Thankful Tuesday: Memorial Day Edition

• Parents who will drive eight hours and spend money on a hotel room on the way, just to stay two days with my family
• Riding bikes (in the street!) with August and feeling the gift of his growing up
• My dad and August in the backyard, sticking tiny ants under the microscope
• Bubbles and a baby pool in the grass, bug spray and sunscreen
• My mom bringing her own science experiment (baking soda and vinegar and food coloring) to make with August
• Evening meals with my parents on the deck, even if we were attacked by flies
• Brooksie and Dad in the rocking chair with a book

• Hearing my cat’s cries for food at 5:45 on Monday morning, the first time he’s been hungry enough and healthy enough to meow and want to eat in over a week. I was thankful, even at 5:45 am.
• A church that hosts a Memorial Day picnic at a park with a splash pad
• Splash pads all over Austin’s parks: so far the greatest idea Austin ever had (at least in my humble opinion after living here for nine months…I’m obviously an expert, right?) Water pouring and squirting on kids with no chance of drowning? Yes, please.
• I love my church.
• A husband who encourages me to sneak away for two hours on Memorial Day to get some writing done
• A bag of cherries brought home from the grocery store
• Air conditioning after a bright, hot morning at the park
• Brooksie bringing August his blanket after dinner, just because
• The joy of teaching my baby where his nose is, where his eyes are, his ears, his mouth
• Recognizing my big mouth on Brooksie’s face. Feeling half sorry for the kid (awkward middle school age is coming buddy!) and half-proud: I’m sure he’ll be able to stick his fist in his mouth as well. Embrace your talents, right?
• Reading through The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe with August for the gazillionth-trillionth time
• While putting Brooksie to bed last night and praying for him as I made the sign of the cross on his forehead, he reached up with his pointer finger and touched my head as well. How deep a blessing was his prayer for me? I’m sure there’s a post in that…
• My dad and August and Chris and Brooksie all out in the backyard throwing a giant foam airplane.
• A trip to the local coffee shop at 8:45 Monday night because I forgot to buy coffee at the store earlier. A three minute drive with the windows down and 90 degrees outside and Ryan Adams singing “New York, New York” on the radio. I felt like a college girl.

It’s Thankful Tuesday! What are you thankful for? List your thankfuls in the comments. Or, best of all, write your own Thankful Tuesday post and link up for our third installment of the Thankful Tuesday Link-Up Partaaay! Add your own post to the linky and don’t forget to link back over here.

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