Thanks

Just a quick post today. It is the morning after Christmas. Our family had a great time yesterday. The girls were surprised and they have showed real gratitude, which is something we work hard to instill.
In spite of all the packing yet to be done, we didn't yesterday. We simply hung out and enjoyed the day and relaxed.
Last night we went to see Marley & Me. While, in typical Hollywod fashion, there were some elements in the movie that could have been left out and were a bit uncomfortable for a parent to have their 7 & 9 year olds sitting next to them asking questions, it is a good movie. The movie is very family oriented in it's themes. It portrays sacrifice, love, faithfulness, endurance, and forgiveness.
It is refreshing to see a family on the big screen that works things out even in the difficult times. It is gratifying to watch a family in which the adults are loving and caring and actually in control and doing what is best for their family. So much of the time the parents are presented as moronic at best and uncaring at worst. This is not the case in this movie.
The other thing that I found great about the movie is the way it brought it down to gratitude. In the end, you see a family, a man on screen who is truly grateful for what he has. A man thankful for his family and his life, as imperfect as it may be. He sees the blessings of his wife and his children and the lessons he learned from the world's worst dog. Lessons of loyalty and love and enthusiasm for life.
We could all use a reminder to live more grateful and realize the blessings that are in our lives.
Thank you and may God reveal His richest blessings on you.

(Quick warning on the movie, it is heavy and not a light-hearted comedy all the way through.)