....Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18

November is "Be Thankful" Month.  So I'm joining the ranks of those out there who share their appreciation publicly.  And while I'm thankful first and foremost for obvious things like my salvation and my family, I'm trying to branch out and see gratitude in simple places and surprising sources.  Here's the run-down so far.

Thankful

Day 18 Thankful for a messy dinner table; for scraps of hot pink tulle, smatterings of silver sequins, globs of glue and Rylie's words still stuck to my heart- "I'm just glad we get to spend this time together". -Messy times like Rylie's Turkey Project and staying up late studying Spanish 3 with Hayden often results in sweet remnants.

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Day 17 Thankful for the smell of new books.

Day 16 Thankful that our "Drama Queen" finally found some POSITIVE recognition for that flair of hers at the EDA (Educational Drama Association) Meet.

Day 15 Thankful for almond/chocolate bark.  Bad cooks needn't worry about the taste; just the shape.

Day 14 (I'm backtracking here).  Thankful that there won't be stomach bugs in Heaven. And for the first successful Saltine cracker digestion after a stomach bug. Thankful there won't be allergies in Heaven either

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Day 13 Thankful, though last weeks' nights were full of good times, that I won't be sleeping with Zeebie, Stripes, Val and Rylie's other stuffed friends tonight. My guy's home from Africa.

Day 12 Thankful that just a little bit of sweet makes things better; a philosophy that should be practiced with both food and people.

-The kids and I made these the other night.  I can't stop thinking about them; the leftover bananas on the table can't stop thinking about them either. They look sad.....

Tabetha Franklin, the "Main Dish Lady :)"  https://www.facebook.com/MainDishEverydayMeals taught me how to make them.  She teaches me a lot of stuff.  I'm thankful for her too.

Just take a boring banana and make it extraordinary with just a few added chocolate chips and mini marshmallows. Leave the banana in its peel. Make a slit into the banana, but don't cut it all the way through. Grab both ends and push toward the middle opening  the slit, making the perfect spot to drop in some chocolate and marshmallow goodness. Wrap in foil, leaving the foil loose (tented) on the top. Broil on low for about ten minutes.  Reminds me of a song...... "Sweet dreams are made of this".

Day 11 Some of the greatest friendships aren't planned; they sort of fall into place. Working together and having like-aged kiddos are two great friend generators. Sending your husband off to Africa is another great way to forge friendships as you wing-it solo. I had pizza and open-mouthed laughter (not at the same time) tonight with two great girls and their pint-sized sweeties. I regret not having invited them into my home before now.  Another one of my dearest friends became one of my dearest after our husbands made several trips to Africa together several years ago.  So.  I'm thankful for surprise friendships.  And I'm thankful for sending my husband on a mission trip.  You should try it.

Day 10 I am thankful for our veterans. I don't think I can wrap my mind around the sacrifices that have been made for me to be able to enjoy freedom. Day after day I take that freedom for granted, but today I am grateful- for my Grandad and for all the great men and women who have given, that I might live with liberty.

Day 9b Thankful for my husband's stinky workout shirt that always hangs in my closet doorway.  Jason. you linger even when you're not here.

Day 9 Thankful for fierce, smash your hair and forehead hugs-by my seventeen year old.

Day 8 Thankful for Tests. Seriously. Just read this http://kristiburden.com/?p=6661

Day 7 Thankful for Jason who loves me unconditionally; in posed moments and the candid ones too.

Day 6 I'm thankful for chicken wings; particularly from Wing Stop when accompanied by those fries with the secret seasoning. Trust me.  They're good.

Day 5 Thankful for Africa and its teaching that God is much bigger than we could have dared to imagine.

Day 4 I'm thankful for the little stranger in the kindergarten hallway that told me I looked ravishing (and on a bad hair day at that).

Day 3 Thankful that Jesus is a friend of sinners.  And thankful to have heard my friend Christy Zenon sing about it like it was gospel truth.

