Thankful Thursday

1. I am ever so grateful for a girl who will be turning nine on Saturday! It has been such a blessing to be her mom, and I look forward to the continuing to watch her grow. She is such a big help to me. This week, for example, she's been making four sandwiches every morning to help with packing our lunches.

2. We invited five of her friends from church plus her three grandparents to her birthday party this afternoon. Up until yesterday four friends were planning to come, but one had a change of plans yesterday. My dad, bless his heart, drove seven hours today to spend three hours with us at Nadia's party. That is true love!! He wasn't at her party last year due to my mom's health, but he has been to most of her birthday parties. He hasn't been to our house since February, when we went skiing because he's been quite the globetrotter lately between making many trips to Virginia to spend time with his fiancé and also two trips to Turkey in the past two months. Due to those trips he wasn't able to come up to see any soccer or softball games this spring, but he's

planning to return in just three days to spend a few hours with us en route to Michigan. We should be meeting his fiancé on Sunday as well. In addition to our immediate family, there were six guests at Nadia's pool party - Grace, Claire, Baylee, Grandma, Pop Pop, and Grandpa. Grandma and Pop Pop didn't come for the swimming part, but they joined us for pizza, cake, and presents! I'm thankful for these friends Nadia has made at church. This is one of the main reasons we switched churches three years ago - to be at a bigger church where it would be easier for the kids to make friends.

3. Our inkjet printer has not been working. Paul has been printing things for me at work, which I have appreciated, but these days you really need to own a printer because for example the car insurance company doesn't mail the proof of insurance any more, you have to print it yourself. Same goes for the proof of vehicle registration. They used to mail you a paper and a sticker for your license plate. No sticker any longer, and you have to

print it yourself. I have wanted to switch to a laser printer for a couple of years, and when we wasted money by buying two new cartridges and the printer still wouldn't print, that was the final straw. In the long run laser printers are much cheaper, and they also last much longer.

4. We're thankful for the yummy cake that Aunt Millie and Uncle Al provided for Nadia's Finding Dory themed party. We're also thankful for the gifts she received such as make your own lip gloss from

Baylee and two Adventures in Odyssey CDs from Claire. Grandpa also gave her AIO cds plus a comic book about the Apostles. Paul's parents gave her a watch, fidget spinner, and her very first American Girl doll - Samantha. She had asked for one at Christmas, but I wasn't sure if it was worth it as she rarely plays with bigger dolls - usually plays with Barbie dolls or paper dolls, but she continued to say that was what she wanted and so that's what her grandparents got her. It's a beautiful doll!

5. Oliver did really well going to the GPS rehearsal on Wednesday night even though Nadia and Ian weren't there because they were at VBS at our church. I admit I was nervous, but it was no big deal. Whew.

6. Nadia and Ian have really been enjoying the VBS at our church (Kidzway Camp) this week. Oliver is too young. He'll be old enough next year, but everyone is invited tomorrow night for Family Night. He can't wait to use the water inflatables! Nadia had her turn last night, and Ian had his turn tonight.

7. One risk of scheduling a pool party is you have no idea when you make the plans what the weather will be like that day. Thankfully it was a warm, sunny day for the first three hours we were at the pool. It started to thunder while we were eating cake so the kids weren't able to get back in the pool, but we wouldn't have stayed there much longer anyhow because I took Ian, Nadia, Claire, and Grace to VBS a little while later.

8. Nadia and Ian have really enjoyed their art "camp" this week (why is

everything a "camp" these days - are the words class and lessons taboo?). I will take photos soon of all the things they have created this week. Nadia's self portrait shows herself as a nurse, and Ian's shows himself as a zookeeper.

9. I found a 95 question practice test online for the Praxis test I'm taking next month. Considering most of the questions had nothing to do with what I studied in my doctorate, I was pleased with my score. I need to do some studying. I'm glad I didn't sign up to take the test next week. I really want to pass it the first time because it costs $120 to take it.