Sunday Gratitudes

This weekend and last were so tender and sweet. My heart feels too big for my ribcage right now, with all the love I feel for my family. This week I am grateful for:

1. My twin sis and sis-in-love making my Primary song into keepsakes for Grandma's funeral. And for all the encouragement to send it into the Friend. Maybe I should...

2. Spending time talking with my sibs and their spouses. I am so grateful for each one of them. We went out to dinner on Friday night. Finally had to leave the restaurant as they wanted to close. Ended up talking for another hour outside of the restaurant. Good people. Good times.

3. Time spent with my in-loves. We had a steak BBQ for Dad-in-loves' birthday. Simple food. Fresh garden tomatoes. My Mom-in-love got online with her fabulous family history skills and printed out census records that mentioned my Grandma and her family. She put everything in a binder for me.

4. Uneventful trip home. No problems.

5. For a good friend willing to take over my Sunday chorister job for me while I was gone. God bless her, she volunteered without me asking her.

6. For my uncle who so graciously put up with all of my questions before, during, and after the funeral. Not once has he lost patience with me. I pray he is blessed with everything good. He deserves it.

7. Teachers and aides who have worked so well with The Love Magnet and Thirdborn this week. The Love Magnet is thriving with her aides working with her and a wonderful teacher who not only loves her, but is so eager to include skills she has (ASL) in regular classroom teaching. I am so eager to see how this ASL combined phonics (not sure how to explain it yet, I'm sure I just did it poorly) works for the entire classroom. I'm thrilled to find out that the entire first grade will be doing it. Thirdborn's teacher is already an absolute gem. She isn't waiting for test results that could take until Christmas. She is starting full swing right now to help Thirdborn with his reading and spelling.

8. Coming home to my own kitchen. There is something comforting to me in getting back to routine after being away for awhile. I am tired of traveling. Within 10 minutes of getting home I made up a recipe I'm calling Malted Chip Crispie Cookies. Good with milk. Mmmm.

9. The start of fall. My favorite time of year. I actually saw a tree with leaves changing as we entered our hometown. Pretty soon temperatures will be cool enough for cute sweaters and boots and yummy fall flavors. I might even make some curried pumpkin soup this week.

10. Mr.Wonderful for picking up so much of the slack this week while I was with my family. You are truly the best decision I ever made, my Mr. Darcy.