Thankful Thursday - Perspectives

Today, I'm thankful for things that I haven't been thankful for before.  They may be things I usually complain about and will probably complain about again, but tonight, God's given me a different perspective.

1. I'm thankful for bodily functions.

Marcus' speech is exploding right now and we've noticed that he's got quite the potty mouth.

M: Knock-knock
A: Who's there?
M: Banana
A:  Banana who?
M:  Banana wants poo-poo.
(Eruption of high-pitched giggles.)

And who would have thought that potty training would increase his vocabulary?

One day, looking in the toilet after doing #2, he said, " Eeew, stinky.  So much poo-poo.  HuMONgous!!!"

But besides the potty mouth, he's also a big question-asker now.  We are loving all the  What, Where, and How questions.  My favorite was when our little neighbor friend stopped by yesterday and without any prompting from us, Marcus said, "Hi Reese!  How are you?"  Mike and I just looked at each other and smiled and melted.

2. I'm thankful for a messy house.

I was proud of myself this week for folding the laundry and piling them up on the stair banister like this:



It was a huge accomplishment because they're usually piled into laundry baskets downstairs and Mike and I have to treasure hunt for clothes every morning.

Before I had kids, I had delusional thoughts that I would always keep my house clean even after having  children.  My kids would be able to eat off the floor because it would be spotless, and I'd pass a white glove test any day of the week because I'd be dusting very often.  The kids would pull out one toy at a time and put it back after choosing another one and they would demurely nibble on their snacks at the dining table and wipe sticky hands on napkins to avoid crumbs and fingerprints.  There would be no messy piles of junk laying around, and I would finish all my chores according to schedule so that strangers could stop by at any time of day and see an orderly home.  Was I on drugs?!

But seeing that my house in real life fails to meet the expectations of my fantasy life, makes me realize that my capacity is limited and my life is full.  There are diapers to change, meals to prepare, a husband to talk with, a baby to hold, a kindergartner who needs help with homework, and a 3  year-old who loves to spoon in the afternoon.  I'll take that over a clean house any day.

3. I'm thankful that I don't have a garage.

Believe me, I complain about this one every time I lug the 3 kids and backpacks and groceries on the 32 mile journey from the car to my front door.  Most of the time, the baby's crying from hunger or a missed nap, I'm impatient with the kids, sweating, and wearing an ugly scowl on my face that looks just like the whining in my heart.  But God helped me realize that we are still living in our 2-bedroom condo neighborhood for some good reason.  And maybe the daily trek to and from the car is actually good for Marcus.  That's 64 extra miles of walking per day for him that he would otherwise not have if we had a garage.  And maybe that's why he's starting to gain more endurance walking and able to take a few small steps independently now.

Check out the first couple seconds in this clip.  Kind of cool, huh?



4. I'm thankful for an anxious heart.

What?  Yes, I'm thankful that I was anxious for the past week or so.  Whenever we have an ophthalmology appointment coming up for Marcus, I get anxious that we will be hearing the news we most dread; that he is beginning to lose his vision.  Due to various circumstances, I was more anxious than usual about an appointment this week.  But what a sweet time it was to lay my burdens down at the feet of Jesus, search His promises, pray with my husband, and be comforted by Him.

The doctor told us that Marcus' vision remains stable and that he is tracking even better now than before.  This news was a relief to hear, but in a greater way, what encouraged me was the fact that the Lord continues to bring me near through situations like these.  He doesn't seem to let me wander too far off before He draws me in again to remind me that nothing will separate us from His love.

Thankful Thursday - Summed Up In One

The counting of blessings is ultimately summed up in One.  All gratitude is ultimately gratitude for Christ, all remembering a remembrance of Him. For in Him all things were created, are sustained, have their being. Thus Christ is all there is to give thanks for; Christ is all there is to remember. To know how we can count on God, we count graces, but ultimately there is really only One.  And the radical wonder of it stuns me happy, hushes me still: it’s all Christ.   Every moment, every event, every happening.   It’s all in Christ and in Christ we are always safe and “how will He not also . . .?”

-  Ann Voskamp

I stumbled upon a set of quotes in a blog taken from another blogger/author.  The above encouraged me and helped to sum up my Thankful Thursday for the week.

