Blessings of 2009

Thought I'd do a special blog of the many ways God has blessed our family throughout 2009. So here goes ...
~ He provided for our every need and so very many of our wants
~ A switch from public school to homeschooling - which actually went very smoothly and we were able to choose curriculum that our children are enjoying and benefitting from.
~ Growth in our children. Not just physical growth, but spiritual growth as well. We've seen increased compassion, work on weeding out selfish behaviors, the willingness to apologize sincerely, strides in letting go of things and embracing what is more important, a desire to learn from the Bible, a love for the church, and many Bible verses committed to memory. :)
~ A YMCA membership for the winter. What a WONDERFUL thing to have with four busy children!
~ Several dates with my favorite person.
~ Thanksgiving with Josh's family, including his grandma
~ A week at camp for each of the older boys
~ Hilarious things that our children have said throughout the year!
~ A BIG vacation including many visits with friends and family; special memories of Disney, Sea World, a Cannon, panning for gold, Wii boxing and the Creation Museum; safe travels, and health until the very last stop!
~ This may sound strange, but I'm thankful that I had the Swine Flu because I now understand what so many others are dealing with. And I'm thankful no one else got it in our family!
~ A celebration of 10 years of marriage!
~ Another great time in the Dells. We've made this an annual trip and it gets better every year.
~ Friends who pray for us and love us.
~ Church growth and individual growth. We've seen so many strides in Kingdom growth this year.
~ A second service added on at OGC.
~ The kids each spending time at Grandma's this summer.
~ The opportunity to host a soccer coach from England.
~ Great community sports and dance.
~ Day trips to the beach this summer.
~ Good deals at garage sales - which saves us a boatload on clothes!
~ Kids who love to learn
~ A trip to the Leadership Summit and the blessing of hearing such godly men and women share their stories.
~ A garden that produced excellent veggies this year. We're still enjoying frozen produce! Yum!
~ David's success in writing a winning story for the Reading Rainbow Contest.
~ A trip to the Mall of America and the opportunity to visit John Piper's church.
~ Healed bones after David broke his arm and toe.
~ A successful and fun women's retreat and tea.
~ A weekend to learn about what God is doing in Papua New Guinea and the joy of hearing about believers around the world.
~ Having both sets of grandparents nearby for half the year.
~ A strong marriage and continued growth in parenting.

God is so very good! There are many, many more things I could mention. Take a few minutes and thank God for the incredible ways he has blessed your life this past year.