thankful thursday

I'm so very thankful....

• for God's provision! We have lived here in Ohio for about a year and have managed with just one vehicle for that entire time. That has meant a lot of rides to work for Josh from his brother and days stuck at home for Sydney and I. It hasn't really been a big deal and we're so grateful Josh has had the ride to work and we've been able to work that out for so long!! Recently it's been pretty clear that we need a second vehicle as where they work changes with what house they're working on and we definitely wanted to get something before the baby arrived. Well, after a couple of weeks researching, looking, test driving, and the like we purchased a van yesterday!! We are so thankful that God has provided transportation this past year, an opportunity to buy a vehicle, and the right vehicle to buy!
• for spending the holidays with family! It is such a blessing to live close enough to see everyone around the holidays. Josh, Sydney, and I will be heading to Indiana tomorrow and then Pennsylvania soon after that. We're so thankful to no longer have 10+ hour drives to see everyone!!
• for the little kicks and jabs in my belly that let me know our little guy is growing and lively! Now, I'm not so thankful for when they wake me up in the middle of the night but that's ok, he might as well start interrupting my sleep now as there's lots more of that to come!!
• for the Christmas season and the great reminder of all Christ has done for us! It's hard not to get caught up in the shopping, baking, gift giving and decorating. So, I just want to take a second to remind myself of what it's really all about. I'm so thankful for Christ, who humbly came to this earth as a baby, died on the cross for our sins so that we could be saved, rising from death, and giving us the opportunity to repent and be forgiven and redeemed. What a priceless gift he has given!

Merry Christmas to you and your family. I pray you each are blessed through this season!!

Here are a couple of my favorite verses from "O Holy Night" that have really been standing out to me this year. Blessings to you!

"Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope, the weary soul rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn."

"Truly He taught us to love one another;
His law is love and His Gospel is peace.
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother
And in His Name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise His holy Name!"

thankful thursday

In this season of thankfulness, it definitely prompts my heart to focus in a bit more on what I am grateful for and when I do that I see that I have too many things to list! Here are just a few that are standing out to me today...

1. That our baby boy is growing and healthy as far as ultrasounds and measurements can tell. I'll be 24 weeks on Saturday which means approximately 16 weeks until we get to meet this little guy!!! So I'm thankful that it's a short time until he comes and also thankful for the 16 weeks we get to enjoy life with Sydney before life gets a little fuller ;)
2. I'm so thankful for Josh and Sydney. I'm very grateful for the friend, companion and husband Josh is. I love who God has created him to be and I love him more each day. I'm so very thankful for who Sydney is. She makes us smile daily She has such a sweet and tender heart and I CANNOT wait to see what God does in and through her. She amazes me.
3. What is really standing out to me today is how good God is and how THANKFUL I am for His faithfulness. I read this entry of My Utmost for His Highest today and it brought me back exactly one year ago when I read the same entry. A year ago today, I was in a much different place (in every way...mentally, emotionally, spiritually, physically). I was coming off of one of the hardest things I've ever been through (which some of you know about, those who don't....sorry not the time or place to share) and this particular entry from that devotional spoke to me like nothing else. It was a call, a challenge. It was a fork in the road. It was time to choose....will I choose Christ and what he wants for me or will I give in to what I want to feel, how I want to deal with things? Will I let him heal me and be obedient to the steps of healing he was calling me to or would I let myself give in to anger, self pity, bitterness and hurt? Well praise God, because he gave me the strength to choose Him and I have seen the truth in what Oswald Chambers was saying....as I was obedient, I saw the promises and nature of God come to life before my eyes. It brings tears to my eyes today to think about how kind, gentle, and faithful God has been in this healing process over the past year. So I could not be more thankful for that! My favorite part of that entry is when he quotes the hymn "My goal is God Himself" ....
"My goal is God Himself, not joy, nor peace,
Nor even blessing, but Himself, my God;
'Tis His to lead me there—not mine, but His—
At any cost, dear Lord, by any road.

So as I chose a year ago, I choose again......my God...at any cost, by any road.

thankful friday :)

well, I'm thankful on Fridays too :).....

