Thankful Tuesday

1. The kids and I like our new face shields. The kids had been wearing shields since the beginning of October, but I had continued to wear a face mask. These new shields are technically for children, but they fit me fine. I wonder how much money has been spent this year on face masks and face shields? I've purchased several different kinds and styles of both masks and shields over the past eight months.

2. We were able to attend one of our church's candlelight services on Christmas Eve as well as a light show at another church.

3. Milo got a good report at the vet last Wednesday.

4. Paul was able to assemble Ian's new bike on Sunday afternoon.

5. Aunt Janet is going to become a Grandma in 2021!

6. The Steelers ended their three game losing streak on Sunday. With one game left in the season their record is 12-3. They won their division.

7. Paul had to work longer hours than he usually does on Saturdays the past two Saturdays, but he went into work really early yesterday (I woke up at 3am and he was already gone) so that he could be home around 10am. Considering he usually gets home from work between 7-8pm, that was a treat! He didn't go to work on Christmas Day. He always takes that day off, but he usually goes to work on New Year's

Day, but since the show in Baltimore was cancelled (usually held in early January). He's going to take New Year's Day off this year! Part of the reason he came home early yesterday is because Millie is having knee replacement surgery very shortly so Paul's brother will be taking about 12 days off of work to help her out, and so Paul will be working longer hours while his brother is away.

8. The kids all had their teeth cleaned yesterday, and they all got a good report! 

9. Nadia clipped Milo's nails for the first time yesterday. This was not an easy feat!

10. Ken is coming to work on the shower today and tomorrow. Maybe I can use the master bathroom shower at the start of 2021? That would be wonderful!

11. The kids enjoyed the first Peter and the Starcatchers audiobook. I got it when it was on sale at a very low price on Audible. I searched the libraries and found one library near us that had the second and third books in that series on CD. I have gone to four different libraries in our area in the past two weeks to check things out, plus I have  

accessed digital resources through a fifth library. We are very grateful for libraries! We also have been utilizing Kindle Unlimited recently as they had a special where you could pay 49 cents per month for two months.

12. The kids and I received many lovely gifts from extended family for Christmas: multiple Lego sets, a Nintendo Switch game, a rope ladder, a head lamp (might be Oliver's favorite gift), Paw Patrol toys, fruit snacks, Wheat Thins, and SunChips. You could tell that I have been trying many new 

recipes lately by the gifts I received: a broiler pan, mandoline, no cry gloves, spoons, ramekins, a baking dish, and a panini press. We used the mandoline on Christmas Day when to slice the potatoes for the Gratin Dauphinois. 

13. We've enjoyed watching some movies together - sometimes the whole family and sometimes everyone except for Nadia. Last night we watched Pete's Dragon on Disney+.

14. Since we couldn't see any relatives on Christmas Day, it was nice to at least be able to talk to them via Zoom, FaceTime, or on the phone. 

15. We recently enjoyed listening to an autobiography of a Pakistani Christian, and now we are in the middle of a biography about Billy Graham and the novel The Girl Who Drank the Moon. 

16. All five of us are healthy! This is nothing to ever take for granted.