with all of my heart

the Lord is so good.

and i am so very grateful with all of my heart...

for his grace

for his unconditional love.

for the gift of two little girls

one dark-headed one who is beautiful and talks ALL the time, and who can make me laugh until i cry.

who can frustrate me in one second flat (she knows how, and LOVES pushing my buttons...j says watching the two of us together when we are frustrated is realllly funny- we are cut from the same cloth)

who wants, with all of her heart, to please us. who is a shining example of the love and grace i speak of a few lines above.

one light-headed one who is wild and crazy.

doesn't talk much, but can climb to the top of her changing table or snatch something out of the dishwasher in less than the time it takes me to turn my back.

who cries like her heart is breaking, with her cleft chin quivering and her bottom lip wavering.

who  makes me question if two babies are,after all, enough...yet makes me never want to put her down. sometimes when she cries in the middle of the night i just hold her and smell her hair.

grateful with all of my heart for the year i shared with these two girls.

i look at them and still can't believe we made them. they are beautiful!

they made me stronger, crazier, more sane, wiser, stupider, more grey-haired...

and we DID it. together!

 

and then he came home! and this year, above all...that is what i am MOST grateful for.

He came home.

so many didn't. and lots of times i was terrified he wouldn't.

but he did. and i am grateful with all of my heart

that we have him here this year. and i can look at his handsome face across the table (or give him "that" look when the girls are out.of.control...and there will be someone here to give me that look right back)>

here to help me give baths, to hold my hand during church or during a scary movie,

to protect us and lead our family.

so grateful.

 

grateful for our family. their support, love, and encouragement.

grateful for the gift of life. we are healthy. i thank the Lord for this every day. 

grateful for a wonderful, amazing hobby that keeps my hands busy and my heart full. for the community of friends and the opportunities it has brought me.

grateful for YOU.

thank you for all of the support you have given me over the past year. thank YOU for your love, your prayers. Every sweet comment, encouraging note meant the world to me. i am so very thankful for you and your presence.

happy thanksgiving, everyone!

xoxo

s

Comments

[Kirsty]

aaaw you big ole softy, you :)
We dont have Thanksgiving in this country but I am grateful you are my crazy, dorky, in bred twiglet friend.

I know how import thanksgiving is to you - so have a lovely day my lovely friend x

[Jennifer McGuire]

last night at church, one specific thing i thanked God for is that your man came home. i had prayed so long. so glad it was answered. hugs to you!

[Ashley Gailey]

Happy Thanksgiving to you! You deserve this holiday. Enjoy it with your whole family. :)

[Heidi Jo the Artist]

God is so great! Glad your husband came home to you. Have a blessed Thanksgiving!

[Sarah]

Stephanie, what a wonderful post of thanksgiving. God is so good. I am thankful for women like you who love men like J so they can protect all of us. Your family has caused me to truly pray for the protection of all of our troops. Thank you! I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

[Karen]

Beautiful expression of your gratitude! Happy Thanksgiving!

[samantha]

Those are great things to be thankful for! Have a wonderful Thankgiving with your family!

[Leslee Barrow]

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your little family. We do have so many things to be thankful for. And we all are so blessed.

Leslee in MT

[Michelle Menser]

What a beautiful, beautiful expression of love for your two gorgeous girls and your man. We don't celebrate Thanksgiving in Australia but I wish you the very best of Thanksgiving Days.
Hugs
Michelle

[Laura]

Aw. I like this post. :)

I, too, am thankful mine came home this year! Enjoy your hubby.

[Lynn]

Stephanie,
Your post made my heart sing. We continue to pray for Jimmy and all who give for us so that we may have freedom. May God continue to bless you and your family. Thank you for opening our heart to all of us.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Lynn

[Maryangella Haberman]

Beautiful post!
I am thankful for many things and one of them is for your husband and all the men and woman who make the daily sacrifice to serve our country to keep us safe and thankful for you and all the spouses who are there to welcome them home when they return.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving!!!

[Debby Schuh]

Oh, so much to be thankful for! I have a whole new appreciation for the men and women like Jimmy and Brandon who serve our country and for the encouragement and prayers for them that we get from others. God is good and gives more than we can ask or imagine! Thank you for sharing your heart and life with us... I'm so thankful for the time you shared with Dave and Brandon and I!

[stephanie]

Happy thanksgiving to you and your family. you so deserve to be happy together ! Enjoy & celebrate !!

[Grace P]

Thank you for your wonderful Husband and all the men and women who fight for our Nation! And especially to the wonderful families that give them up and hang in their with their love and suport. Thank you for sharing your hysterical stories on your girls...I can imagine it is not always hysterically funny to you! Blogs are amazing therapy and wonderful friends are created on them...who would have thought? lol Have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your precious adorable family xoxox Grace

[erin]

happy thanksgiving! hope you and your family enjoy all of your many blessings, together on this day.

