Thankful Thursday

I'm thankful Kent will be home tonight.  He's been on the road for work and on Tuesday I spotted a snake by our front window and was sufficiently freaked out.  I called Kent, crying, saying, "I wish you were home to kill the dumb snake.  I hate that you're gone right now."  He said, "Huh? I can't understand you when you're crying so hard."  When I finally calmed down and told him again what was going on he scolded, "Lau-ra.  I thought someone was dead the way you were carrying on.  It's just a snake.  You'll be fine." Oh.  So much for the sympathy I was looking for.

I'm thankful that someone cares how terrified I am of snakes- when I saw the snake and started crying, Kylee instantly started praying out loud, "Please God, please take all the snakes away from our house and never let them come back because my mommy is very very scared right now."

I'm thankful for my dentist friend who shared how easily her day can be ruined by people who grump to her about being kept waiting.  At first, I was appalled by some of the rude things people say to her, then I thought about myself and how I'm probably guilty of an occasional obnoxious sigh if I've been kept waiting at a doctor's office.  Hearing it from her perspective made me resolve to not be crabby and impatient about waiting. 

I'm thankful trick-or-treat is coming soon.  There is a giant bowl of chocolate candy staring me in the face right now and can you believe that I haven't eaten a single piece? That willpower won't last forever.  I need some trick-or-treaters to come take some of it off my hands!

I'm thankful for Operation Christmas Child- the kids spent the better part of the evening filling out their "All About Me" letters to include in their gifts and making their shopping lists for the kids they want to buy for.  Some discussion questions came along with the boxes and the kids and I talked about all the things they were thankful for.  It made me so proud to hear that material items didn't top their lists.  Kylee disappeared into her room and returned with her piggy bank, "I have lots of quarters in here, Mom.  Can I buy lots of stuff for my girl?" My sweet girl was willing to spend her own money to make some little girl's Christmas even better.

I'm thankful for lots of things today, but mostly I'm thankful it's about bedtime.  It's been a long couple of days and I am ready for some shut-eye. 

What are you thankful for this week?