Gratitude Friday...

Let's start with pictures of adorable littles, k?

Hello, Lovelies!  

In true AK fashion, she was not thrilled with her Valentine's gifts this morning.  Y'all remember last year when her rejection of my carefully planned Valentine's Day left me feeling pretty awful.  But this year, I was prepared.  Doesn't mean it didn't hurt a little but there's a lot to be said for being ready for disappointment.  

Let's just all agree Aubrey Kate's love language is most definitely NOT gift giving.  

And for the sake of documentation, here are the baby girl decorations from the shower turned into Valentine's decorations.  I love using the ridiculous amount of craft projects AK creates as decoration.

Free.  Cute.  Done.

Overall, an okay week around here.  Except for Tuesday night.  When I was completely and utterly done with the talking.  All of it.  By the time Chris came home (which was and will continue to be the only night he was home this week.  Or last.  Maybe even next.), I could hardly handle another single noise.  I fell asleep praying God would cut out the last three hours of the day out of the kids mental scrapbooks.  Like, it just disappears.  

Anyone else ever pray that prayer?

Yesterday was kinda rough too but that's largely because AK woke up at 5:00 am and based on the state of her room, never went back to sleep.  Neither did I.  Two grouchy, over-tired people does not a happy dinner, bath and bedtime make.  

More cutting out of the scrapbook. 

The one productive thing I did this week was start reading "7" by Jen Hatmaker.  And, love.

This deserves a whole post all it's own.  The why behind starting it and the fact Jen Hatmaker might just be my long lost sister.  Except for her weird love of the Texas Longhorns.  

But in case I needed confirmation reading the book was exactly what I needed, AK came home with this little gem the day after I started it.  

Subtle, God.  Real subtle.

That's all just a summary of my week.  Not my gratitude list.

For that, I have to tell you we started a new sermon series at church entitled "2 or 3."  It's all about having those two or three Godly relationships where you hold and are held accountable, where you talk about and seek Jesus, where you grow in your faith and lean on each other when your faith is a little short.  

Good stuff.

Powerful stuff.

I sat there Sunday morning being filled up with the reassurance of my Godly relationships.  

In the 13 years we've been married, we have lived in five apartments, four houses, four states and been a part of four churches.  Throw in two kids, a long-since dearly departed dog (Maggie), a partridge in a pear tree and we're like gypsies.  

Relationships can be hard to form.  

By the grace of God, I smile knowing I have those solid relationships.  

I don't see them often and one of them, I've never even hugged her neck.  Someday.  But these women keep me focused.  They get me.  I share my deepest, darkest secrets.  My longings.  My victories.  My disappointments.  My dreams.  

They call me out on my...well...less than stellar moments.  But completely offer me grace in those admissions.  

They give me the absolute JOY of praying with them, for them and in one case this past fall, over them.  Hands on her arm, sobbing, pleading for healing.  

In so, so, so, so, so many ways, they know me, challenge me, love me.

And for them, and the love of our Father who gave them to me, I am eternally grateful.