Thanksgiving Thoughts

Some of you may remember the struggles we had financially this time last year.  We thought it was a one time thing, a bizarre combination of events that meant we would only have to experience that kind of stress and despair once.  We were wrong.  This year, believe it or not, has actually been worse.  For two months in a row our paycheck has been only 20%-25% of normal.  It's amazing how quickly credit cards max out and bank accounts empty when that happens.  But as the Thanksgiving season has arrived, I find myself more grateful than ever for so many things.  Our heater fan burned out this summer and we didn't have any money to replace it.  With the colder temperatures arriving it has been chilly in our house.  I am very grateful for a fireplace to help us stay warm.  It doesn't have a fan, but it is still better than nothing.  I am grateful we have blankets to put on our kids' beds to help them sleep at night.  I am grateful our home has insulation and keeps us protected from the elements.  I am grateful I have electricity to keep our food fresh, to cook our food, and light our home.  I am grateful we had a spare microwave for when ours suddenly stopped working.  I am grateful I have running water, and really grateful that we have warm water to bathe in.  I am grateful I have food to send in Cambrie's lunch.  I am grateful my kids are healthy.  I am grateful my kids are happy.  I am grateful for a husband who continues working hard even though it is discouraging.  I am grateful for parents who make it possible for us to visit them in Utah.   I am grateful for friends, who through little whispers from the spirit have dropped off space heaters and extra clothes to brighten our day.  I am grateful for a grandmother who generously gave us an early Christmas present and paid for a new furnace fan.  I am grateful for my testimony and my faith that help me through this really difficult time.  

And it seems as though when it rains it pours.  On our drive home from Utah we were hit with a chunk of ice from a passing truck.  A few minutes later our heater stopped working, which was a problem since it was -11 degrees outside.  Shortly later our check engine light came on and our car stopped running.  We pulled over to the side of the road to figure out what on earth we should do.  It was 7:00 AM, and not a lot of people were at work yet, but we managed to get a hold of a tow truck that arrived just 30 minutes after we called.  I am grateful we were only five miles out of Evanston.  I am grateful we had cell coverage.  I am grateful we had extra blankets in the car.  The tow truck towed us to a buddy's shop which looked a little sketchy when we arrived, but I am grateful they were able to start work on our car right away.  I am grateful I had food for the kids to eat while we were there.  I am grateful we had a warm place to wait while they worked on our car.  I am very, very grateful that our car actually sustained very little damage.  The lower bumper had a chunk taken out of it and our coolant hose had come loose which had caused the anti-freeze to drain.  The repair shop had the pieces on hand they needed and fixed our car in a little over an hour.  I am grateful that we could afford the repair bill.  I am grateful we were able to get on the road again quickly.  I am grateful that even with the blowing snow and poor visibility through Wyoming that we made it home safely.  

Now we are home and the Christmas season is underway.  I spent our first day home putting up our Christmas decorations and trying to bring the joy of Christmas in our home.  I am grateful my parents had an extra Christmas tree to give us.  I am grateful that Christmas decorations bring with them so many positive memories.  I am grateful my kids are so excited to see the tree, the stockings, and snow globes.  So even though Jeremy and I are faced with another very stressful Christmas, one where our kids' Christmas morning will be small and Jeremy and I won't have one at all, I still find that I am grateful for my Heavenly Father.  He makes challenges bearable.  They aren't comfortable but without his help they wouldn't even be manageable.