#30DaysOfThanks 10 1/2 bonus post

As happens each day, I no more than post my daily thankfulness picture than I think of others I should have included too. Usually I just let those ideas go, possibly to be used again later in the month, often just to store in my heart for the day (knowing I won't remember them again in a few days since I didn't record them right away)!

But today there is a special thanks that I simply cannot let pass without recording!

While I have already spotlighted my hubby, please allow me to express thankfulness for him, for our marriage, once again. If you have followed along since my strokes, you may know that our marriage was hit HARD by my majorly messed up emotions, thought processes, and how we each reacted to the shock and strain. We still have some healing to go, on both side of the fence, but we are getting closer and closer to restored unity, by God's grace!

The past several weeks have been amazing to be the recipient of Rick's intentional, over-the-top kindnesses, his restraint from anything but encouraging and self-sacrificing words and actions toward me, that just keep coming and coming. I am feeling rather overwhelmed by so much grace! It makes me more keenly aware of the love that God lavishes upon us, undeserved! I have tried to express my feeling directly to him, but since I think better through my fingers than my mouth, I wanted to share this abundant blessing in my praise list today.

Last night was cold and stormy, soup weather. When Rick got home from work, in addition to our soup, I had cinnamon and vanilla (two of the only scents I can tolerate, along with some fruity smells like most citrus and mint, that we tend to avoid because too much mint triggers migraines for Rick) oils melting, the fireplace turned on, Christmas music playing (yes, already, I'm one of those people and make no apology for my choice!) and it just felt cozy and bright in here while so dark and damp and blustery outside. Rick came in stressed from the blowing, icy snow drive home, but came in and gave me a big hug, letting our littlest man present me with a bouquet of roses (my favorite flower) on the very day my rose garden was bedded down for the winter!

I need to record one additional special gift. On Sunday (Rick's birthday) he spent the whole day driving and running us to church then from one scheduled activity to the next. Seriously, he had a whole 10 minutes of down time, mid-afternoon, plus some quite time to himself (he will be the first to tell you he is very introverted and needs alone time to recharge!) after 8pm. In the midst of all this, he made time to take us to my favorite thrift shop so I didn't miss their 50% off sale, not only for once, when he took the whole family for an hour and a half, but AGAIN took me back a second time that evening, because I regretted not having purchase a specific dress earlier in the day. (And he was the one to find it still on the rack that evening too!) As our daughter put it before we went, "Daddy must REALLY love you to take you back to Savers for a second time in one day! If it were me, I wouldn't take you back again and I even like shopping and that specific store!" How right she is. Thank you Rick!!! I love you too.

One of several outfits Rick bought for me on his birthday.