1. Dental insurance!! I haven't had it in a while and only have it with the insurance I'm on during the pregnancy but I had to get a tooth pulled (yuck!) on Monday and I'm so glad I had the coverage to do it. I'm still pretty sore from it...so I guess I'm thankful for Tylenol too :)
2. Halloween time!! I know that sounds funny to some but Halloween has lots of fond memories for me...of the traditional dressing up and getting candy as a kid, but also as fun family time. Halloween is my dad and sister's birthday and mine is the day after so it's a time of celebrating with my family. Wish I could be with Dad and Holly this year!!
3. Chocolate cake :) I'm making myself a dark chocolate cake with dark chocolate icing for my birthday...it's my present to myself and let me just tell you I'm pretty excited for it!!
4. Apple season! I love the fall because apples are on sale every where you look and I LOVE apples! Just made some Apple Butter in the Crockpot this morning and boy is it yummy!! Probably going to make these again later next week too!!
5. for possibly finding a home church! One thing we have not had since we left Arkansas was a real home church. We hopped around from church to church the whole time we were in SC and have tried a few here as well but we think we may have found a church to call home here. We know that is so essential to Ohio being home so pray with us that this is the one or that God will guide us to the right one soon!!
6. for Josh and Sydney (and the little guy growing in my belly). I am so very thankful for my little family. They mean so much to me, more as each day passes!!

Enjoy the weekend and carve a pumpkin (that's what we're doing anyway :)!!

thankful thursday

We are so thankful this week for the little one that will join our family in just 20 short weeks. We had the privelage of seeing the baby on an ultrasound on Tuesday morning and found out that we are having a BOY!!!!! We are all so excited to meet this little guy in March and the planner in me is pretty excited to be able to plan a bit now that we know and start to think about some names :) Below are a couple pictures of our baby boy :)!!

it's a boy!!

his legs stretched out

his face (slightly creepy picture :)

this is a view looking down on his head, he's sucking
his thumb :) You can see his fingers and the round to the left is the
top of his head. We got to see him put his hand in his mouth
and suck his thumb during the ultrasound!

thankful thursday

I'm so very thankful....

1. for fall!!! Wherever we go, it is just a wonderland of colors around here and I love it! Leaves don't change as dramatically in the south (at least where we were) and I have greatly missed all the colors of this season the last couple falls.
2. for a great trip back to PA this past weekend. We got to spend the weekend with Josh's family and spend some time with his brother Rich who lives in FL and it was a jam packed fun weekend (pics tomorrow!) and so glad we live close enough to make a weekend trip!
3.  for decaf coffee :) Now, if I had to go 9 months without coffee I probably could but I'm just so glad I don't have to! Nothing goes with a cool fall day like a hot latte :)
4. for BSF (Bible Study Fellowship). I have loved studying Acts with BSF. I love that my class is so diverse, being in Columbus. And I love that Sydney gets to come and have a bible study of her own. BSF has been such an encouragement to me and I'm so thankful for it!!
5. for Sydney's imagination. She can pretend about anything for long periods of time whether by herself or with other kids.  For instance she just played "face paint" with ten of her stuffed animals for about 30 minutes and then described each design to me :)  (she just got her face painted at a festival in PA)
6. that we have an ultrasound on Tuesday and might get to find out the gender of our baby!! I say might because it took 3 ultrasounds to find out Syd was a girl so hopefully this one is in a prime position because the three of us are dying to know!! :)

thankful thursday

So thankful....

1. for Josh's brother and family visiting last weekend. We had a great time and it was another great reminder of  how wonderful it is to live so close to family.
2. that BSF (Bible Study Felowship) starts next week!! I have missed going to bible study all summer and I am so looking forward to starting a new study and meeting my new discussion group.
3. for nachos :) I've been craving them the last few days and Josh found the perfect cheese dip, so I'm a happy camper.
4. for hints of Fall!! This cool weather has made me want some apple cider, pumpkin pie, cozy sweaters, carved pumpkins, and candy corn :) Love me some fall!!
5. for good health! We all have a case of the sniffles going on but I'm so thankful that we don't have major health issues to worry about right now. I can handle the sniffles for a few days :)
6. for a day to lay around and snuggle my sicky Sydney while she rests and tries to feel better...the bright side of the sniffles = snuggle time!
7. did I mention I'm thankful for nachos? yeah, I did but they are SO good and I'm going to have some right now....so I'm thankful not only for how good they are but also for their current availability at my house :)

thankful thursday

so thankful...