I leave you with my favorite rendition of "Jesus Loves Me"

Not My Usual Thankful Thursday

Today, I'm thankful for days when:

- my children are first in line to nominate me for Meanest Mommy of the Year

- my house is a dust museum

- my husband has to scavenge for matching socks in the 3 day-old hill of unfolded laundry

- I haven't budgeted for the month and we're almost half-way through

- my stack of unopened mail keeps growing

- the kids have watched 900 hours of TV straight and even Derek knows how to work the remote

- I'm complaining about the size of my house

- I have no idea how to teach and train my children

- I'm overwhelmed by the daunting role of advocating for my child's special needs in the public school system

- I wonder if my "healthy" children receive enough attention from me

- I'd rather daydream about all the things I wish I could buy rather being thankful for the riches I already have

- I'd rather do anything other than read God's Word

- I fall through on my promises to pray for others

- my heart grows even colder toward others who are lost and in need

I'm thankful for when I have nothing to show for myself and when I have nothing to offer others.  Although I love those days when I'm in sync and have it all together, I'm coming to see that when I'm only surrounded by loose ends and short-comings, it's easier to say, "My soul shall boast in the Lord."  (Psalm 34:2)

Thankful Thursday

There have been some low points and deep valleys for our family during the past 3 and a half years.  So during the peaceful times and the windows of respite that the Lord gives us, it's hard not to be utterly thankful.  That's how I've been feeling this week.  And so I'm going to try and resume my weekly lists of thanksgivings starting today.

1. Mike's mom is back in Maryland right now with Miriam.  It was a sad good-bye but we're hoping, a very temporary one.  I'm thankful that the Lord is sustaining them despite the pain of being back at home without Dad's presence.  I'm thankful that Mike got to spend extended time with his Mom after the busyness of funeral preparations and other logistics.  I'm thankful that when I looked in our patio one day, I saw remnants of Grandma's time with her grandkids and that in spite of her heartache, she had a joyful time with them.



2.  I'm thankful that we finally taught Audrey how to play Checkers.  She's hooked!  Totally reminds me of when I was her age and I was so happy to win a game against my mom or dad, even if I knew they let me win.  Thankful that Marcus also thinks he's playing too, and screams during the whole game because he's so excited to play a big-kid game with his sister.



3. I'm thankful that Audrey has such great taste in fashion.  (I will devote an entire post to her relationship with clothes in the near future.)



4. I'm thankful that Marcus had a rockin' session of PT this week.  It's so neat to see that he's slowly gathering the missing pieces of his physical development in order to learn to walk independently one day, Lord-willing.  Our homework with him over the next few weeks is mid-range control and bending of the hips and knees.  Very thankful that Marcus has been enjoying his time with Mr. Mark and that he gives the biggest smiles during his workouts.









5.  I'm thankful to have 3 kids.  I can't believe God gave me 3 children!!!









6.  Derek is like honey, sugar, and maple syrup all combined into one huge roll of buttery dough.  I remember writing this post with such a heavy heart and thinking for 9 months that it would be a miracle if Derek turned out to be healthy.  It turns out that God allowed him to be healthy...and boy is he healthy!  I don't take it for granted that he is grabbing for toys, lifting his head up so well, tracking our faces and voices with his eyes, and smiling at us without us even saying word.  He's not yet sleeping through the night, but I hold him at 3am with my hair in a crazy ponytail and my glasses on crooked, not knowing really where I am, but certain that I am profoundly grateful for our sweet Derek.







(BTW, he's teething already.  Oh boy!)

Thankful Thursday

1. After two short stays at the hospital last week due to contractions, I've been better about listening to the doctor's orders to rest.  So since I'm out of commission, I'm very thankful that Mike has been such a huge help.  With full-time work and taking on my load at home, he's been doing double duty and so joyfully, I must say.  He is one rad dad!

2. I also have some awesome friends.  I'm so tempted to feel incredibly lame that I can't take care of my family, but very honored and humbled that others have SO generously stepped in for me.  We've received delicious meals, offers to babysit, and our friends Alice and Donna have watched Marcus during the day so that I can rest.  Our sisters have also been at our beck and call to help us out as well, especially during the times we've had to be at the hospital.  I'm so grateful for such undeserved care.

