Feeling Thankful for These 10 Things!

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Thanksgiving is of course a time to reflect upon the things for which we are thankful. But like I told Faith the other day, I think we both thank God every day for the blessings he has bestowed upon us.  Each night, we read a scripture together (it's usually one Faith has memorized such as Psalm 23 or John 3:16-21). After our scripture, we recite "Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:16). At the end of that verse, we add our little cheer, "Do good deeds! Say nice things! Be kind!"  This little cheer is just a way to remind both of us, that's how God wants us to act every day. Then we pray, which often begins by thanking God for all that He has done for us and then we pray for others. But the other night after prayer time, I asked Faith to tell me some things she was really thankful for. I told her what I was thankful for as well.  This year, we are feeling especially thankful for ...
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The Rewards of Respite Care

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Faith and Kimberly at Kimberly's college graduation reception

Last night when I came home Faith was so excited to show me the Mr. Pumpkin Head she and Michelle had made. There it was on our bookshelf, right next to two Mr. Potato Heads. By the looks of it, Michelle and Faith had a blast. Once again, I found myself being very thankful for such wonderful respite care providers.

I think respite care providers are a must for anyone with special needs children. I have to admit, I felt a little guilty handing off my daughter to someone else while I went and did, well, nothing. But that was the point. When we found Michelle, we were at the top of our stress level. We both needed a break.

The difference between us and couples with non-special needs kids is they could just hire a babysitter or have friends and family look after their children. We on the other hand, need someone who has had special training to look after our special needs daughter.

Rob and I applied to have a certain number of hours a month that we would have respite care available to us. We did this through our disability case manager. When we first began, we had one respite care provider with just 20 hours a month. Now, we are up to two respite care providers for 45 hours a month. The increase in hours allows for Rob and I to spend more time together as a couple as well as have some precious alone time.

A couple of years ago after having just Michelle, we also found Kimberly, a college student majoring in early childhood development/special education. Since Kimberly knew she was going to be moving, she introduced us to Lindsey. I know of families who have a hard time finding the right respite care person for their child. Also, there is often a high turnover rate with respite care providers. These are other reasons I am so thankful. 

It seems as though the Lord has found us the perfect respite care providers who have come to love Faith just as she loves them. And what a huge blessing that is!

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