Thankful Thursday

Wow! Can you believe we've come to the last Thankful Thursday of July? Is it just me, or is this summer flying by...even though I've not done anything exciting or gone away even for a weekend? 

Yep, it's sad, but true, there isn't a vacation day or a beach in site. Maybe that's a blessing in disguise with what feels like another shutdown of life as we know it looming just around the corner. I'd hate to have a vacation planned and then lose out on it.

Anyway...

I'm linking up today with Rebecca Jo, Leslie, and Jennifer for today's Thankful Thursday. Thanks, ladies, for hosting!

This week finds me thankful for...

** Our youngest granddaughter, who turns 2 today. She is such a light in our lives and brings us so much joy. She is fiercely determined, sassy, independent, endlessly curious, fearless, and a ginormous tease/prankster already at such a young age! And just when you are at the end of your rope with her she will do or say the absolute sweetest thing and melt your heart. She is my mini me and a kindred spirit. If you haven't seen it on Facebook, this is a photo my daughter took of us lost in a movie. We were sitting the exact same way without even knowing it.

** A cool, rainy day. Even though it isn't raining yet. It's going to. They are calling for it. It's gray and gloomy with a pretty good breeze blowing and the air just has that feel it gets when rain is coming. I'm hoping we don't get the nasty storms they say are a good possibility, but the cooler temperatures are very welcome!

** A final ride along with my sister-in-law on her van run this morning. I am as ready as I will ever be to take over for her tomorrow while she goes on vacation. To the beach. Yes, she is really rubbing that one in! LOL

** Hitting my stride at work. This whole van thing is a bit of a quirk, but otherwise I feel like I've finally got a handle on how things work, scheduling, and I'm building relationships with my clients and their families or caregivers. I'm also loving it. It is such a good feeling to be able to brighten their day or teach them a new skill that will help them live more independent lives.

** My Bible study group as we work our way through Lysa Terkeurst's Forgiving What You Can't Forget study. We have been having some amazing conversations and discussion about it when we get together and the individual work through the week is awesome, too. It's not the easiest thing to work through since it pulls some painful periods of life to the forefront to be dealt with, but it's worth it for the fresh perspective and the advice she gives on how to let go of the past and begin to move on from those life altering hurts.

** Our doctor is going to see what he can do next for Tim and get back to me. He was scheduled for an endoscopy this coming Monday, but they called today and told him he'd have to pay $1500 when he came in! We can't do that right now so he cancelled the appointment. He needs to have something done as he's been having some symptoms that are making me really nervous and they wanted to check on a spot that was seen on his last one. 

** My poor pup finally got a haircut! She was long over due because I had put it off and then found out her normal groomer is out for surgery and doesn't know when she'll be back. Poor Daisy gets itchy in the summer no matter what, but this year it turned into a hot spot on her lower back just above her tail. Between those two things she was scratching and chewing and pulling her hair out all over the place. I washed her, used soothing shampoo, and brushed and brushed and brushed, but couldn't get it under control. She was a knotted up mess. I finally found someone local who would take her in. She's scalped, but is itching less and with all that fur gone I could really get at her hot spot to treat it. It's taken a few days, but the skin is finally going back to normal.

** All of you, just like I always am! You guys just add so much to my days. I love and value your friendship, encouragement, humor, and advice. You're just the bestest!