Thankful Thursday

"Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.  Honor one another above yourselves.  Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.  Live in harmony with one another.  Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.  Do not be conceited."

~ Romans 12:10, 15-16

Happy Thankful Thursday YUMMs!  Independence Day is right around the corner and honestly I don't think we're going to celebrate this year.  My heart is just still in mourning over the Charleston shootings, the recent burnings of several Black churches and the absolute ignorance the debates over the Confederate Flag and same-sex marriage is bringing out in people I know in real life.  I feel like I start the day upbeat and ready to take on the world, but at some point my thoughts always seem to go back to wondering when will we really become a united nation?

I'm just not in the emotional head space to celebrate much of anything right now.  But enough of that.  I don't want to be a Debby Downer.  This week I'm thankful that we're still making progress on our 100 Books Family Summer Reading Challenge!  We're 60 books in and I'm so proud of how committed Moo has been to reading everyday.  We picked out some short books that she reads to me during the day in addition to our bedtime stories.

I'm feeling confident that she's going to be starting school on track in terms of reading level.  She's getting better at sounding out large words.  Speaking learning and getting on track, we've been working with JJ on learning his ABCs.  He's gotten a few of them down and I couldn't be prouder.  I'm feeling a little anxious because we're going to be signing him up for part-time preschool.

I was leaning towards homeschooling him, but I don't want to shelter him.  He needs more interaction with children his age and I know that going to school will provide him with that opportunity.  All I can do is continue to be an active parent in my children's classrooms and make sure that their teachers and I stay on the same pages.

So thankful that we haven't had as much rain this summer as we've had the previous three.  However, Mother Nature seems to be trying to make up for that this week because we've had severe thunderstorms with lots of hail, damaging winds and more.  I'm grateful though that these storms haven't actually been causing much damage besides knocking over plants and scattering outdoor furniture.  I'm really grateful that our complex took the extra step to trim and clear out tree limbs that could potentially cause damage if they were to take flight due to strong winds.

Lastly, I'm thankful for the four-hour phone conversation I got to have with my baby sister.  She's always been one of my biggest cheerleaders and vice versa.  I think this week we both needed to vent and hear a few words of encouragement.  So blessed to have her in my corner. 

What are you grateful for this week?