Thankful Thursday: October

(For an explanation of Thankful Thursday, go here.)

1) Loving a book so much that I don't even mind having to start it over, re-reading the first 70 pages for the third time.

5) Shopping for advent basket gifts and getting really excited about blessing my family and friends.
8) Looking through pictures from our Milwaukee weekend and remembering how great it was. Could not have had more fun. Could not have felt more blessed.
9) Meeting a mom who has adopted dozens of medically complicated foster children and realizing I want to be like her.
16) Breakfast and prayer with my roommie.
18) Sneaking off the floor mid-evening to have a fabulously funny phone call with the Oostras.
21) Road tripping with the sisters and laughing myself to tears.
22) Dad going out of his way to tell me - AGAIN - how beautiful he thought I looked tonight.
23) Listening to Grandma Haaland talk about how blessed she feels by everyone at Bjorn and Aly's rehearsal dinner.
24) Hugs from the Hanson boys, the sisters-in-law, Har & Sal, Grandma Lois, Linda, the Oostras, Norm & Trish and all kinds of other people whom I love.
25) Tearful conversations with Jules in the middle of a restaurant reception room because we know each other so well and both feel so blessed even as we grieve different circumstances in our lives.
27) Papa Harley crying his way through his speech.
29) Having the opportunity to publicly read Scripture over my brother and new sister-in-law as they get married.
30) Seeing Marky wipe tears off his chin three times as they prayed over Bjorn and Aly. I love those boys.
31) Looking around at the wedding and feeling so, so, so overwhelmed by the love I have for these people.
32) Feeling like I am "home" not because of where I am but because of who I am with.
35) Feeling "thought of" when Hannah grabbed breakfast for me because I was still sleeping.
36) Seeing my dad get excited about football.
40) An hour alone after a people-filled weekend.
41) Starting the day with hugs from both parents.
46) Starting my shift with my HIV patient's life partner being very testy & defensive - making me think he is used to being judged very quickly - and ending the shift with him asking if I would be back tomorrow.
50) Time with dear friends who are in town for a night; tears with Rachel in the car; feeling known and safe; being entertained by Chris' randomness.
52) Realizing that every opportunity for Christian fellowship is a gift of God's grace, NOT something I am entitled to.
53) Realizing this "season of loss" is actually a shattering of my idealistic "wish dreams" for what Christian fellowship looks like in my life and being okay with asking God to reveal himself in the shattered pieces.
54) Having a roommate who I can talk to and pray with. And one who laughs.
55) Strong bedtime hugs.
59) Writing letters that I am excited to send.
61) Seeing Chinwe in the morning before work.
62) Starting the day with a hug.
69) Gopher football with my dad - beautiful night, beautiful stadium. Brutal game.
70) Feeling my dad pursue me in conversation over dinner as he asked me about Nigeria, listened attentively and responded.
71) Getting a parting hug and kiss from my dad, getting my stuff out of his trunk and then getting another hug and kiss just for good measure. :-)
72) The joy of giving someone a gift that they love.
75) Feeling well cared for by Kyle.
76) Having breakfast with the Magnos and having them know me well enough and love me well enough to validate some of how I feel about small groups.
77) Worship at Bethlehem.
81) Waking up to already-made coffee left for me by my roommie.
82) Cute little boys (a patient) who love to play and love being little boys.
83) The soft comfort of my bed.