I am grateful a busy Sunday: for our church service and choir rehearsal that followed, for Fabien who makes me laugh every Sunday during his piano lesson, for clean laundry and a clean kitchen floor, for time to take in a movie yesterday afternoon, for a “new” pickup for a guy who needed a work truck and for memories made in that “new” pickup, for a waitress who is one of the best I’ve ever seen who makes our experience(s) so very enjoyable, for a young lady named Karina from the grocery store who will very possibly become a new friend soon, for a brisk walk, for a delicious steak and salad to end the day yesterday, and for the fact that I was able to finish my homework in the silence of the night.

I am grateful for all of those squirrels that have taken over the back yard, because I’m pretty sure we now have a regular owl visitor now because of them. What a beautiful sound as we walk…

I am grateful to have been able to borrow Katherine’s bird book this past week so that I could identify what I’m pretty sure is not a wren but a brown creeper.

I am grateful to have had the opportunity to attend Vangie’s baby shower on Saturday and see Roman and Nancy and Leona, too. It was so good to hug those two kids again and catch up on their busy and soon-to-be busier lives. I am so proud of them…

I am grateful for the news Dad received about his car. Someone ran into the back end during the big snow but didn’t let him know it. He got it repaired this last week but of course, had to pay that fairly expensive bill. All the while, he was sarcastically telling people that he was sure the person was just busy and would stop by and share their insurance information soon. His car was all repaired on Friday evening, and on Saturday, he got a letter in the mail from the City of Hutchinson, apologizing for their snow plow’s damage to his vehicle and offering to take care of the repairs. Thank you, God.

I am grateful for the two hours I was able to spend in Michelle’s chair on Saturday morning.

I am grateful for another CASA training class today. One more training class before graduation and my first case. Today, we had to handle a mock SIJS case, Angela. I felt so smart.

And I am grateful for a suitcase. This is what most children use for a suitcase when removed from their home and subsequent foster homes. (I feel a new idea forming for ministry):