A Totus Tuus Family: Thankful Thursday (on a Friday) :}

Friday, October 19, 2012

Thankful Thursday (on a Friday) :}

I know it's been awhile since I've posted a "thankful list"... To be honest, it has been very hard for me to have a thankful heart during this all-day-morning-sickness-phase of my pregnancy. I know that's not a good excuse. There is always so very much to be thankful for, and deep down I'm even thankful for this nausea because it's a sign of a growing miracle inside of me, and it's an opportunity to offer up my discomfort for the good of others. All of this I know is true, but living it on a daily basis has been a challenge. I am weak. I am selfish. I am the baby and the only girl in my family...which explains a lot. God has a lot of work to accomplish in my soul :) But anyway, here is a brief list of some of things I have truly been thankful for, even in the throws of nausea...

my rosary group: the chaos of kids playing combined with the grace of moms praying
Nathanael singing made-up songs in the car (the one he sang this morning contained the words "Jesus" and "cars" in the lyrics...it sure makes you wonder what he's thinking about)
my 4 handsome, delightful boys that fill my life with more joy than I imagined possible
sponsoring 2 dear friends for a Cursillo retreat...praying they get a downpour of God's grace
watching baseball with my boys (they are so excited because their favorite teams made it to the playoffs--the Cardinals and the Tigers)
friends who surprise me with meals because they remember what all-day-morning-sickness feels like
a 33-day at-home retreat with my husband (33 Days to Morning Glory by Fr. Michael Gaitley)--reuniting us to each other and to Jesus through Mary
my pretty cat who cuddles with me in the afternoons while I pray on the couch
the gift of Merry Maids from my husband who wanted to treat me with not having to clean toilets during my 1st trimester (what a good man I married)
my sweet husband who has been doing all the grocery shopping lately (what a gift!)

this new painting of Mary from my mother-in-law, which now hangs in our dining room across from the painting of Jesus (both are reminders for our family to keep our thoughts and words holy because we are always surrounded by "a cloud of heavenly witnesses")