Heading to Thanksgiving

This is the time to we should be counting our blessings. Actually, we should be thankful for our blessing all year round, but Thanksgiving is a big reminder to do that. I have a bushel of blessings I'm thankful for:

1. That I'm a Christian and have a loving church family including two family members who are pastors: son-in-law, grandson-in-law, and grandson.

2. A husband who still loves me after 68 years of marriage and that we're both in pretty good health considering our ages.

3. Five wonderful children--though one has gone on to be with the Lord.

4. Grandchildren and great grandchildren: Daughter Dana has 2 kids and 5 grandkids: Daughter Lisa had 2 kids, and 3 grandkids, and 5 great grands. (That means I have 5 great-greats!). Son Mark has one son, who has a son, and the son is expecting a child. He also has 3 stepkids--who have gone on to have kids though I've kind of lost track of them, I know they've all had kids. (Mark passed away.) Daughter Lori has 4 kids, and 3 grandkids, she also has two step kids and another grandkid. Son Matthew has 3 kids--and 6 grandkids. I hope that's right. Hard to keep track. They all bring me great joy!

5. Besides being a wife and a mother I've had jobs I love: telephone operator, pre-school and day care teacher, owned and operated and lived in a residential care home for developmentally disabled women, taught administrator classes and continuing education classes, and over the years, wrote and published over 40 books.

6. I'm thankful for my home and the beautiful area of Springville where I live now, and I'm thankful for the time I had a home in Oxnard near the beach.

7. And I'm thankful for all my good memories of when I was a Camp Fire Girls leader, camping with my family, travels with my husband and so much more.

Thank you, thank you, Lord, for a wonderful life.

Marilyn