1.  I never imagined adopting a little kitty who would wind up being such a blessing from the moment she set foot in our home.  Adorable new life moved in on Tuesday and it was as though my recent frustrations and disappointments seemed to suddenly fade away and my level of stress decreased a notch.  Our new little kitty proved to be a touch of grace beyond what I anticipated when adopting her.  Hence, we are leaning toward the name Paisley Grace (thank you to ALL who have given input for her name here and on Facebook–it has been VERY helpful!).  We are very grateful for our kitty…she is PURRecious (a shout-out to Jody for her name idea)!

2.  I was thinking this week about the numerous people who have given freely of their time and resources to support our family and be a part of sharing Judson’s story.  What an incredible gift!  Some of the top on our list are Clark Studios who designed Judson’s entire website, Hope for Healing Hearts who offered free grief counseling for Drake and me, Robeck Design that has been volunteering as a publicist for Eyes that See, our friends Matt and Eric who have been working diligently on video promos for the book, and the list could go on and on.  I continue to be overwhelmed with gratitude for the generosity of these and others!

3.  We had the privilege of meeting the Dresher family from Wisconsin; Amy, the mom, has been following our story since Judson’s season of suffering.  She read about Jud on a message board around the time he was diagnosed with Krabbe disease and has wholeheartedly journeyed alongside us ever since.  We had a great time with them and it is an awesome blessing to meet some of the faces of people who poured out their hearts to God on our behalf! 

4.  One of the special things about being a regular at our local Starbucks is that I have really gotten to know the employees and other frequent visitors.  We were honored this last weekend to have been invited by Kari, one of our Starbucks baristas, to attend her performance in the play Real Women Have Curves at the Long Beach Playhouse.  I am thankful for the fun evening Drake and I had together but more than that, I am grateful to be developing relationships with people who would probably otherwise be outside my community circle.

5.  Yesterday was my last day, this academic year, teaching for the women’s Bible study at our church.  It reminded me just how grateful I am for our church family and the opportunity I am regularly given to share the Word of God along with my heart, passions, and the hope that sustains me.

6.  Jessie relishes every opportunity to spend time with other kiddos.  This week it was a joy to see Jessie engage and play with Amelia, Auntie Sarah’s niece.  I love seeing her tenderness and care for children that are younger than her and I am thankful for the heart God seems to be developing in our little lady!!