[Avital]

Happy Thanksgiving!

[Elizabeth]

Your family is truly blessed and beautiful! Love is so evident! Have a very HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

[Erin B]

what a beautiful thanksgiving post. Enjoy your day and your beautiful family!

[virginia]

happy thanksgiving! what a lovely post.

[Michelle Unruh]

Oh Steph, I am so glad Jim is home with you!! So, so grateful!! I hope you have the best Thanksgiving with your beautiful family!! Hugs, Michelle

[veronica]

ditto.

Everytime you mention j, ugh, it makes me cry. every time. I think it's because we waited with you.
I prayed with you.
I watched those videos of him and cried with you.
I imagined my husband...and worried with you.
I am so grateful for your friendship and your humor. You make us laugh. My hubby and I love your sense of humor...
Ugh...I am a crying mess.
Happy Thanksgiving STeph!!!

[C. Rayevich]

I'm about ready to cry =S
Happy Thanksgiving sweet lady!!
You are your blog have helped me get through more than you will every know. Thank you
Blessings!!
xo

[Katrina of Southern California]

What a wonderful way to give your thanks! You just made my day....have a wonderful day with your loved ones. I am thankful today for you, your strength and talent that you share with us each day.

[Jessica]

Happy Thanksgiving! Have a wonderful day with your family!

[Keri]

A beautiful expression of the love you have for your family. Thank you for sharing.

Happy Thanksgiving.

[Jen]

Happy thanksgiving to YOU.

[LynnAnn]

I am thankful for YOU and for all your family has sacrificed so we can celebrate safely today.

[mary t]

enjoy having your family together this wonderful day!!
hugz,

[tara pollard pakosta]

happy thanksgiving sweet girl!
your girls so remind me of my two, esp.
in how you describe them! savannah my dark haired,
looks like me and we are cut from the same cloth
and fight like sisters sometimes! and ava the light
haired one that was the crazy wild child (isn't so much like that now) and breaks my heart when she cries, she is so tender hearted....
i so hope you have more babies though!
tara

[Lynn]

Beautiful post, glad you have so many wonderful things in your life to celebrate. Happy Thanksgiving!

[Jennifer.T]

You have such a way with words Steph. You know exactly how to say what your thinking. You have so much to be grateful for but whats more, is that you *know* it, you acknowledge it and you say thankyou. Because alot of people are ungrateful and selfish and greedy even though they have everything.
I'm so happy that the Howells are happy!

[courtney]

Beautifully written as always. Happy Thanksgiving!

[Nikki M]

Ok. Tears in my eyes and feeling so grateful now. LOVED that post! You should write a book. I would read it and I don't care what it's about. It's like you are able to write what's in my mind and my heart about my girls and husband. Thank you.

[rhonacs]

Happy Thanksgiving, hope you had a wonderful day with your family and so glad you got to spend it together this year.

[lisa truesdell]

happy thanksgiving, sweets. =)

[Kathy Floen]

Stephanie- Thank YOU for sharing such a huge part of your life with us. :) I am blessed when I read you blog posts and read the things that you go through. There are some of your times this year that I could never have fathomed how I would have gotten through. You had grace and strength through those times. You made me see how lucky I am to have J and all the men and women out there who are fighting for me and my family even though we have never met. That is one of the things I am most thankful to you for. FOr once we got to see the WHOLE person, his family, his home, his life for the most part. :)

You have made me laugh and cry this year. You have given me pointers and not even known it. You taught me to take chances with the same hobby we share. :)

LOL, you also taught me there is so much fun waiting for me at vintage shops and flea markets.

I have one son and one daughter. I have always been so blessed with how easy my son has been and is today. Hearing what you have gone through with the girls...good and bad has helped me with my 2 year old daughter, Sasha...so many times. I feel like I am loving her better. :) THANKS! :) and ((HUGS))

[Angie F]

Thanks for sharing this post! I am thankful for a lot of things and a lot of people and I include you in who I am thankful for! Take Care!

[Steph H]

I am thankful for you sweet friend and for the way your example calls me to be a better, more present, more thankful version of myself.

[elaine]

love visiting your blog. always inspiring.

[Emily Hutchison]

What a beautiful post and a beautiful family! I love your blog :)

[gretchen]

geez, you can pull at some heartstrings can't ya!!?
happy thanksgiving!
:)

[Ana F.]

This was beautiful, Stephanie. Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

[allison]

Stephanie, love your blog...found it through Penelope's blog! Sounds like you are getting settled in your new house...love it by the way! and all your fun scrapbook projects...how do you find the time! I'll be keeping up with you and those sweet girls! Take care and happy holidays!!

[Angela W]

Thank you Steph! For sharing your life and wonderful scrapiness with us! Yours is one blog that is a must for me to check! I so hope to meet you and your beautiful girls sometime!