Thursday Thirteen Thankfulness week

Thirteen things that I am thankful for. I am reflecting and preparing my heart for Thanksgiving. Or maybe just trying not to kill someone. Same difference.

1. I am very thankful that I am married to a man who shares my life views. Many people are unequally yoked in so many areas, and we are not.
2. I am so thankful that we have 7 children. We have the most amazing family, and I am always glad to have every one of my kids. (even when I want to strangle one, or six)
3. I am thankful that we have a big enough house for our family. Big enough to live and entertain. It is a real blessing. Even when it is cluttered and messy and loud and on the brink of needing to be condemned.
4. I am thankful for a working furnace. We have had a few weeks where we did not have a working furnace in the cold weather. It was NOT fun. We have heat, and I am very thankful.
5. We have ONE working car. At least Donnie can go to work, because if he makes money, we can survive, but the rest of us can take or leave our jobs. (we should have 2 working cars by morning, Lord willing, as Donnie and the teens are out in the garage working hard to get the car fixed.)
6. I am thankful that my mom is living and there for me. We talk just about every day, even if it is just through IM. I can't imagine not having my mom in my life.
7. I am thankful that my life is rich in friends right now. I have been without close friends before, and it was a nice time to get close to God. (and drive Donnie insane) But having several really close and wonderful friends is such a blessing! I love you girls!
8. I am thankful that I live in the years of computers, because life was not as fun without blogging. Love you bloggy friends!
9. I am thankful for our dog. He is a giant pain in the butt. However, he saved us from being robbed, and he brings the baby so much joy, even though he could swallow the baby whole.
10. I am so thankful for my husband's job. He brings home a decent income, and great benefits!
11. I am very, very thankful that my husband is willing to work at his job. He hates computers, but he is good at it, so he goes to work at a job he dislikes so that we can live a good life with health care, dental and vision and even life insurance. Oh, and food. We have food.
12. I am thankful for good health care. I really like my doctor and my chiropractor.
13. I am the most thankful that I am saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. He is my provider, my savior, my strength, my rock, my Shepard, my healer, and so much more. My All in All.

Thursday Thirteen~ Randomness

Thirteen Things about Lisa 1. My mom posted a really funny little something on her blog, something said by a little kiddo! Check it out for a quick giggle. 2. Love contests and giveaways? Check out my contest blog and my contest column. 3. Even with all the things that have broken down at our house lately (washer, dryer, car, furnace, freezer), I am so thankful that I have a great home, family and husband who is willing to work 6 days a week to help us get through this. 4. I am thankful that I am able to babysit for some extra income, and I am thankful it is only two days a week, but long hours so it is still good money, and I am thankful that it is for a friend and her kids are good. (though they ARE busy!) 5. I am so happy with meeting new friends via blogs. I've just been so blessed by people. 6. Oh my goodness is it ever fun to win giveaways! I won an amazing scrapbook box STUFFED with cool things, I nearly cried when I saw all the wonderful things in the box. I won a t-shirt, and you can, too. I also won a nursing necklace! And that is just in the last week. 7. Monopoly Goes Cashless, seriously, Monopoly is going to start selling their new games with credit cards and NO cash moolah. Is this wrong? How are kids going to learn real money skills and not irresponsible credit card usage? 8. A friend of mine had an 11lb even baby boy last week. Yes, he was 11 pounds! Barely fit in the bassinet! He's so yummy! 9. Why do teens turn into disrespectful know-it-alls? We show them time and time again that we are right and they are wrong but they never get it. It is apparently dumb luck that we are right more than they are? 10. Diet Dr. Pepper is just the bestest! 11. Quelf is the most amazing game! I think it is tons of fun and am so glad I found it. I want to promote it all over the place! And I have some plans in that area soon! 12. You can see my pee in a cup at To Drano, or not to Drano... seriously, lol. Only my friend Sarah or I would be that weird, right? 13. You think you are having a bad day? Think again! This guy has the award. We've all had trouble with our animals, but I don't think anyone can top this one: Calling in sick to work makes me uncomfortable. No matter how legitimate my excuse, I always get the feeling that my boss thinks I'm lying.On one recent occasion, I had a valid reason but lied anyway, because the truth was just too darned humiliating. I simply mentioned that I had sustained a head injury, and I hoped I would feel up to coming in the next day. By then, I reasoned, I could think up a doozy to explain the bandage on the top of my head. The accident occurred mainly because I had given in to my wife's wishes to adopt a cute little kitty. Initially, the new acquisition was no problem. Then one morning I was taking my shower after breakfast when I heard my wife, Deb, call out to me from the kitchen. "Honey! The garbage disposal is dead again. Please come reset it." "You know where the button is," I protested through the shower pitter-patter and steam. "Reset it yourself!" "But I'm scared!" she persisted. "What if it starts going and sucks me in?" There was a meaningful pause and then, "C'mon, it'll only take you a second." So out I came, dripping wet and butt naked, hoping that my silent outraged nudity would make a statement about how I perceived her behavior as extremely cowardly. Sighing loudly, I squatted down and stuck my head under the sink to find the button. It is the last action I remember performing. It struck without warning, and without any respect to my circumstances. No, it wasn't the hexed disposal, drawing me into its gnashing metal teeth. It was our new kitty, who discovered the fascinating dangling objects she spied hanging between my legs. She had been poised around the corner and stalked me as I reached under the sink, and at the precise moment when I was most vulnerable, she leapt at the toys I unwittingly offered and snagged them with her needle-like claws. I lost all rational thought to control orderly bodily movements, blindly rising at a violent rate of speed, with the full weight of a kitten hanging from my masculine region. Wild animals are sometimes faced with a "fight or flight" syndrome. Men, in this predicament, choose only the "flight" option. I know this from experience. I was fleeing straight up into the air when the sink and cabinet bluntly and forcefully impeded my ascent. The impact knocked me out cold.When I awoke, my wife and the paramedics stood over me. Now there are not many things in this life worse than finding oneself lying on the kitchen floor butt naked in front of a group of "been-there, done-that" paramedics. Even worse, having been fully briefed by my wife, the paramedics were all snorting loudly as they tried to conduct their work, all the while trying to suppress their hysterical laughter......and not succeeding. Somehow I lived through it all. A few days later I finally made it back in to the office, where colleagues tried to coax an explanation out of me about my head injury. I kept silent, claiming it was too painful to talk about, which it was. "What's the matter?" They all asked, "Cat got your tongue?" If they only knew!