3. Marcus is in the middle of his 3-week fall vacation from his year-round school schedule.  And with his Mommy not being able to take him out, he has been stuck at home most of the time.  It's been a challenge thinking of different things to do with him that don't require physical exertion on my part.  But I'm thankful that he's going with the flow and relatively easy to entertain.  One day, we had a good half-hour of fun with a headband. We've found multiple uses for them.

The Classic Look



80's Sweatband



Visor



Halo



Backwards Halo



Necklace



Nose guard



Yamaka



Belt



Star Trek



Headgear



Earring



Double Earrings

Thankful Friday

1. Mike's dad has been completely off supplemental oxygen for a few days now, which is a total change from the intubation tube that went down his trachea just a few weeks ago.  We praise God for that!  There are still things that come up everyday that are keeping the doctors from going further with the cancer treatment, but we are praying that these issues will be dealt with soon and that the oncologists can continue to be aggressive with the radiation and chemo if necessary.

2. Audrey has gotten into a good groove with going to school and though it's only been a week and a few days, there have already been many opportunities to shepherd her little heart.  This week, she got a taste of what it was like to be in the mean girl society, and it was humbling for us as parents to address this in her, as well as have her seek forgiveness from her classmate.  Thankfully, the other parent, who is also a believer, was SO gracious and it was so neat to be able to talk through the issue with the girls right after the incident happened.  We are so grateful for this friend at school, and we are already forging a relationship with her mom with a sweet like-mindedness.  Making good friends was top on the prayer list for me and it seems like the Lord is already answering.  What provision!  And even sweeter, we already have gotten through a little conflict and the girls are fast friends once again.

3. Marcus had a bi-annual neuro-ophthalmology appointment up in Pasadena yesterday.  One of Marcus' vision issues is called Ocular Motor Apraxia (OMA), which has less to do with visual acuity and more to do with tracking.  In order to track an object visually, he has to turn his head because his eyes aren't adept at following a moving object from side to side.  Two years ago, Dr. Borchert did an ERG on him and thus also diagnosed him with Retinitis Pigmentosa, which means that he most likely has little peripheral vision, trouble seeing in the dark, and degenerative eyesight.  This news was devastating to as we imagined our son eventually going blind, plus dealing with his other motor difficulties.  However, each subsequent visit has been an encouragement and yesterday, the doctor was thrilled to say the least.  He thinks Marcus is seeing even better now than he did before and had he not done an ERG, would think that Marcus' vision is fine.  He even wants to perform another ERG sometime next year to see what's really going on.  Mike and I were incredibly encouraged and thankful for the doctor's input and grateful that for now, Marcus' vision is one of his strengths.

4. While we were in the waiting room at the doctor's office, we saw Marcus do something he'd never done before.  He initiated play with another child who was not his sister!  He kind of has a thing for older girls, so he crawled over to a girl named Erin (who happened to be the same age as Audrey) and just sat next to her, waiting to play.

Girl:  Hi!  Do you want to play with me?
Marcus:  Yeah!  Yeah!

Then they proceeded to peacefully play with blocks together.

Girl:  What's your name?
Marcus:  Maw-Cuh

Mike and I watched them play together and our hearts welled up with thanks because it was the first time he spontaneously interacted with another child  outside our family and actually engaged in verbal exchange without any prompting from us.  We were as proud as if he had made the honor roll.  Can't wait to tell his Speech Pathologist.  She's gonna go wild!

5. Today we had our last ultrasound with the perinatologist.  It was our last time seeing him until next month when we see him in flesh and blood.  He plumped up a lot (supposedly 5 lbs. 5 oz) and his cheeks filled out like crazy.   Apparently, he wants to rock the 80's look for Halloween because he's already sporting a mullet.  :-)  The doctor said that there is nothing that shows up on the in-depth ultrasounds that is cause for concern, but that we will only know for sure after he is born.  We are excited to hold him, kiss him, care for him, and introduce him to the fan club at home.

