Thankful Thursday . . . in the nick of time.

It feels a little odd to single out two of my birds, but I kind of singled some others out last week, so here goes . . .

This Thankful Thursday I am especially thankful for what is going on in the lives of my firstborn bird and my tiny China bird . . .

My firstborn bird, Bryce, was promoted to the rank of Senior Airman today. Three stripes baby, and a pay raise! Oh yeah! My Survival Instructor bird returned from a week in the field tonight, and as always he called his mama. Oh how I love to hear that sweet deep voice of my firstborn. What's not to be thankful for? Bryce, you have worked hard the past two and a half years to get where you are. I am so thankful for the man you have become. I am so thankful for your noble character. I am so thankful that the Lord is at the center of the choices you make, and the life that you lead.

I am so thankful for the privilege of being your mom!

Thankfulness! From big . . . to my tiny China bird.

Flit decided this morning that she wanted to wear her little pink Gotcha skirt, which in turn sent her mama on a trip down memory lane. A very thankful trip . . .

Oh just look at my girl now. Still tiny, but not as tiny as she used to be. I am thankful for the two and a half inches, and the three pounds that my little bird managed to add in the past year. All that despite four surgeries . . . and of course despite her calorie burning flitting. Smile. I am thankful for caring doctors, successful surgeries, and for the fact that it is all behind us now (at least for awhile). I am thankful for patient speech therapists, and for the progress that our sweet girl is making. I am thankful for new sounds achieved, and new words pronounced, and for sentences! I am thankful for the way she says, "I. Love. YOU!" spontaneously throughout the day . . . for the giggles, the teasing, the chasing, the joy. I am thankful for the way that she trusts us, for the way that she looks at her siblings and grins her little "life is good" grin. I am grateful for the caring look in her eyes, and the compassion in her voice when we talk about friends who need our prayers. She's "been there" and she "gets it"-- an amazing thing for a four year old. I am thankful for her very first full sentence prayer, uttered preciously tonight, just before bed. "Thank you . . . God . . . for . . . my . . . home." My heart soared. Home to Teddi means so much more than this house we live in. It means us. Her family. Forever.

For eight years I prayed for this little girl--five of those before she was ever born, and now she is home, and I still have to pinch myself . . . fifteen months of pinching myself! Thank you Lord for hearing the prayers of my heart. Thank you Lord for bringing Teddi to be one of us. She is home, and she knows it. My heart overflows in gratitude to our God of details, who made the most perfect of little birds, and brought her home to bless my nest. There are no words.

(If you have never read Teddi's story, it is here at the end of her dedication post. Only God.)

One more "thankful" to mention. My dad underwent an outpatient heart procedure this past Monday morning. Did you know there was such a thing as outpatient heart anything? I didn't. Anyway, I am thankful to say that his procedure was a success and he is prayerfully on the road to recovery. He's a busy retired man, who hasn't enjoyed "sitting out the summer" while awaiting his turn with the surgeon. Daddy, I'm praying you are back to your "busy" self soon!

And to my Grinner (since I can hardly ignore that sweet grin) . . . I am thankful for the way you still look at pictures from the day we got Teddi, and GRIN! I am thankful that even today, as we took our trip down memory lane, you squeezed your arm tightly around your sister's shoulder and told her once again, "Teddi, I was soooo happy to see you!" Be still my mamas heart.

Now that only leaves two birds out. I can't do it. So . . . I am thankful for the fun cheeseburger date that I had with Brady last night. Yep, just me and my teenager and it was GOOD, the fellowship and the food! We need to do that more often B!

One more -- I am thankful for text messaging . . . and for my new phone with a keyboard! And for the 100 plus messages I pile up every week or so between me and my newlywed Taylor bird, who now lives in Houston . . . three hours away from her mama's nest. That would almost make it seem like we don't talk. Not to worry. We do. I love you my married bird, you too Francisco Z.!

Another Thursday with so much to be thankful for! Did I mention we got rain? Enough to moisten the worst drought here since they began keeping weather records. Thank you Lord for a refreshing shower, it made many, many people smile. And speaking of smiles, my blogger friend Tammy is wearing a beautiful one in China this week! Tammy and her husband Jim, along with big sister Madi (herself a tiny Chinese treasure) welcomed little sister Emma Hope into their open arms this week. She is precious! Four more siblings wait at home in Alabama to love on that baby girl. Thank you Lord, Emma is coming home!

Wow! So much . . . so very much . . .

Blessings from my "countin' my blessings" nest ~

Tina