Vroooom Thankful

• That my baby has learned how to use sound effects when pushing his brother’s cars around on the floor. (Can vroooom count as his third word?)
• For the sound effects that have become a significant part of my communication skills. I catch myself saying: “Boom!” and “Splat!” while I chop the slices of cucumbers my kids are about to consume. How did everything become a sound? (Btw, my friend Cat would say that my sound effect making is not solely based on having kids. She’d say that I’ve always made really awkward sound effects when conversation stalls: “Dupee Dupee Du…”)
• Several moments this past week to be reminded of how I have the best kinds of friends: the friends who will give up hours to read my work and give me difficult, thoughtful feedback, the friend who emails with deep honesty and trust, the friend who calls from her hospital bed as she gets chemo, asking me about my life. The friend who pursues me even when I fail to pursue her. The friend I can dream wonderful, giddy, silly romantic dreams for. I’m thankful for friends.
• I’m thankful for reminders of how much I love my husband, and the shock of how good I have it.
• For The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. For “deep magic” and truth in my little boy’s ears.
• For a baby who is no longer laid-back. (It was bound to happen.) For his longing to run and his drive to get those feet moving.
• For forgiveness and rest and warm afternoons and a clean house
• For laundry and its monotony and the reminder that we work and seasons move and babies grow and dishes pile and are put away and my hands look more like my mom’s and all of it matters. All of it matters.
• Afternoon sun through the windows, squares of light on the couch. Isn’t winter light so distinct? So hopeful?
• The moments of feeling like a failed mother, followed by moments of believing God loves me. That process is the miracle.
• Boys playing in the grass, boys laughing at each other at the table, boys driving each other crazy in the car and stealing each other’s toys in the living room. Brothers wrestling with their dad on the bed.

It’s Thankful Tuesday. Time to list yours, friend.