Here are 40 more reasons I’ve found to praise God and thank Him for His goodness:

1. the amaryllis bulb the three sweet neighbor boys brought to us yesterday

2. golden sunshine lighting up the trees

3. steaming hot soup

4. Rachel Jankovic’s book, Fit to Burst

5. a cozy room filled with half a dozen homeschool mamas

6. candles on the dinner table

7. graceful exercises at the ballet barre

8. the howling wind that wakes me in the middle of the night

9. a down comforter to snuggle beneath

10. how lovely she plays “Drifting Leaves” from memory

11. nearly half a dozen kids discussing Wendy Lawton’s book Almost Home and sharing what they are most thankful for

12. juncos, chickadees and cardinals at the backyard feeder

13. the scent of banana bread lingering in the kitchen

14. piles and piles of leaves to rake

15. a fun road trip with friends

16. the Hearts at Home Conference

17. how he does dishes and holds down the fort while I sneak away

18. the kind friend who offers me a ride to the evening meeting

19. scotcharoos

20. Philippians 2:1-11

21. the dear friend’s birthday celebration

22. homemade coffee cake on the first snowy morning of the season

23. snow in the tree tops

24. woodpeckers re-appearing in the trees

25. comfy boots, sweaters, and scarves

26. Ephesians 5:16-20

27. the toaster malfunction that didn’t burn down the house and the prompt arrival of a replacement toaster

28. the internet service that’s finally restored

29. how the 10-year-old adores the Adventures in the Northwoods series

30. how the 8-year-old adores the Milly-Molly-Mandy books

31. the orthodontic retainer that still fits her sweet little mouth

32. squirrels leaping from tree to tree

33. mugs of hot chocolate and a plateful of German puff pancake

34. Hebrews 12:28

35. the soothing aloe vera plant that reminds me of my Grandma Lee

36. construction paper pizzas

37. how missionary stories encourage and inspire them

38. the ability to somehow parallel park that Ford F-150 in downtown on the first attempt

39. leftover chimichangas

40. balloon games