Tuesday night I thought I was going to have a heart attack! I was cooking dinner and after two hours the meal was still not through. And I realized my oven went out! No longer working! And I was just getting ready to bake some pies! Umm time to panic. So at almost 8pm I made my sweet husband hop in the car and drive me to Lowes to look for a new one! We drove like mad and raced through the store. I wanted one on clearance so we ended up going to 4 different stores! Yeah, we were hauling butt! But we found one I liked and I was able to set up delivery for the next day. Just in time to do my baking!
It was delivered and I stayed up after everyone went to bed to get ready for our Thanksgiving. The house was so quiet and as I was getting ready to turn out the lights after finishing up in the kitchen I turned around to glance around and see if I had missed anything. And I saw that new stove. And I was almost in tears thinking about how fortunate we are. You see, a few years ago we were really struggling. Tony had lost his job and the holidays were looking really, really bleak. That year for Thanksgiving I actually pawned a few items to have money for the food. Humiliating I know. Only added to that white trash feeling! I was so worried about Christmas coming. I was pawning items just so I could buy our Thanksgiving dinner so how in the heck was I going to be able to buy Christmas for my kids!
Well, I shouldn't have worried. We were taken care of. Our sweet neighbors did they twelve days of Christmas for us. Gave us food, money, and fun little treats with it!It made it possible for us to provide some sort of Christmas for our family! it was delightful and helped us keep our spirits up during a hard time! I hope my kids will remember when they are older what a gift that Christmas was.
Somehow, somehow we survived. We survived and we thrived. And we were blessed through the kindness of others.
Tony was able to find a great job and we have been able to get on our feet again.I feel so grateful that when my kitchen stove went out, I was able to go buy a new one!
Today Grace spent almost a hour sitting at the table. Just waiting! She was so excited for dinner. The feast she called it! And Ethan kept sneaking olives. And Tony and the teens were joking about who gets his diaper after all of those (Sick). And my sweet Rachelle was so helpful. Spent so much time in the kitchen asking what Else can I do for you mom. Then there was Hannah holding my sweet Adie so I could cook! My kids made fun of me at the table tonight as we sat together eating turkey and drinking our special "Shirley Temples"(the little ones think that is what makes the holiday meals so special!) cause I was a little emotional~ Thinking again about how blessed I am. When times have been tough we have still been blessed. I have known that my Heavenly Father was aware of me and the struggles I was going through. And now~We have enough to meet our needs. We are healthy. I have a husband that loves me and tries so hard to make me happy. I have amazing kids. They are what makes this life such a fun journey!
I just feel such a great feeling of contentment and gratitude tonight. I know that I will be thanking my Heavenly Father tonight for the rich blessings I have been given!
Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity. It can turn a house into a home,a stranger into a friend.Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow ~Melody Beattie
6 comments:
hey Lauri,
I'm so happy to hear that you guys had such a great thanksgiving. And what a relief about being able to get a new stove!
I thought about and missed all of you a lot today, but it makes me happy to hear you had a good day.
Love,
Veronica
were you totally trying to make me cry? Cuz you did. What a great post.
What is so amazing is that you don't forget about your hard times. You remember them, and have such gratitude that things are better...and you reach out and help others because you know AND REMEMBER what it's like. :) I'm thankful for you!
And I'm so glad you got the new stove, what a nightmare for it to go out right before Thanksgiving! But it's so pretty!!! coolness!
Happy Thanksgiving Lauri!
It is so good to remember that we are loved and never forgotten. I think if the entire world would just be a little bit more greatful it would be a different place. Loved your post. Perfect ending to a good day.
aw thanks for posting that! that was just a nice, warm fuzzy to read after a hectic monday :) enjoy the rest of your week!
My kids love the Shirley Temples too. It is the fanciest drink they have ever had! I love it. I am so glad that you are being so blessed right now. It makes things a little easier - doesn't it. You really do have a beautiful family. It is so comforting to know that our Father in Heaven loves us so much. I feel humbled when I think of what He has given me!
Oh, Lauri! What a wonderful post!!! Thank you so much for sharing. You never know when people are struggling and what a testimony of Heavenly Father's love through those who helped you. You are so blessed. This post made me realized how truly blessed I am too and how I need to focus on the good things. *Big hugs*
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