Finally, time to reflect

Kaity Holtman

We’ve been in our new home for a little over three weeks now. Our builders were amazing and actually got us in when they said they would – something HGTV taught me was absolutely impossible. (This is a plug for TRAKEV Construction – wow!)

So for the last couple weeks, we’ve been talking about how thankful we are for so many things right now.

Yes, many of those things are material items – two sinks in our bathroom, more than one bathroom, an attached garage, the view out our living room window, etc.

Seems silly to be thankful for such material things, but we don’t want to take these conveniences for granted, so we are noting them to one another.

It seems like we can so quickly forget about the old house.

Sam walked in to the empty old house over the weekend and was distraught that his Teddy Grahams weren’t in their usual spot. But other than that, he didn’t seem to mind the empty house. He didn’t go looking for toys or his crib – just the crackers.

But we’ve also been discussing how thankful we are all for all of the family and volunteer labor that helped move the process along, from weekends full of bricklaying to painting, moving, and more.

We’ve been so blessed with so many people so willing to help us through this process, we don’t know how we can ever pay them back in full.

Even when we invited them over and tried to feed them, they all brought US food and gifts. That wasn’t how I envisioned it, but I guess that’s why they are such blessings to us. Always giving of themselves.

Beyond our builders who outdid themselves and our long list of volunteers, I’m so thankful that so many of the people we did business with were local and even friends.

Hineline, Home by Sonja, Eckards, Maryville Lumber, Darrell Schieber Electric, JS Concrete Construction, Sleek Creek HVAC, and the list goes on and on.

It was such a comfort to be able to work with colleagues and friends, one-on-one, to accomplish the home we had in mind. They all talked us through the process and made us feel more comfortable with our decisions. You don’t get that feeling when you work with big box stores or find something online.

The personal connections made the entire process easier – another benefit to shopping local. Add that on top of supporting businesses that support our communities, and paying sales tax dollars to further progress in those communities, and shopping local is a no brainer.

We’re thankful that everything fell into place before the holidays and before Baby No. 2 arrives. We’re counting down and should probably do a little more preparing than we have, but we’re simply taking time to find a routine right now.

We love seeing Sam in the space we imagined for our growing family. Wrestling in the living room floor, sending Sam out into the attached garage with Daddy, and having the living, dining and kitchen areas all be in one room have all played into an atmosphere that is encouraging family living.

We’re starting to see Sam become more independent, which has come along nicely with the transition of the last month and will only be more helpful in the coming months.

I’m starting to envision how Baby will fit into it all, and it just feels right.

Sure, I’m thankful for some different things this year than I was last year, but I think the point is to be thankful for whatever we’ve worked for, and whatever God has given us. Good or bad, each experience, challenge, and blessing is ours for a reason.

Looking inward and finding how to be thankful for all them brings us joy and reminds us that we are not alone, and not solely responsible for our own circumstances. Our lives are a mixture of what we work for, what we strive for, and what God gives us.

Being thankful may not always be easy from one year, month, or day to the next, but it’s a frame of mind we choose, and it’s one that only moves us forward.

Kaity Holtman is the Agriculture Editor for the Maryville Daily Forum.