, I love that scripture is easy enough for even little minds to understand. Pearce knows that Noah was obedient and we often try and remind him of that obedience when we are in the middle of a toddler throw down. He knows that David and Goliath fought, and that David trusted God. He knows Jesus loves him and that is so amazing! I mean, the kiddo doesn’t even use the potty yet but he is able to grasp that someone named Jesus loves him…awesome. I am grateful for the wisdom of scripture and I am thankful that these truths will follow Pearce through life.

As Jimmy and I navigate marriage, parenthood, family, and friendships, scripture is often the place we find direction and peace. I love that God covered everything we could possibly need clarity on during our time on this earth. I am grateful for the promises of God’s Word. I am grateful for the peace and hope it brings me in times of hurt and sadness. I am grateful for the truth we can turn to when questions arise.


And on the note of Noah and his ark, I have to share this story:


A few nights ago Pearce was doing a Noah’s Ark sticker collage. Jimmy and I looked over and saw that he had strategically placed Noah and his wife holding hands in front of the ark. Yesterday I asked him what they were doing and he said, “Holding hands. Like this…” and he reached over and took my hand. So stinking sweet.

Thank you God for giving us encouragement, direction, and hope through the Bible. Thank you for speaking to me through your Word

DAY FIVE

I am thankful for board games.

Last night Jimmy and I played three rounds of Uno and for the record, I won. I find that we spend quite a bit of time playing board games and I am so thankful we have them to enjoy. I know the mere mention of board games as something I am thankful for may raise some eyebrows, however let me explain myself.

Board games represent so much more than the object of the game and the game pieces they contain. They represent togetherness. They represent intentionality in spending time with someone you love. They represent simpler times when TV and the Internet weren’t so distracting. They afford the opportunity to laugh…the kind of laugh that hurts your abs but you totally don’t want to stop. And for me, they always represent wonderful memories with family and friends.

When I really think about it, I suppose board games have been an integral part of my adult life. For starters, Jimmy and I feel in love over Yahtzee and Uno when we were dating. I remember he would come over to the Kappa house and we would play games together in the dining room while we sipped our Classic 50’s beverages. We would laugh for hours on end as one of us always seemed to dominate the other’s performance. I suppose we could have been out doing much cooler things together, however this quality time together gave us the opportunity to know one another on a deeper level. I am also so grateful for the innocence that board games helped Jimmy and I establish while dating.


We also told my parents we were pregnant with Pearce over a game of CLUE. Beth and Blake already knew we were expecting so they helped us devise a perfect scheme to announce our news. We staged the game so that my mom or dad would win the game, and in the “confidential” envelope, we placed three cards reading: 1. Brooke and Jimmy 2. Are 3. Pregnant. I will never forget the look on my mother’s face as she read the cards out loud. Those pictures are some of my favorites to this day.

And I am so grateful for the laughter and memories made while playing board games with my sisters and brothers in law. Seriously, when we are all home together one of the first items of business is to establish set game nights. We all get into our PJ’s, pop some popcorn and get started playing. My parents usually sit in the adjacent living room and relish in the joy and laughter they hear coming from the dining room table. I suppose that is what every parent hopes for: a day when their children truly enjoy being together. As the night continues, we chow down on cookies and candy, while sipping beer until the wee hours of the morning. For months we will recall the hysteria and laughter that those game nights produced. And win or lose, we all walk away with a funny story to think back on one day. I am so thankful for board games, because without them, we might have missed out on a number of memories and opportunities for laughter.


Lord thank you for blessing our home with laughter and for the joy we find in playing these simple games together.

DAY FOUR

I am thankful for the right to vote.

Let me just start by saying that I am not heavily involved in politics. Politically, I follow what is important to me, however I am easily turned away by extremists and too much "He said, she said." But I do care and I want my voice to be heard. Period.

I remember when I was a little girl, my dad took me with him to vote one day before school. I believe it was the 1992 election when Bush and Clinton went head to head. It was very early in the morning and my dad's polling location at the time was at a bank. I vividly remember seeing all the cups of hot coffee people enjoyed while they were in line. The line was extremely long and I was in a panic at the thought that I was going to be late for school. The adults in line however, were calmly sipping their coffee and making small talk. I remember thinking, "Geez, aren't these people worried about getting to work?" I imagine many of the people I saw in line that day were not worried too much about work, or getting to their desk at exactly 8 am on election day because we live in a country where voting is not only valued, but encouraged. They probably knew that their office understood the concept of civic responsibility and not only encouraged it, but also fostered involvement through office flexibility on election day. What a blessing!

