Thankful Thursday, right?

No? I know, I know... it is Monday...
We've been super busy lately. At least, Mommy and Daddy have... I've got it easy- I've just been babysitting! Daddy and Mommy, on the other hand, went to vote last Saturday, then went to rent a storage building to use for extra stuff over the next couple months as we try to sell our house, then grocery shopped and picked out paint, among other things. (Mommy said that Peter was a star waiting in line to vote, one lady said that it was a delight to stand behind them. He was entertaining everybody :). Good boy, he made the wait less wearisome :).) Then they came home and started painting! They're still working on it... but what they have done so far looks really good (And this is the first time that either of them have done this, talk about a crash-course in painting!)
Also, we'll be leaving next Wednesday to look at Daddy's new store in VA, look at some areas that have some promising houses, and maybe try to find an apartment for Daddy while we're there. We should get back next Saturday.
Which brings me to the next item of news that I need to share... there is no way that Thankful Thursday would be posted before next Monday next week, either, so I'm going to do both week's posts today :).
Oh, and do you want the slightly humorous story of why Thankful Thursday was not posted on time last week?
It wasn't that we were too busy- and I can prove that by the fact that I did blog that day. I even sat down and thought of a whole list of things I was thankful for.... but I was sitting on the couch instead of at the computer and the next morning I told Tori, "Wait a minute! It's Friday?! I totally didn't think about it being Thursday yesterday, and so I didn't post my Thankful post... I was even sitting doing nothing but thinking of all the things I had to be thankful for!" I told you I'd think about it on Wednesday and forget again until Friday... I just didn't think I would think about it on Thursday and forget until Friday!!!
So, after all that chatter (sorry... I'm feeling talkative :). It's been a while since I've posted actual family news other than in a Thankful Thursday post :).), on to the list of some things I have been thankful for lately...
~That Daddy was able to finish his training here! That was such a blessing, we were able to have him home every night :)!
~It was also wonderful to be able to do bible time with him in person again. It has been a huge  blessing to have the phone so he can still lead the bible study, but, of course, it just isn't the same.
~Also, he gets to stay home for a while more- or, at least, with us. He will be going up to Virginia, but he is taking us with him, so he doesn't officially leave until the twelfth, I think.
~Watching Peter's little active self... He is able to go from his tummy to sitting, and vice versa, now, and he started to crawl on his knees a bit. He can still only do it for one or two movements before he reverts back to the army crawl, but he is getting there! He gets on his knees and just rocks back and forth all the time, it's really cute. He looks like he is about to pounce on something :)...
~The progress that is being made on getting the house ready to sell. We don't want to be apart for any longer than necessary, and each stroke of a paint brush and every book that is weeded through is one step closer to moving with Daddy!
~A godly church, where the word of God is proclaimed and the members have become just like family to us. We will miss everybody when we move, but it is exciting to know that God has lead us this far, and he will surely lead us to another church in VA that will be just as much of a blessing. And then, of course, we'll just have even more "family". Between letters, phones and the internet, we'll be able to stay in touch with everyone, and Mommy pointed out that never before have we had Facebook or blogs to stay in touch with people we're leaving behind :).
~Bible study, and the way that God teaches you something new no matter how often you have read a passage :).
~Hilarious impromptu piano lessons!
~Our desktop computer monitor, which is unplugged right now due to painting. I've never gotten used to using a laptop, be glad that there is a backspace button, because if there wasn't, who knows if anybody would be able to read this ;). I am very thankful we have a laptop to be able to post this though... who knows, after how long this post is turning out to be, I may never have a problem with using a laptop again, haha!
~All our lots and lots of books. We found some we didn't know we had while we were cleaning the library the other day, that look really interesting!
`By the way, I loved "Under the Lilacs" to the end :). It was a good book :)!
~And I broke out the Christmas stories while reading to the little ones the other day. Has anyone read "The Christmas Miracle of Jonathon Toomey" before? It is even better than the movie!
