Figuring Life Out - One Thousand Gifts

I love this video.  I've decided to take the 1000 Gift Challenge by Ann Voskamp.  I've printed out the calendar with the prompts.  I need to write down and photograph 3 things/day which I'm thankful for based on the items/month.  I'm excited for this!

Just a fender bender....

In the blink of an eye, your world can change. God's grace can be felt in an instant. We experienced this yesterday evening as we received a phone call from Abigail. She was on her way home from work, about a mile from home, her blinker on, waiting to make one of the last turns before our neighborhood, when she was hit from behind. The car, driven by a middle aged man, must have been going pretty fast, evident by the 15 feet of skid marks leading up to Abigail's Kia Optima. His airbag deployed, Abigail's did not. Abigail was innocent. She was doing exactly what she was supposed to be doing. He was not. Maybe he was in a rush to get home, maybe he was on his phone, maybe he was blinded by the sun, whatever the reason, his car went into my little girl's car. She is ok. He is ok as well. Breathe.... Thank the Lord she is ok. Abigail called us, ever so calmly to tell us what happened and asked for her Daddy to come and meet her at the scene. Abigail first called 911, made sure the other driver did not leave the scene and quickly assessed the situation. She is such a smart girl. Maybe it's her EMT training, maybe it's just her but she KNEW what to do. She has never been in this situation but she knew to exchange insurance information, wait for the police and to not panic. So proud of the young lady she has become. I am thankful today for so many reasons but at the top of my list is for Abigail's safety from this accident. Every day a parent receives a phone call from a son, a daughter with very different outcomes...I am thankful for the grace I received yesterday, July 25, 2013, grace given to my daughter Abigail, on a little country road, in Greene country, Virginia.

Elizabeth is Driving

Wow, my Lil' Bit passed her permit test the end of June and is officially on the road driving her heart out! I can't seem to fathom this information. It was hard enough when Abigail went through this whole process but Elizabeth!!! She's Elizabeth, she's too little for this, she's can't be old enough to drive. But indeed she is. She counted down the days and literally begged us to take her to the DMV..she really wanted to go right on the 27th (exactly 6 months before her 16th birthday) but logistically we couldn't. She settled for a few days late. Jeff took her up to Culpeper, she marched right in, passed the test with flying colors and drove right home, not a care in the world. I'd say she is one excited girl. We're proud of you Bitster. We know you'll be a great driver. You've listened to us so far and heeded our advice. Keep that up and you will do fine. Always, always watch out for the other driver, it's them we're worried about, not you. Daughter #2 is on the road, Lord give us wisdom to teach her so she'll be safe on the road. She's in Your care!

21 YEAR ANNIVERSARY

Abigail is 18

I know it is cliche, but it really does seem like yesterday when I found out I was pregnant with this sweet pea. That pregnancy flew by in an instant and I was in the hospital pushing for an eternity. I was determined to go all natural, no drugs...after 22 hours of labor, I was begging for the epidural. As fate would have it, Abigail made her appearance about an hour after the epidural was administered. If I could have just held out for another hour. It didn't matter, she was here, her beautiful little face, screaming as she entered the world and she really hasn't quieted down since. She says what she means and she means what she says. Jeff and I always said she would probably be a lawyer because she always would argue her point to no end. She would not give up, for anything. And we really did love this about her (well, maybe not always). Abigail is unique. She is going places. She was accepted early admission to Virginia Tech to the College of Sciences to study Biochemistry. Her dream is to become a doctor. We know nothing is beyond her reach because she is a fighter, she doesn't give us easily and once she sets her eyes on something, there is no stopping this little girl. I believe it with all my heart. Happy 18th birthday my sweet summer sunshine. You bring out the best in people. You have this magnetic personality about you. Once people meet you, they want to stay and get to know you better. You will notice this at VT. You will be a beam of sunshine shining on every corner of the campus. We love every little thing about you and nothing will ever chance that. 18 years of memories etched in my soul and on the pages of your journals. love out loud always.