I’ve tried to be motivated this week. One day I piled my books on my bed to read in the side-lying position. It didn’t happen. Then when the books and journals got cleared off for Dear Husband, they didn’t get opened again…

Here are a few of my let-downs – and how they are turning into praises, because the January Joy Dare page was in one of my misplaced journals (which was found this morning) I am just adding to my last list and will incorporate the “dares” later, now that the lost have been found. (70) (Patti’s beautiful Do Not Depart post from earlier this week).

Then there were little glitches all week. A doctor’s appointment and hope. A phone call and lost hope. Pain. Prunes. Pain. Still pain. (71) Relief when the baby comes.

(72) A couple fruitful phone calls.

(73) An evening on the phone with my mommy while we played scrabble with each other on our laptops.

Balancing books. Readjusting spreadsheets. Realizing the amount of money we are spending on child care (gasp). Balancing books. Readjusting spreadsheets. Computer, calculator, scratch paper, pen. (74) Getting everything balanced, budgeted, and seeing that we are being so well provided for!

(75) Just realizing that although we have bought NO PRESENTS for our soon-to-be-three-year-old yet we DO have a plethora of candy for potty training.

(76) Forgetting to send out an email to family to tell them when there will be cake. But knowing that everything is last minute with the family anyway. Those who would come, will come. Those who have other plans – will save me more cake.

(77) Not being able to make a gluten free cake for our soon-to-be-three-year-old. Knowing there is a GF cake mix at the grocery store so my thirteen-year-old can make one.

(78) Pouring rain and very dark grey days turning into beaming sunlight and sunbeam napping days.

(79) Being lifted up in prayer.

(80) Having conversations about having open eyes so that even a fallen bird on the side of the road brings a reminder that God thinks of us, cares for us, is concerned for us.

(81) Caregivers who are able to deal with a rat trap full of peanut butter in the back of the van, and manage to not set it off when putting my wheelchair in there. AND pick up coffee for me while I am at the doctor.

(82) My sister-in-love sending me a passage from a book that she picked up during her quiet time, that she hasn’t picked up in a few months, and she typed out the ENTIRE CHAPTER (chapter 8) so I could read it too – and be STRUCK by how much it spoke right into my blog post on Monday. RIGHT into.

(83 & 84) Emails about babies being born early, tweets about babies being born needing surgery. Knowledge that so far the person who is suffering in my bed is NOT the baby, but me. I am grateful it’s ME and not the baby. And the technology to be able to help the mommas and babies in the other situations.

(85) A sister in law due with her first baby in LESS than a week!!!

(86) An email from the Sunday School coordinator asking how they can help. Offering help. Giving help. Picking up thirteen-year-old for youth events.

(87) Being able to receive help, and ask for it.

(88) Gorgeous sunsets from my west-facing window.

(89) God smiling on me in the midst of quickly moving clouds in the night sky: crescent moon.

(90) Morning sunlight reflecting off the neighbour’s house making my day brighter.

(91) Home visits from professionals to keep my brain active as a parent of children with special needs (and special wants).

(92) Praise from same professionals telling me that I AM doing a good job (even if I am constrained to bed).

(93) Encouragement via the blog, twitter, facebook, email, phone calls, face to face. Even when I have not the energy to encourage others.

(94) Teacher who has child call from school to tell me about what a great day he is having.

(95) Same teacher who brought an amazing dinner (delicious sweet & sour chicken) for Chinese New Year.

(96) Son beaming from the high fives. Daughter delighted to be special helper. Daughter delighted to get gummies for peeing in the potty. Daughter getting 3 days off of school for semester break and making cookies. Kids who are praiseworthy being even MORE praiseworthy when given praise.

(97) Dear Husband deciding that he’s had enough of being kicked by almost-three-year-old and being persistent in the “no climbing into our bed” policy EVEN THOUGH it would be SO much easier at 2 in the morning. And almost-three-year-old, although still wanting to be in mommy and daddy’s bed, muttering, heart-broken, but moseying back to her small bed on the floor (still not liking “her bed” in her bedroom).

(98) The Celtic Dreamland CD (which is now on ALL of our apple devices because of the glorious iTunes match) that silences muttering almost-three-year-old almost instantly at 2 in the morning when we say “no, big girls sleep in their own beds” (even if our hearts really want to hold her – and yes, mommy DOES get out of bed and rub her back to get her comforted into sleep – we love her, she IS NOT being punished, she just needs to make room for new baby).

(99) Dear Husband taking almost-three-year-old to get vaccinations (whooping cough in particular) after 3 years of me hemming and hawing about it. And him being sick about it. And she barely flinched (she was proud of her band aids).

(100) A Mother & Father-in-love who run errands, install extra smoke detectors, fix broken drawers and leaky toilets. Clean toilets. Potty train almost-three-year-old. Make gluten-free bread. Vacuum. Bring coffee, breakfast in bed (at lunch and dinner time as well). Cook. Cook for the next couple days. AND STILL take my kids overnight.

(101) Dear Husband who keeps me stocked in chocolate. Makes runs across the border to pick up packages and buy cheese. And rubs my back.

(102) The internet.

(103) The Psalms.

(104) Hope.

 •••

Yes, I realize it’s Friday, but I am STILL thankful!