1. for screens in every window at my house. We have not had this since we moved here and missed out on a whole spring with no cool breeze. It has been AWESOME having some fresh air blow through this house!!
2. for Josh's brother and his family visiting from PA this weekend!!
3. for clothes that fit. Yeah, I'm running out of those and definitely took them for granted when I had a closet full and could just throw on whatever I felt like. Now it's a 30 minute process of elimination until I go back to one of 3 things that are currently comfortable. How did I forget about these really uncomfortable "not ready for maternity clothes but definitely NOT fitting into those pants" days?
4. for having a lot to look forward to :) Now that September has rolled around, we have a lot of fun things going on this month (family visiting, going to visit family, friends visiting, BSF (bible study) starting,  etc) and with Fall (my favorite season) just around the corner there are just lots of fun things to look forward to!!
5. for feeling pretty good today!! Many women have a much worse first trimester than what I've had but mine has still not been a walk in the park. I'm thankful to be just days away from my second trimester and feeling pretty decent today.
6. for what God is doing in my heart. It's been a rough year for me in some ways but one thing that has been so clear to me is how faithful God is, regardless of what is going on. I feel like in the last couple weeks God has been speaking very clearly to me through His word and through one of my favorite books (My Utmost for His Highest) to show me what steps I need to take to continue to grow and heal and He has been revealing to me the things standing in my way (mostly things I've put in my way) of growth and healing. I'm just so thankful for how God works, for his faithfulness to us, and for His gentle yet firm way of guiding us to what is best.

"Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior" Isaiah 43:1-3

SO thankful....

Today I am so very thankful to share some big news in the Boozell family. A lot of you may already know our news but I wanted to wait a little while before we went internet public but......

We're having a baby!!!  :) :) :)

The three of us could not be more excited to welcome this new addition to our family. It is a huge blessing in our lives and we praise God daily for this new life growing in my belly. Here is a picture from my 9 wk ultrasound (a few weeks ago, I'm 12 wks tomorrow).

You can see the arm bud, umbilical cord, and leg bud
(in that order from left to right)

thankful thursday

so very thankful....

1. for fabulous weather the past couple weeks which has meant lots of time outside enjoying it!!!
2. for Sydney's easy going personality. We experienced the other side of her personality last night with lots of tears and tantrums, but those times are few and far between and it makes me SO thankful for how she is just generally happy and goes with the flow. We're pretty lucky :)
3. for a car that gets us where we need to go. We had a scare a couple weeks ago when I got stranded with a dead car, it magically fixed itself and works like a champ again. We got such a killer deal on our little Volvo wagon and I am thankful every day that it proves to be reliable.
4. for bubbles....the simplest toy that brings hours of entertainment and enjoyment :)
5. for this recipe for Broccoli and Cheddar soup. I wasn't planning on making it until later this week but had a hankering for it yesterday and we were NOT disappointed. It was probably the best Broccoli Cheddar soup I've had!
6. for these verses in Psalm 34. An awesome reminder of the Lord's kindness, of how God loves us, delivers us, and doesn't leave us on our own to face our fears.
"I sought the LORD, and he answered me;  he delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant;  their faces are never covered with shame. "   Psalm 34:4-5

thankful thursday

so very thankful....
1. for A/C, cool water to drink, and anything else to escape this crazy heat! :)
2. for feeling better!! Sydney and I had a rough start to the week but we are both feeling SO much better today.
3. for a great weekend with Dad and Diana!! We had fun with them at their campsite in Brookville. Made it to the beach on the lake and Sydney hasn't stopped talking about it yet! (sidenote: Happy Birthday Di :)
4. for good snack foods :) After only eating cereal and crackers for a few days I loaded up at the grocery store today with some of my favorite snack foods...yummmmmy
5. for hope in the Lord.
"Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."  Isaiah 40:30-31

thankful thursday

so very thankful....
1. That we are visiting Dad and Di this weekend!
2. for Sydney's sweet personality. She is one of the sweetest, most smiley, and most tender hearted people I know and I'm so glad I get to be her Mom :)
3. for thrift stores. It's like a treasure hunt for me and there are lots of good ones around here!
4. for days with no agenda that lead to playing outside, listening to great music, and time to do whatever needs to be done. Oh and time for Syd to come up with awesome creations like the one below....(made from construction paper and post-its AND completely on her own!!)

thankful thursday

so very thankful...
1. for time to sit down and blog :) It has been such a busy week or so that to sit down for a few minutes is just heavenly!
2. for air conditioning! It has been blazin hot and that sweet relief when I walk into my house is hard to beat!
3. for a great visit with Josh's parents this last week!!
4. for God's faithfulness. It seriously blows my mind. I like to think that I am not fickle and am fairly predictable but my thoughts, my feelings, my opinions can change at the blink of an eye and I'm so thankful that God is not like that. I'm SO thankful that He is unchanging, dependable, stable, eternal, and faithful to us at all times.
"But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness" Psalm 86:15

thankful thursday

so very thankful...
1. for Josh's parents visiting this week!!! It's been so awesome living close enough to family that we have so many visitors :)
2. for our library. We get so many books, CDs, and movies from there week to week. It's awesome to have access to so much variety and they have awesome toddler story times a couple times a week too.
3. for beautiful weather this week. It has been a treat to be outside!
4. for God's mercies, that are new EVERY morning.

"Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, 'The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.' "    Lamentations 3:22-24

thankful thursday

so very thankful...
1. for the privilege to stay at home with Sydney every day. I am SO thankful every day that I can do this.  I'm thankful that Sydney spends her day with me (and then later with Josh), that we are the ones disciplining and teaching, loving and playing, and watching her grow. What a blessing!
2. for my hard working husband that makes being a stay at home mom possible!
3. for sunny days. After a stint of rainy days it was so nice to be outside all day yesterday and today!
4. for cheese dip from LaHacienda in Muncie, IN. :) My mom brought some for Josh for Father's Day and I've been eating it more than him I think (yep, just finished it off over lunch. Sorry babe :). It's the yummiest chip dip ever!
5. for boredom. I have it so rarely I almost forgot what it felt like. But today, Josh needed our car so my plans to run errands were moved to tomorrow with not a thing planned for today. So, hooray for a day of nothing in particular!! :)

thankful thursday

so very thankful...
1. for my mom, grandma, and brother making a trip over here this weekend!!
2. for screens in windows. We don't have them at the moment and I am now appreciating all the screens I've taken for granted. And even though we're not opening our windows at the moment, I'm thankful for the time when we can have bug free fresh air flowing through this house :)
3. for time to read. Man, I had forgotten how much I LOVE to read. Any good book recommendations out there? I'm about to finish a book and don't have one to start when I'm done, agh!
4. for something to dream about. Josh and I have recently stumbled upon our dream house. At the moment it's completely out of our financial reach but believe me, we are exhausting every idea to put it within our reach. We didn't even know a house like this existed around us. So until it slips away and someone else snatches it up, it's fun to have something to dream about! And in the slight chance that this house is meant for us and God provides a way...well it needs a ridiculous amount of remodeling so the dreaming will continue times 1000 :)
5. for peace. God has really been impressing peace on my heart lately....just resting in the peace He provides, knowing that He is in control, relying on His faithfulness. I'm so thankful for peace :)
6. for good music. What is life without great music to listen to? I'm thankful that I can hear all the wonderful sounds of music. (Not to be confused with the Sound of Music, although I do love that movie). Josh and I were able to see David Bazan last weekend and I can't stop listening to his new stuff, so good! Cotton Jones opened for him and they were pretty awesome too!

thankful thursday

So very thankful for....
1.  Root canals!! Yes that's right, root canals. After a year with a tooth ache, a year with avoiding too cold or too hot foods and beverages, a year with only chewing on my left side, I am thankful to have had a root canal today! Yay for normal chewing and extreme temperatures :)
2. I'm thankful for family (thanks Kim!) able to watch Sydney while I got my root canal and while Josh and I celebrate our anniversary on Saturday at Sushi Rock and a David Bazan concert!!
3. for midwest seasons! Living in the south for so many years we didn't get actual seasons like you do up here in Ohio. Now, don't get me wrong, this winter drug on forEVER (not gonna lie about desperately missing mild winters ). But, I'm so thankful for the seasonal distinctions. Especially a summer where I can spend every day outside not sweating to death, cool evenings, and a beautiful fall to look forward too.
4. My husband. So thankful for 9 years, can't wait for the next 50 :)

Thankful...

A friend of mine, Deanna, has a blog and often does "Thankful Thursdays" where she lists things she is thankful for that week, day, time, etc. I love the idea not only because I get to share with you great things God is doing but also remind myself of the many things I have to be thankful for on any given day. So, let's start today (although in the future I may stick with Thursdays because it has a nice ring to it :)....
1. I'm thankful for family :) As I get older, it becomes clearer to me how precious the people in my family are (biological and in-lawgical). Each with their own gifts, each with their specific things I love about them. I'm especially thankful to be living close enough to see them more often!
2. Speaking of family, I'm so very grateful for my Grandma Betty. Her birthday is today and I am so thankful that I have her in my life and in Sydney's life. She is one special lady. Any who knows her knows that she is a remarkable person that I am blessed and proud to call Grandma.
3. Sunscreen. Although today it's an afterthought, I'm thankful that next time I'm in the sun I will wear it and not be burnt ;)
4. Coffee. 'Nuff said.
5. Getting to stay home with Sydney. Although some of our days can be long and boring (the rainy ones, yuck!), and some days are spent in and out of time out,  almost every day home with Sydney is an adventure. We have fun quality time that I would not trade for anything. Here's a little bit of what we did this week.....

we made jewelry!

so focused!!

we had a picnic in our yard

a little play time in her room, and a lot of clean up time after

and talking to the birds and the trash men collecting our trash
(this is actually what woke me up this morning, awesome way to wake up :)