Day 2 Thankful for my talented and abrupt daughter who wrote a poem about my cooking  (Move over Shel Silverstein). Check out her poem (or mom roast rather) here http://kristiburden.com/?p=6693 .

Day 1 Thankful for these rays of sunshine.

Back at then end of September Hallie had a big idea.  A dear little friend (pictured above) lost her life when she was hit by a car last year. Hallie had come up with an idea to honor her memory.  She'd found several bandanas in her room and began to snip away at them creating a few cute headbands.  She typed up a flyer and an order form asking for a dollar a headband along with a little information about the friend she'd lost, Ashley. She explained that the proceeds would go to the Humane Society since they both had a love for animals. I don't know what I thought she was going to do with the flyer.  All I knew was that I was glad that, though she was still mourning, she was doing it in a positive manner. So I let her do her thing, mindful that my kids get grand ideas that they forget about the next day.

She came home from school the next day saying that she had solicited her headbands and already had twenty orders. I was worried that she might get in trouble for bringing them to school and  I was also afraid that kids may order a headband and then not follow through so I posted a picture on Facebook of Hallie, Rylie and I wearing the headbands with a little blurb about what she was doing.  I was hoping a few kind people or animals lovers would give her a dollar to encourage her.  And then,.........Oh my!

I found myself staying up late with Hallie several nights to complete orders.  In the month that Hallie sold headbands for "Animals for Ashley" as she fondly titled her cause, I learned a few things.

Sometimes grand ideas don't fizzle.

And people are kind and more generous than I could have imagined.

I learned that if a twelve-year-old can turn her grief into something beautiful, I should try in tough times to do the same.

I learned that distance and even death doesn't mean the ending of a friendship.

Teachers, church members, neighbors and friends purchased the headbands.  Some people just donated money while others bought headbands to give to other people.  She received money in the mail, even from Quebec, Canada.

She willingly spent her own money to pay for the bandanas and rubber bands.  Hallie learned that grand ideas are hard work, staying up several nights until almost midnight making them. With the amount of orders she had, I was able to spend rare time with her making them.  We shared stories and secrets we might not have shared had we not been spending that time together, just she and I.

A little over a week ago Hallie carried a shoebox, full of rolled up bills, to the Humane Society.  Today, November 16 is a year since Ashley's death.  Just like with any tragedy, sorrow can't be erased.  But it is my hope that in all things there would continue to be kind people, like the people I know. - People who know that sorrow can be eased with just a little bit of kindness.

Here are some pictures from our visit to the Humane Society.

 A Thank You from Hallie

Dear readers,

Everyone has a best friend. They play together, get into arguments (especially girls), get into trouble, and share secrets. Best friends also feel like they would do anything for each other. I had my first BEST friend in kindergarten. Her name was Ashley.

We both loved animals and we hated the fact that some of them were homeless, hungry, or abused. So, we decided we wanted to put a stop to it. So, once when she spent the night at my house,  we made some videos on my old school Nano i-pod about how we felt about it. After that, we decided we would stop it together. But, time passed and she moved and I moved.

Exactly one year ago, she was hit by a car, and she didn’t make it. So many thoughts were running through my head. Like, “how could this happen” and “why didn’t I get to at least say bye?”

A few weeks before I started a fundraiser, I was on my i-pod and I saw the videos. I realized that we didn’t get to make the difference we wanted together. So I decided that just because she was gone, doesn’t mean we couldn’t make a difference.  So I decided to sell headbands for $1 and raise money for the humane society.  Me, and my mom never though it would get far as it did.

I had hoped that I would at least raise $15 to $20 out of pure generosity. But we raised 15 times that amount, over $300 including donations. That’s about 250 generous people.

Although that was the most tragic thing that has ever happened to me, I learned just how kind people could be. Teachers, friends, and family made this all possible for us.

Love,

Hallie