The Real Stuff(ing)

mom-win-wednesday-header

This Wednesday we want to celebrate Thanksgiving in the Texting the Truth style, because it’s always a win when we choose gratitude.

Laura
Laura

It’s my favorite time of year, Ladies!! Thanksgiving!  I can almost smell the turkey now!  And don’t get me started on the stuffing.image1

Laura
Michelle
Michelle

Ha, I could leave stuffing in a heartbeat! For me it’s the yummy pumpkin pie! It makes me think of my sweet Grandma. ?

Michelle
Anna
Anna

This is your favorite? Really?? So much cooking and cleaning… 18 million different dishes laid out on the table… Then my Libby will sit down and probably eat one dinner roll and say she’s full. ?

Anna
Laura
Laura

I know, I know! Thanksgiving brings its stresses and even sorrows, but I thought we could just take a moment today to focus our thoughts away from all that and truly be thankful.  So here’s the big questions: What are you most thankful for this year as a mom?

Laura
Jessica Sorosiak
Jessica Sorosiak

Such a hard question to wrap my head around!  But an important one to ask myself, particularly this year as I struggle with parenting two strong-willed little ones. Even in the hard times, I’ve learned to praise God ? – so I’m thankful for those kids that challenge me daily.  They have grown my patience and exposed my weaknesses so that I can lean more on God to redeem those areas of my character.

Jessica Sorosiak
Michelle
Michelle

Amen to that! ? Since you took what I was going to say (haha)…I am most thankful for the way I get to see life through their eyes. Sometimes I get bogged down with all I have to do and then I hear Ellie yell, “doggy!” and run to the window. I love how she finds joy in the little things and for a mama who can be a bit glass-half-empty, it is really good for me to stop and soak in the beauty that they notice. So this year I am really grateful for the blessings of these girls and the way they help me remember what life is all about. The quote that I have resonated with all year sums that up – “Gratitude turns what we have into enough.” Ah, just so thankful for what I have in my rambunctious but loving little girls. ?

Michelle
Ashley
Ashley

I am most thankful for the gift of being here to watch my girls grow and blossom this last year.  It’s such a blessing (one we often take for granted) to just simply be here for the day in and day out- preschool drop off, holiday parties, playdates, feeding ducks, doing craft projects, etc.  Those little everyday activities become the memories we treasure, and I am SO thankful that I’ve been blessed with another year of them. #sappymama

Ashley
Anna
Anna

Thanks, guys. You’ve got me teary-eyed…? ?  I’m just thankful that this year, they are all old enough to clear their dishes from the table. ?

No really… (Well that is true, but) I am also thankful for all the ways they’ve grown this year — their physical health and their little and big steps all along the way. It’s easy to miss any maturity happening in the day-to-day, but when I look back at a whole year ago, I see it.

Anna
Lisa Langenhop

I could make a list a mile long for this year. I probably claim that most years, but I mean it emphatically and passionately this year! Oh boy – can I pick three? It’s holiday time and we were scared that my family would be mourning the loss of a baby during the season, but we aren’t! We have two healthy and new baby boys to celebrate. This year I’ve enjoyed getting to know my two-year-old as a distinct personality. And lastly I’m so grateful for the various teams of support that have come aside my little family through the year – they bless me and they bless my kids!

Desi Kippes

Well, I think you guys said it all. ? Oh wait, I got it. I’m thankful for the way my kids spread joy to those around us. It’s similar to the way they leave their sticky handprints everywhere we go. ? People light up and smile when they see us coming. (Sometimes it’s because they have no idea what they’re in for, ? but generally it’s because there is just something about little kids that makes you smile.) I’m talking about everyone from grandparents to the grouchy store clerk. ?So I’m thankful that my kids are able to bring a smile to someone’s face. My prayer is that they will always bring joy to others.   

Laura
Laura

Wow! What can I say? I knew when I asked this questions that it was a little cheesy, but these answers inspire me! I’m so thankful to be a part of this team of mothers who notice the deep and wonderful parts of parenting.  Thanks for sharing the real stuff(ing) of mothering.   

My turn.  I’m thankful that my boys are learning.  Sometimes I forget they learn from everything.  Then I hear this knowledge come out of their mouths when I least expect it.  When the twins start talking in the backseat of the van about what letters various words start with.  When my little guy learns to say “wee-oo, wee-oo” when I ask him what a firetruck says.  And watching Jesse figure out how to sound out a word for the first time.  Most of all, I l love watching them learn about our Father in Heaven.  They make faith seem so easy some days, but then they ask some tough questions too!  I’m thankful they can learn and that they are learning and that I can learn right along with them!

And like you Jessica, I’m thankful they change me! Like you Michelle, I’m thankful for what I see through their eyes.  Like you Ashley, I’m thankful for the “mundane.”  Like you Anna, I’m thankful for how they have grown.  Like you Lisa, I’m thankful for their actual lives, their personalities, and friends who support me and them.  Like you Desi, I’m thankful for their joy spreading abilities.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Laura

And so we leave it here…  What are you most thankful for this year as a mom?