1.  How do I even begin to express gratitude for the woman who bore me and would do anything for me?  My mom had her birthday this week and there are no words that adequately articulate my thankfulness for her.  When life has been filled with severe ups and downs she has been a constant in friendship, support, sacrifice, and love.  She weeps with me, laughs with me, and listens to me.  I cannot imagine life without her!

2.  When we were approached to have a short-feature documentary produced about Judson, I never imagined that we would be so profoundly touched by the director of the film.  Peter, an incredibly gifted filmmaker, has absolutely immersed himself in our story, spending hours with each person who has been intimately involved in our journey, watching every bit of footage I have of Judson (hours upon hours of video), reading everything I have written, but most of all, deeply feeling the pain with us.  He has given so much of himself to this project and I am tremendously grateful for him.

3.  I get such joy from watching Jessie play with her grandparents and am thankful for the time we had with them this week.

4.  I spent over an hour today lying on a bench off a local hiking path, listening to the wind, breathing the fresh, crisp air after the rain, and staring at the crystal blue sky.  I am grateful for the opportunity provided by my father-on-law to spend substantial time in solitude on Thursday afternoons.

5.  There is a public farm just a mile from our home that is a free source of fun, fascination, and learning.  As an animal lover, I found myself smiling ear-to-ear with gratitude this week as a calf licked my hands, a 2-day-old goat nursed from its mama, and a piglet squealed.  I marveled at God’s diverse and creative design reflected in the livestock on the farm and am thankful that Jessie has a similar love for animals!

6.  Every week now, I have been discovering flowers at Judson’s gravesite.  My heart melts that someone is taking the time to regularly acknowledge Jud in this way. 

7.  It was a blessing to gather together with my brother and his family to celebrate my mom’s birthday this week and I am thankful that Jessie has such neat cousins.