Thankful Friday

1. Mike's father is doing better than he was last week.  We are SO thankful that his breathing tube was taken out and that his pneumonia and viruses have been stabilized.  The doctors have re-started their aggressive treatment of the cancer with radiation and possibly another round of chemo in the coming week.  However, the tumor has hindered him from being able to speak and to eat/drink through his mouth, so they are inserting a feeding tube through his stomach.  We are asking the Lord to allow for the best results through the cancer treatment, and that it won't turn into a downward spiral again of all the health issues related to a weakened immune system.

2. Mike is back home and we are SUPER thankful that our family is whole again.  God really allowed him to have a blessed time with his parents and extended family, even though the days were long and hard.  I can't put into words what riches we have in having parents who love one another and trust in the Lord together.  Mike was so blessed by their faith and by their extreme fervency in prayer.

3. Marcus has been at his new school for over a month now, and he has yet to have a bad day there.  All his teachers and therapists say that he's happy, involved, cooperative, and a hard worker.  And they've even mentioned that he's a pretty popular kid and that everyone loves working with him.  Today, even the principal stopped me to say that she observed him in class and was impressed by his improving speech and his persistence at tasks.  As a parent, that just fills my heart with so much thanks!

When I get down, I get worried and think, "Where does Marcus belong in this world?"  But when I see him thriving at his school and being around other kids with challenges, I'm reminded that for now, this is where he belongs, and it's exactly where the Lord wants him.

4. Day #2 of Kindergarten was great!  Audrey didn't encounter the mean girl this time and even better, she has started to make some friends.  When I picked her up, she just HAD to show me her moves on the playground and she blabbed on about everything she did that day.  I was grateful for the good report.

5. The past 2 days, Marcus has noticed that Audrey hasn't been there to pick him up from school.  So after greeting me with a gigantic smile and a loud, "Mama!", he'll ask for his sister by repeating, "Noona, noona (big sister in Korean)".  He knows now that she's started school so today, he reminded himself, "Noona, kool (big sister's at school)".

So once they are reunited, the next hour is full of giggles and funny noises and screams to make up for their 3+ hours of separation.  It's loud and obnoxious, but music to my ears!  Brother-sister BFF!

Thankful Thursday

1. I'm thankful that Mike was finally able to join his mother and sister in caring for his father in the hospital.  Unfortunately, his dad took a turn for the worse since last week and it's been tremendously difficult for him to endure the discomfort of the new breathing tube while simultaneously fighting pneumonia, two different viruses, and his lymphoma.  It's been extremely painful to see their dad in so much pain right now.  Please continue to pray for his recovery.  Mike's mom's deepest prayer is that her husband would put his hope in the Gospel in the midst of his suffering.

2. A generous member of our church donated his airline miles to Mike & Miriam so they could go see their dad.  We are so grateful for this brother and his unique and thoughtful ministry to our family!

3. We miss Mike like crazy, but we are thankful for modern technology.  Mike got us a webcam before he left so that we could video chat while he is away.  He's been able to put the kids down with me every night and they've looked forward to catching up with him at the end of the day.  It hasn't kept Audrey from tearfully saying "I miss Daddy" 40 times daily, but seeing his face has been a huge comfort.

Thankful Friday

1. I'm thankful for last Sunday's encouraging message on Paul's prayer for the Ephesians.  It really helped to redirect my prayers for myself and for others this week.  I've been challenged to pray especially for inner strengthening to be able to fully comprehend God's love through Christ.

2.  I'm thankful for the awesome VBS our kids got to participate in last week.  I got to join Marcus in his class and was floored by how Teacher Jean was able to relay such wonderful truths to little 3 year-olds.  I was very blessed.  Audrey also came home talking about what she learned and it was obvious that it was a special time for her.











3. I'm thankful for the summer weather and being able to dip in the pool.









Audrey's been taking swim lessons with her bud Jacob.  She is by far the worst swimmer in the class, but she thinks she is HOT STUFF when she slightly dips her face in the water.



4. I'm thankful that Marcus started at his new school yesterday.  The teacher said that he had a great first 2 days and that he's acclimating well to the class.  Marcus is also doing well in his new walker and actually says "walk, walk" because he wants to strut his stuff to the classroom rather than being pushed in his stroller.





5. I'm thankful that Marcus has managed to use the potty a handful of times now.  This morning, after he flushed the toilet, he said "Bye-bye, pee-pee."