Thanksgiving 2013

Thanksgiving 2012

Thanksgiving 2013

As I think about all I have to be thankful for, I am taken back to Thanksgiving 2012. Juliet was 16 days old, and we were learning how to grieve the loss of Jacob. Brett had taken our other kids up to Grandma's house to keep a bit of normalcy for them, while I stayed home and spent most of my waking hours by Juliet's side. It was hard to be thankful when I had said goodbye to Jacob just a few days earlier, but God gave me a wonderful gift on Thanksgiving Day. He made it possible for me to hold my daughter for the first time in her life. She was so tiny her whole body fit above the neck of my shirt. Not only was I allowed to hold her, but she did wonderful! Her oxygen requirements dropped and she rested peacefully on my chest for over an hour! This was just the beginning. This year, I have so much to be thankful for. I still grieve for Jacob and the "what ifs", but Juliet has come so far and we are truly blessed. I am so thankful for her strength, determination, and stubbornness. (I may despise those qualities when I am staring at the teenager, but for now, I love them!) I am thankful for the doctors, nurses and more who have become close friends through this journey. I am thankful for friends who have stood by our side through good and bad. I am thankful for family who loves our Juliet as much as we do. But, most of all, I am thankful for the salvation Jesus as given us. Through this, I know I will see my Jacob again. I know one day, I will be surrounded by all my children together and enjoying time with one another. I pray you all have a blessed day. Remember what God has given us. Thanksgiving is not about the turkey, or the Indians, or the great deals on toys. Be thankful for what you have! And God Bless You!