A glimpse of thankful

For the first time in my 52 years, I shared this day with no one that I share blood with - yet I was surrounded by family - 

My child by adoption schooling my child by marriage

 My sister by marriage and my daughter in love

 A grafted in grand-daughter and a niece through marriage

 Adoption made them cousins - God made them friends! 

 the newbies 

 He's the reason I can do what I can do every single day no matter what & no matter how hard - 

 It was a "full to the brim with kids and people and food kind of day" - 

 Take my breath away baby…..

 10 of the 12 kids (yes - they are all girls….the other two are one baby and one teenage boy who was noticeable by his absence from the girl club most of the day!) 

 My penguin loving "born in my heart not under it baby" who is not a baby anymore….

I am so thankful that our God is bigger than blood ties in how He creates family. For the first time in 52 years, I didn't even talk to anyone I share DNA with. It was sort of sad for me, but God has so richly filled my life with people who are family - through adoption, marriage, and the body of Christ - that my home today was filled with reasons to be thankful.

I am thankful for provision - no matter how it comes.

I am thankful for good health - although I know the body I have has a finite life to it and that when that end comes, I get to go home. 

I am thankful for the answered prayers - even when the I don't like the answer. 

I am thankful for the Savior who came to die on the cross so that I may have those answered prayers and that eternal home.

But today - as I think about the day I had - I am most thankful for relationships that build my family.