Thankful List for December

Thankful List for December:
-new pictures of Aida
-even better... video of Aida!!!! 
-biggest painting class yet, the paintings of the nativity turned out so great, and that after having been sick I was able to make it through the class

-lots of donations amounting to around $1,200
-the bitter sweetness of updates on Aida... its such a joy to get but also so hard to learn things about your child from someone else... I should already know that Aida loves mango and potato bread (whatever that is)
-generosity extended to us from our kids' preschool
-the Riddle's official approval from China to adopt Joshua Marc!!!!!
-a pair of pink shoes on our Christmas tree
-sweet Christmas gifts for Aida from our family (I wish I had pictures of it all)

-working on Valentine's shirts
-thinking about how much has changed in our adoption process in the last year... praying with great hopes that she will be home this year

And a few random things that have nothing to do with adoption:
-our simplified version of the Truth in the Tinsel ornaments and the little tree in our dinning room that held them
-receiving Christmas cards... it is so fun to open the mailbox in December

-decorating our Christmas tree with the kids... watching the way they hung the ornaments
-Tucker's resolve to make his (and Libby's room) look like "O Holy Night, the stars are brightly shining" and the lovely results of all those paper stars he cut out
-the "stable" Ben kindly made out of sticks for our Willow Tree nativity per my request

-Tucker's question "Mom, how many days until Jesus' birthday?"
-the last few months of working at my kids preschool two days a week, sharing their schedule, and getting to work with Lena
-that we are close enough (we hope) to our trips to Ethiopia and bringing Aida home that I won't be working this semester
-Christmas parties with our college girls, leadership team, and friends
-Libby picking out what she wants to wear every night and hanging it up on a dresser (fancy yellow dress for a Saturday at home when its 40 degrees outside, why not?)
-snow day!!!!

-giving a gift you know someone will really like
-Kelli watching my kids so I could run errands
-lots of Chick fil A eating over the holidays
-lots of of sweet time with our families over Christmas (visiting Legoland, putting together puzzles, watching movies, eating...)
-surviving the drive to and from GA
-Celebrating Jesus' birth ("Heaven's Son sleeping under the stars that He made" - Song of the Stars)
-"A light from on high will dawn upon [us]... to direct and guide our feet...into the way of peace."  Luke 1:78-79