Giving Thanks Challenge ~ {Days #10-12}

Thanksgiving Challenge ~ Days #10-12

Topic: Noelle
Title: Great Grandparents, Our Church Body, & Noelle's Medical Team

{If you are new to this challenge~which is not your typical Thanksgiving challenge, you can catch up on the details here, and please feel free to join along at any time...}

I am woefully behind on posting yesterday and today, and with an extremely busy week being already underway, I have decided to catch up the posts on which I am behind, as well as get ahead by one post and include tomorrow's thankfulness challenge.  Unfortunately, this may happen a few times over the next couple of weeks, due to our schedule; but my heart and mind are still dwelling on this challenge, even if I do not have the time to write it out each day.  Thank you to all who have commented and participated along the way.  You have been a blessing to me!

Day #10: Great Grandparents

~Four Generations (Noelle: 4 months old)~

Many children are blessed to have loving grandparents, but few are privileged to meet their great grandparents.  I was one of those few, being the daughter of very young parents and grandparents. The memories I have of my great grandparents are not many, but they are precious to me; and I am thankful for the heritage they have left in my family.  I still have one great grandma living who will {the Lord willing} be visiting and meeting Noelle next week; and we are eagerly anticipating the opportunity to spend time with her and capture a five generation picture {which I am sure to cherish forever}.  This will be possible since my mom now resides here, and her parents {my grandparents / Noelle's great grandparents} live within a two hour distance; so we are blessed to see them fairly often.  I do not know how much time the Lord has given to us with them, but I am grateful for the opportunity that Noelle has to grow up near them and know them.  They are incredibly special people in our lives; and every time we visit, we envision Noelle one day walking hand in hand with them through the vegetable and fruit gardens, sneaking a bite of a plump, red strawberry or a juicy blueberry, gently tossing feed to organically raised chickens, or swinging on the porch in the summer breeze.  G-Pa and Gigi are very much loved, and we thank God for the opportunity to live so close and spend time with them!

~The Boyers: One of many, always ready to answer our call~

Day #11: Our Church Body
Throughout the course of the first several months after Noelle was born, we were often asked if we had family in the local area, causing smiles to cross our faces.  "Yes and No" was always the reply, followed by a short explanation of the fact that we did not have blood-related relatives in the immediate area; however, we did have our church family, and they were supporting us in ways we had never even imagined.  While one friend organized freezer meals, another picked up lunch and brought it to us at the NICU.  Others "kidnapped" us for an hour to escape the hospital and grab a bite to eat, and still more provided gift cards for gas, food, and other needs we had not even stopped to consider.  This and so much more was done for us; but beyond the physical needs for which they cared, the spiritual needs were met as well while they earnestly prayed, visited, sent notes and cards, and encouraged us in every way possible during our journey.  Of course there were many who did some of these things from long distance as well, but there is something special about having that connection with someone nearby, someone who will pick up the phone at any hour of the day or night and drop everything they are doing to get on their knees and pray or come and sit with you at the hospital as you wait for your child to go through surgery....again.  Our blessing was that this "someone" was not just one single person.  We had and still have an entire list of these "someones" who have made themselves available to us for absolutely anything we might need and more.  Anything I could say here would never be adequate enough to thank our church body for all that they have done and continue to do for our family.  We are blessed beyond measure to belong to a body that truly endeavors to practice Christ-likeness to others in a very tangible manner.  Thank you, Twin City Bible Church!  We love you and thank God for you all!!!


Day #12: Noelle's Medical Team
As we embark upon a week full of appointments {six, just for Noelle alone...}, I can sometimes become overwhelmed.  Planning and coordinating efforts for this amount of appointments takes some time and preparation, and it is easy for me to choose the wrong perspective and begin complaining.  However, when I step back and evaluate things honestly, I can be nothing but thankful for these appointments and the doctors who care for Noelle, many though they may be.  The plethora of medical team members has been incredibly beneficial to us through these months since our discharge form the NICU; and the combined effort of them all has helped bring Noelle to the point she is today.  I truly like every single one of her doctors and am so pleased with their care and the time they take with Noelle and with us as parents, answering any question we might have.  So although this week will be tiring, I can be only thankful that each one of these people have helped make it possible for Noelle to live at home with us; and all the appointments in the world could not overshadow the thankfulness in my heart for that.  {P.S.  We hope to report some good progress in Noelle's health by the end of this week!}

If you are local and would like to help a relief project for New Jersey this week, please check out this page and do what you can to assist this effort.  

***Do not forget there is less than one week left to submit your entry for the book project for Noelle's birthday.  You can read about the project and the deadline by clicking here .  We are enjoying the submissions we have already received but would love to hear from you, if you are willing to participate.  Thank you so much for helping us make Noelle's first birthday a special time of remembrance!!***