Day #17

It's been a busy few days, and this is the last thing I get to do before collapsing into bed tonight, so we're going to get right to the point.

Ben is grateful for... fall. The leaves changing... getting a little colder... everyone's getting a little sick... (oh wait, drop the last one).

Anita is grateful for... the opportunity to travel this week. Yes, it's true. I have to wake up in less than 5 hours to drive the two hours to Wichita so I can fly into (drum roll, please)... Charleston, SC! I'll be back here late Sunday, so if there's a delay in getting our gratitude posts up every day, now you know why. I get to go help my oldest friend in the world (time-wise, people, not age-wise) with her new baby. What a sacrifice, right? I'm thrilled to see her and the new baby - especially since I wasn't expecting the opportunity for about this time next year. Connor will be going with me (since he can travel for free and is still a baby himself) and Ben will hold down the fort here with the girls and the dog. I don't anticipate getting much sleep between now and Sunday, but how grateful I am for this great, great blessing. She and I haven't had the chance to spend this much time together all at once since our school days, and I'm not even sure we did it then.

Olivia is grateful for... her first chance to babysit. We had a women's activity at the church tonight, and there was a possibility of a couple older young kids needing to come with their moms, so we wanted to have a nursery available. Since I was over the activity and the nursery was a last-minute plan, I drafted the easiest candidate I knew: my daughter. She had one other girl there and they had a blast together.

Kelsey is grateful for... the glow-in-the-dark stars that Olivia put up in their bedroom today. I had been promising Kelsey they'd go up ever since we moved in, but I never could find them in the major stores, like Target and Walmart, and I eventually forgot to keep looking. Today we were checking out at Hobby Lobby, and what do you think we saw?? Stars! So we brought them home and Olivia put them up. Why does she love them? They help remind her that God is watching her from heaven and makes her feel more safe.

Connor is grateful for... his daddy. It is so cute watching those two boys bond together every night. When Connor was a baby, he was very much a momma's boy. Often when I left, Connor would cry on Ben's shoulder for about 45 minutes until he fell asleep exhausted. And Ben would let him do it without getting frustrated or angry. The man has nerves of steel. I couldn't have done it. And now he's reaping the rewards. Now Connor cries when Ben leaves, too. Every night they have a bedtime routine which usually involves Connor falling asleep on Ben. Come to think of it, I'm really grateful for Connor's daddy, too.