~Books at four o'clock in the morning... hey, I actually enjoyed it! As long as Emmi doesn't make a habit of it, it was fun once :). I'm not even sure how she talked me into it other than I'd made her cry by everything else I had to tell her she either should or couldn't do at that time of the night...
~Popcorn, M&m's, and hot chocolate...
~...enjoyed while watching our first Christmas movie of the season (a tradition- we watch "Samantha" for our "Christmas kick-off" each year. We choose the movie before we had little boys...  now I feel just a little sorry for them, as it is definitely geared as a girls movie ;)...
~Christmas music.
~Creativity in the kitchen :).
~Fluffy baby hair.
~Heaters...
~...and fans. Yes, during this time of year. Figure that one out ;). (And this time it doesn't really have anything to do with "South Carolina Winter", either...)
~Ideas for adorable photo shoots... now if I could just remember to find time to do them...
~Mommy's creative ideas for sending auction items. They are much more inviting than just sending them like I was going to! 
~That the "Tommy's Time" auction went well. The Mussers are that much closer to being able to bring their boy home! The next Hidden Treasures auction will be held in December for little Adam.
~And that we found a certain button I need for a project I'll try to do for the next auction. I was going to do it for the Musser's fundraiser, but God seems to have had another plan, and I can't wait to see what it is :)!
~Which brings me to another thing. God was obviously planning on me joining in these auctions years ago! Those buttons I mentioned just happened to have been sitting in my button jar for years. I bought them for absolutely no other reason except they were so adorable I couldn't leave them on the shelf ;). I couldn't see them going with any fabric, at least not for a piece of clothing, I figured if I ever used it it would be for scrapbook pages. We couldn't find buttons to match the fabric I choose (pine cone fabric to make a little tea towel dress). I remembered those buttons after we got home, and they were a perfect match!  That was so neat!
~And the latest Pleven update!
~Little ones new accomplishments. Andrew learned how to whistle the other day! Daddy said "I didn't know you could whistle!" and the rest of us, one after the other, exclaimed "That was Andrew?!"
~Peter sweetness... Oh my, he's cute... pictures just don't do him justice! He's playing so good beside me :)...
~Also, his new practice of crawling into my lap everytime I'm sitting on the floor :)
~Bethi's new-found enjoyment in writing books (Tori is writing a really good one, too!).
~Laughter over work, play, little ones, whatever. I love laughter!
~Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection!!!
~Martin Luther's 95 theses.
~Godly men and women who God has placed before us to be an example of what God's followers are like. Isn't it wonderful how he uses fallen men to carry out his perfect plan?! How gracious!
~Being able to babysit.
~Reading history books read to little ones.
~That the granola bars I made a couple weeks ago worked, and that we tried them then... On our trip to VA, they will be much easier to do for breakfast than granola, which we have done in the past. Granola is a nice, filling breakfast, but it is also crumbly :)...
~Chilly days.
~"The Piano Guys" music.
~Light bulbs.
~Peter's love for the few solid foods he has tasted... although you'd never know by just looking at the pictures... I should post those!
~The work God is doing in each of our lives.
~And all the prayers that have been prayed for us over the past few months!

And, in honor of the fast approaching season...

O little town of Bethlehem,
How still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by.
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting light;
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight.

For Christ is born of Mary,
And gathered all above,
While mortals sleep, the angels keep
Their watch of wond’ring love.
O morning stars, together
Proclaim the holy birth!
And praises sing to God the King,
And peace to men on earth.

How silently, how silently
The wondrous gift is giv’n!
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of His heav’n.
No ear may hear His coming,
But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive Him still
The dear Christ enters in.

O holy Child of Bethlehem!
Descend to us, we pray;
Cast out our sin, and enter in;
Be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels
The great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us,
Our Lord Emmanuel.

                                                ~Phillips Brooks~
                                                                 (1835–1893)

"Sing the glory of his name;

give to him glorious praise!"

~Psalm 66:2