blessings in the sadness

there are so many blessings that can be found if you only know where to look. in amongst all the sadness and things that are currently out of our control with what's happening with doug's mum... there is still so much to be grateful for. let me tell you about a few things that i am grateful for. number one. although oli needs to have radiation that comes at a huge cost, we have the money. we were so blessed that all of stephen's affairs settled quickly and without fuss, with no issues, no delays and no claims being rejected. we can pay for it and do not have to go into any form of debt to make it happen. she is receiving the best care available and we are grateful every day.

i saw this print for sale just the other day and i love it. so very much. i have always loved the blue boat house on crawley bay and we even had some of our wedding photos taken out the front on the jetty. so imagine my delight to see that kmart had released it as a print and then my annoyance when not a single store any where near me had any stock of it. i posted online asking if everyone could keep an eye out for it as i really wanted one, only to have a friend drive all the way to cockburn central, wait in the stupid long line at their store opening, buy it for me and bring it to our house. oh my goodness. she even wrote in the card, "you are forever doing lovely things for me and i have never had the chance to return the favour. here is my chance." i was so touched.

another absolutely amazing thing that's happened... i saw this tv unit on marketplace and saved it because it was 100% exactly what i wanted, then didn't get around to messaging the seller because oli went into hospital and we were more concerned about her than anything else.

a few weeks later, the exact same unit, not a similar one, same unit, same seller, gets posted on our local free page, right as i happened to be online - and after asking on the post, i was given it! for freeeee! i still can't believe it. plus, our lovely neighbour went with doug to pick it up. excited doesn't even cover it.

i listed my pies for sale for thanksgiving and sold out within 2 days. this is incredible for me too, as the money goes straight into buying dougs christmas gifts. i know the money we have is "ours" not his, but because he is out there working to earn it, i like to be able to buy him gifts with money i've earned myself. it just makes me feel good to do it that way.

and last but certainly not least, there is never a shortage of people willing to drive our kids places or help out when on the odd occasion we can't get them somewhere or need to work around oli's appointments.

in short: the windows of heaven are pouring more blessings upon us than we can hold.

when upon lifes billows you are tempest tossed,

when you are discouraged thinking all is lost

count your many blessings, name them one by one

and it will surprise you what the lord has done

count your blessings, name them one by one

count your many blessings see what god hath done.

lds hymns #241

2020 in a nutshell... count your many blessings

you have to laugh or you'll cry... and that's the truth right now

cause here is my 2020 in a nutshell and it sounds like something out of a meme.

january - death and a funeral'

february - work (other people's funerals) and estate paperwork

march: the plague 

i seriously feel like i've lost 3 months of my life! i had so much to do, that it was all go go go and now it feels like there is nothing - and so much time in which to do nothing. the kids have been the strangest bit - we are, of course, keeping them home and do not leave the house unless absolutely necessary, as we've been instructed to do, but they complain a lot that they are bored. i am sure they are, they are used to being able to go outside as much as they want, across to the park - and run a muck and now, we have to stay home. 

so - i said to them this week that we need to think of some things that we are grateful for. because the best way to be happy, is to think of things that you've been blessed with. here are some of mine.

1. first and foremost. i am so grateful that we can still have church at home. that president nelson was inspired to create a home based learning program - and that my husband is able to administer the sacrament in our home.

2. i am so so so so so grateful that my husband not only has a job, but that it's an essential position and he is required to keep working through all of this. so while others may lose their job or struggle, his wages will remain the same and we will be okay. 

3. we have savings. so if something were to go wrong, we would be okay.

4. being a church member prepares you for all kinds of things. we learn to teach from the time we receive our first assignments at church, so we can teach! plus there are so many resources available online, so if it should happen that i need to start teaching my children at home, i can do so.

5. we are healthy and strong and i know we will remain so, because i was told we would be - and i have faith to believe so. 

this may be a scary and uncertain time, but i feel confident that we as a family will continue to be blessed. ❤