It amazes me that less than 100 years ago, women couldn't vote. I often forget what a blessing it is that we live in a time when not only can we vote, but we are ruled by a democracy. Not everyone is so fortunate. I am so grateful that we live in a country where we have the right to be heard. When I think of the oppression and suffering many others endure simply to practice their faith and exercise God-given rights, I am overcome with gratefulness. I am so thankful to be a U.S. Citizen. I am thankful for our country's leaders. And I am thankful that we still have a say in who those leaders are. Things may not always go my way on election day, but I am thankful that my one, measly little vote in Tulsa, Oklahoma is counted.

Pearce was only a few months old during the 2008 elections. Knowing that the 2008 election would probably be ground-breaking, I decided to take Pearce with me to the polls. It's never too soon to teach civic responsibility, is it?! The little monkey rode in my baby sling as we cast our ever-important vote. The cutie even got a sticker!

Lord, thank you for the favor you have shown our Country. Thank you for creating us equal and for the people who came before us to fight so we can be heard today. Thank you for the freedom we have today.

.



DAY THREE

I am thankful for the weekend.

If I were to write an acrostic on all the things I love about the WEEKEND, it would look something like this:

W- Wonderful opportunity to sleep in (eh, sort of...we have a toddler here people)
E - Early morning coffee with my hubby, as we watch cartoons with Pearce
E - Eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner together as a family
K - Kid friendly activities such as the pumpkin patch, the park, and running around our front yard
E - Erasing any distractions from the week before
N - Noontime naps with Pearce and Jimmy
D - Dinner with friends and their kiddos

I remember being in high school and the main topic of conversation each Friday was what everyone was going to be doing for the weekend. Who had a date? Who was going out of town with family? Who was throwing the coolest party? It was almost as if we had this mindset of, "He with the most plans, wins." Now that I am grown, I treasure our quiet weekends. I am so thankful for the opportunity to rest. Simply typing this out rejuvenates my spirit as I think about our upcoming weekend and the rest that is waiting for us.

I am thankful for the days that we get to be together as a family.  Saturday morning rolls around and Jimmy and I are awakened from a deep, much needed sleep to the dearest little voice on the monitor. We greet Pearce in our PJ's and head downstairs for coffee and a leisurely breakfast. Sometimes we shower and get ready for the day...sometimes we all stay in our grungy clothes as we clean house or work outside. Either way, we are together. And being together is terrific. I often take the fact that Jimmy and I have the weekends off from work for granted, but I know no every family is so lucky. I am so grateful that we have two whole days to be together before Monday rolls around again.

I am thankful that the weekend affords an understanding that "anything goes" and the rules can be bent. Impromptu dinner gatherings, playtime with friends, and pedicures are totally acceptable on weekends. Our strict 8pm bedtime for Pearce is often stretched as we sit and chat with our friends and watch the kiddos run amok. The chance to grill out hot dogs, bring your own lawn chairs, and laugh with friends while you sip a cold beer is so precious. Some of my favorite memories are made with our dear friends on weekends.

I am also thankful that the weekend allows me to start Monday with a clean slate of completed chores. Things like grocery shopping, house cleaning, and laundry are much more enjoyable on these lazy days. Am I the only one who feels like this? I love to grab my cup of coffee, put on some Taylor Swift or Shane and Shane and get to cleaning our humble home. Before I know it, our place smells wonderful, looks lovely, and is perfectly poised for us to mess it up again. I love it. Not to mention the fact that our fridge is fully stocked with the upcoming week's essentials. Double whammy!

This weekend was particularly wonderful as it was Halloween, and we got to take sweet Pearce to Trunk or Treat at our church. And this year's costume of choice? Harry Potter. He totally rocked it. I am so proud.

But in all seriousness, I am so grateful for the weekends. We live in such a fast-paced world and often times I forget to slow down enough to enjoy it. The weekends afford the perfect opportunity to do just that: enjoy.

Thank you Lord for the weekend. You set a perfect example for us when you rested on Day 7 of Creation. Thank you for caring enough about Your children to offer us rest.