Thankful Thursday!

"Thankful Thursday" is running a day late this week because I feel like I've been in an alternate universe all week long.  I've been teaching thirteen and fourteen year-olds how to be swim instructors for ISD 196.  As long as I've been there, we've always taught this class Monday through Thursday so in my mind today is Thursday.  Never mind that we celebrated Christmas on Monday and today really is Friday . . . 

What I am thankful for this week actually happened at work today.  We had eleven students in our class, one of them painfully awkward.  Seriously - a fourteen year old with absolutely NO social skills, NO ability to interact with others, and DEFINITELY NOT the swimming teacher you want for your child.  Imagine the "deer-in-the-headlights-look"  every time you said that student's name.  It's been hard . . .

For today's potluck dinner, this student brought macaroni and cheese in a crock pot.  Our biggest fear?  That when the other students' found out who had brought what, they would skip the mac 'n cheese because not only was this student PAINFULLY awkward, this student was also overweight with a different speech pattern and just plain WEIRD.  

I am thankful for all the students who tried the mac 'n cheese, for all the students who went back for seconds, and for the young man who said, "This is really good.  Who made it?"  I am thankful, that while they may not have shown maturity in the pool, this one time when it was most needed to encourage another, they showed it!     

Thank You!

Merry Christmas!

We had a most lovely Christmas today!  Our next door neighbor stopped by earlier in the morning.  Then Sam's cousin and his family came over for dinner - Uncle George and Aunt Lenore, David and Jeanette and Bre and Loren.  We loved, we laughed, we ate.  It was excellent. 

Christmas with Grandpa . . .

We drove to Iowa yesterday to celebrate Christmas with my Dad  After lunch we decided to play a game.  Micah's wanted to play "Scrabble", Sam wanted to play "Rummikub:; and Dad chose "Harvest Fun".  He found it tucked away in a drawer somewhere and said he didn't think he'd ever played it.  Invented in 1959, it was a promotional game for International Harvester.  

I can't say it was exactly "exciting", but Dad enjoyed it.  And we enjoyed the stories he shared.  He began working for Jaycox Implement, an International Harvester Dealership, as a mechanic in 1956.  He stayed there until his retirement in 1997, working as a mechanic, shop foreman, parts manager and back to shop foreman during his tenure.  He also won the game!

We opened gifts after playing "Harvest Fun".  Our crabby camper who was thrilled to leave for Grandpa's at 7:30 a.m. became a happy camper when he opened his gift - a hat rack made by Grandpa!

We so enjoyed our time together!  

My New Favoirte Christmas Carol!

We sang this at church this morning and I fell in love!  Enjoy!

 

What do I want for Christmas?

This lovely poem was sent to me by dear friends from my days at Eagle Lake Camp:
 

What do I want for Christmas?

To see in that stable

  the whole world kneeling in thanks

for a promise kept:

new life.

For in His nativity

we find ours.

 

Ann Weems

Thankful Thursday!

Today I am thankful for underwear.  Specifically, underwear that is packed in my pool bag the night before so that I can put it on when I finish swimming.  I must have been really tired when I packed my bag last night.

The front desk did offer me a pair from Lost and Found - children's size 4, Dora the Explorer!  Can you believe I said, "No thanks!"?  I was hoping for Super Hero!