Counting Blessings - day 13

1. Exciting Anticipation -  Isn't it wonderful to look forward to something?  To have the excited buzz in your tummy when you think about something that's going to happen in the near future. Aren't we blessed to have things to look forward to!  :O)  The next 7 days hold some exciting events for me and I love that feeling of looking forward to something!  Tomorrow I sing with a band for the first time at a charity event (actually I'm not sure if I'm more scared/nervous than excited, but I'm looking forward to it.) Monday my mobile contract is renewed and I get a new phone on Tuesday and finally on Thursday my hubby is taking me out for dinner!  :O)
2. A hubby who can cook - I am so blessed that my hubby can not only cook, but enjoys it.  It is lovely to have a break from cooking on the weekends.
3. Surprises - don't you just love it when a parcel arrives that you weren't expecting - someone has sent you an unexpected gift!?  Doesn't that just make you feel so blessed?  Or maybe it's an unexpected letter or flowers or hubby arrives home early from work etc etc
4. Disposable nappies - we use cotton nappies usually, but I am very thankful for disposables when we need them.
5. Ebay - I'm glad to have ebay - a great place to buy 2nd hand (or new) and a great way to make money from the things you don't need any more.  I know they charge a lot in fees, but I've sold stuff on there for great money that I wouldn't likely have otherwise sold.  And I have bought many, many super bargains.  One way or another ebay has saved us a lot of money.  :O) 
6. Another mild day - the boys played outside for hours today - it was wonderful to see them playing out there and letting their imaginations run with the wind.
7. A long nap from Rosina - after some exciting play outside, Rosina took an amazingly long afternoon nap today, so while the boys played for ages outside, I had some peace and quiet to rest, enjoy listening to some audio Bible and get some work done on Charlie's x-stitched stocking.  A very rare treat for the middle of the day.  (I even dozed off for a little while to recharge the batteries a little.)
8. Jessops Photobooks - have you ever checked out Jessops photobooks?  They are awesome!  I collect all my favourite photos for the year and then organize them into a Jessops photobook using their fabulous program.  I absolutely love having my photobooks - they are the modern photo album and you can get SO many more photos than you ever could in one traditional album.
9. Medical advancements - If it wasn't for the medical advancements of the last 60 years, my son Quinn would not be with us today.  When he was 10 months old he had a severe case of intussusception and needed emergency surgery. For 24 hours he lay limp, his body badly dehydrated, he was pooping blood, vomiting green vomit and I was terrified. I knew I could loose him. We finally had a dianosis - I sobbed in the waiting room while the life saving surgeon worked his skill on my tiny sons body.  Was one of the hardest things I've ever done - handing my son over to the nurse to carry him off to surgery.  The song 'blessed be the name of the Lord' came to mind and the line, 'He gives and takes away' was playing over and over again.  I prayed... LOTS!  I tried to bring myself to the place where I could accept it if it was God's will to take my son home to Glory.  I was at peace.  It felt like an eternity and I can't even tell you how long he was in surgery for, but when I saw him being wheeled back to the ward my heart leaped for joy but at the same time was heavy laden to see all the tubes coming from his fragile little body.  We were in hospital for 4 days and he made an amazing recovery!  Thank you God for modern medicine that saved my sons life.  
10. Family traditions - I guess at this stage in our life we are still building on these, but we have a few and one of them has become 'Pizza Night'.  We home make pizza, spread out a blanket on the lounge floor and watch a movie together.  Is special.. a night of the week we all look forward to.  :o)