Thankful Thursday

Today I'm thankful for perspective. We've had a rough start to 2010::

• Lice came to our house for the first time in history {amazing since we have 5 kids and quite a few kids in LJ's class have had lice this year} -- don't worry, it all seems to be under control now. Gone actually, and, miraculously, was contained to only one non-curly haired head! {thank the Lord!}
• Our 15-year old "saw-us-through-lots-of-major-life-events" beloved {paid for!} car was towed away never to return -- so we're a one-vehicle family for the time being.
• Our computer died. Really, really dead. Also, never to return! {Thankfully we have external backup which, we trust, saved most of our "stuff".}
• Our van needed a $300 fix. Not expected. Not welcome. Not happy!

Last night, Kirbs called one of his best friends to wish him a Happy 37th Birthday. He was on his way down to Mayo to have an MRI to check on the status of his brain cancer. He has a wife and 3 precious little boys. A friend of mine has a 2-year-old little guy with leukemia. We know a few people who've been laid off recently and have no job. We know a family whose house burned down the week before Christmas.

Our "stuff" isn't that bad. It is quite a bummer . . . each of them individually would be a bummer, but when they are all piled into a less-than-one-week time period it can get you down and seem like a pretty big bummer, but really, in the greater scheme of things, it's not a big deal. We'll be ok. We're not in any real danger. Even amidst trials, blessings still abound!

P.S. In case you are wondering how I am blogging without a computer. I have some limited computer time with Kirb's NWC laptop in the evenings . . . after the kids go to sleep and before I fall asleep exhausted. Which isn't too long, let me tell you!