Reasons To Be Thankful!

• Life is often so busy and so fast paced that we often forget to take time to remember the things that we are thankful for, namely people. As I sit back thinking about the past year, I am more than grateful for the following:
  
• I am first thankful for my family...all six of us. I enjoy each moment we have together and I love how our family has evolved. My husband is the best and most caring man on the planet. Javin and Kadi make my world go 'round and their unconditional love amazes me. And Brittany and Roman are the most grateful and unselfish teenagers that I have ever met, always willing to lend a hand whether it be with the dishes, the laundry or the kids. How did I get so lucky?

I am thankful that God has given the doctors wisdom with regards to my health this year. Despite the fact that I take 10-15 pills a day, I am glad that I can function and live life to its fullest!

I am thankful for provision. I could not ask for a better job or better bosses. They spoil me rotten! And I am soooo glad that Jeremy has a steady job that he loves working for a wonderful company with excellent health benefits. Praise the Lord on that one!

I am thankful for God and His FOG! Without the Favor of God, I don't know how so many things could have fallen into place so gracefully. He truly has our best interest at stake. Learning to trust Him completely has been a journey, but he has always proved faithful and gone above and beyond! Thank you, Jesus!

I am thankful for Pastor Mike and Debbie Gamble. Words cannot describe the amount of love and respect that I have for this couple. They are the real deal, encouraging, life-giving and completely dependable. I can trust them 100% which is huge for me.

I am thankful for our church and the people in it! Holla, Covenant McKinney!

I am thankful for my parents and my extended family. Always there, no matter what. Love endures all things and all situations. Always supportive.

I am thankful for the friendships that have begun to form. It's amazing what happens when you let the wall down.

There are many more, so maybe I will have to write a part 2! It is always good to reflect on the important things in life and be thankful for the things we so easily take for granted. (Thank you Jacqueline for making me appreciate my washer & dryer along with my dishwasher! It was great to get a missionary's perspective)

So, what are you thankful for?

Tucker Clan Update!

Wow! So much has happened in the last month…

1. Javin lost his first top tooth which makes him talk so cute. However, being the perfectionist that he is, not being able to speak and pronounce properly is driving him nuts. And with yet another top tooth about to fall out, this only adds to his frustration because he will now be missing all 4 front teeth soon. I guess he will be singing “All I want for Christmas is my 4 front teeth!”

2. The Tucker Clan has officially grown to six! Despite some quite disturbing circumstances last month, we were excited to welcome Brittany’s 17 year old brother, Roman to the family. Their mother, Melany, passed away unexpectedly, but God has still shown himself faithful to both of them and has showered them with favor and love. There have been so many instances, but I will share a few big ones:

*A complete stranger heard of the hardship, called in a favor from the execs at Southwest airlines and they were both given FREE airfare.
*Someone else donated a bunk bed in excellent condition and also threw in a dresser!
*Brittany’s work collected money from employees to assist with the financial stress of her having to miss a week of work.
*Counseling is being offered to both of them free of charge.
*Family and friends have sent gift cards, money and encouraging notes.
*We ran into what we thought would be some kinks in the custody battle, but God has gradually taken care of every detail one person at a time. Each of those have been a miracle in itself.
*Melany’s stuff in storage was due to be auctioned off and someone stepped up to cover the cost of $500, so that they could have access to the belongings.

Please continue to pray for them as they adjust. I am so proud of each of them and Javin and Kadi love them like crazy!

3. We were forced to have “the talk” with Javin. That proved to be quite interesting. Poor thing. He caught our dogs…ahem, cough, cough…in the act a few days ago. I thought he was in bed sleeping, but didn’t realize until later that he was standing in the doorway in shock while I tried to figure out what the heck was going on. Jeremy explained things like a champ and I was so proud of him. He pulled out Scripture and explained the beauty of the God-given gift. Then we royally threatened Javin about not telling Kadi about the details of “life”. We’ll see how long that lasts, I guess! (It seems that we may be expecting puppies in about 2 months…anyone interested?) AAaaargh! Needless to say, the 5 1/2 month old puppy will be scheduled for a fix ASAP!

4. I had a parent-teacher conference with Kadi’s K5 teacher. They have informed me that she is a little too bossy and likes to mother all of the kids. Her friends get annoyed, and she tells them that she is just trying to keep them out of trouble. Kadi thinks she is in charge. I guess there is no denying that she is my daughter! She is going to be a strong leader; watch out world!

5. God has answered one of my most precious prayers recently. A couple relationships that I had missed so dearly have finally been restored. I love how God can vindicate though I don’t exactly agree with His timing and procrastination on such issues!

So, to sum it all up. Life is good. Hectic and crazy busy, but I am completely happy. I even have a new bistro dining set (yet another blessing of God’s favor) that seats 6 people! God even knows the desires that seem so small to us, but mean the most. Now, we can all have family dinner, game night and great conversation. I love having a big family! Like my new dining set?!?