{Don’t miss this review of After the Snow Falls at Isn’t that the Craziest Thing.}

This week, we’re still plugging through a lot of the details of our move. My thanksgiving list still looks a little like a completed checklist, but I’m starting to get excited and homescick for getting back “home.” On the other hand, I’m feeling a little tearing away for what we leave behind here–but more for the sake of my kids, who are feeling the imminence of the move.

When there are so many details to be mindful of, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, but it has been proven to us over and over again that not only is “God in the details” as they say, but that He cares about them too.

Just this week, I had an experience with that. I have been wanting an iPod Touch for some time. I have put off purchasing it, balancing it between a want and a need, but I wanted a camera I could keep on hand for quick shots when we’re out and about in China–but something I could tuck in my purse. We also plan a weekly video blog, and a techie friend recommended the iPod touch as the best tool for what I wanted to do–especially now that I have a Mac! In addition, I use an iPod for language learning and podcasts.

I could almost justify spending $199 on an 8GB, but really felt more comfortable with the memory on a 32GB. Yesterday, I was able to get an amazing deal on a 32GB, which basically gave me the extra memory for the same price as an 8GB. I don’t have it in my hands yet, but it is a tremendous blessing to get it at that price! So my first item of thanksgiving is:

80.  A bargain on something I needed/wanted for our return to China.
81. In spite of all the busy-ness, we had a good homeschool week last week. Despite the change in location, and a bit of a lack of organization, we’re keeping up!
82.  We have several of our appointments out of the way (doctor, medical reports, etc.) and our passports–all except one.
83. We had some family time on Saturday: we went swimming!
84. While swimming, Sweetpea passed her “swim alone” test–a real milestone for her. How wonderful to leave on a note of victory!
85.  Sprout has suddenly found confidence in her swimming–she is jumping into the deep end (albeit with a lifejacket), swimming underwater (without one), bobbing like a maniac, and even started what looks a lot like a front crawl.
86.  Had a chance for a real heart-to-heart with Pumpkin last week, who was feeling the pain of our move. It didn’t make everything perfect again, but it got him back on track emotionally.
87.  We had an unexpected financial blessing last week–all these little blessings are wonderfully timed, since there’s a lot of last-minute resources we have to gather together before we leave (a year’s worth of vitamins, just as an example, and all the spices I want to take with me, because they are much harder to come by there).
88.  I was feeling a bit spiritually out of sorts, and I got back on track this week.
89. I’m thankful for the resilience of children.
90. I’m thankful for the ability of my children to make me see what’s truly important in life.
91.  I’m thankful for homeschool. Can you imagine living our life without it?
92.  I’m thankful for my parents and their home. This is not Plan A, but it is good to have a Plan B.
93.  I read the blog of a military wife this week. I really just stumbled on it. They are in the midst of an international move themselves and she remarked how they had found their home, a new church and a number of other key ingredients all in the space of four days. I was very encouraged by this.
94.  In the meantime, we’ve been receiving updates from a real estate agent and the Chinese office manager at the office Brian will be working at, and things are looking very hopeful on the apartment front.
95.  Have been really encouraged by friends lately: their friendship and their prayers.
96.  I had a chance to encourage someone yesterday. As I did so, I was so grateful for just this very exercise. Counting one’s blessings certainly brings about a different perspective on life.
97.  While I haven’t been able to write much of substance lately on either of the projects I’m working on, things at the planning stage (character development, etc.) have been progressing in the background, and I’m really grateful for 750words.com. It’s been very useful for helping me brain dump, helping me become more fluid in my writing, and helping me feel like I’m getting somewhere in my writing development in a season when it’s difficult to see big leaps of progress.
98.  I got a little window into the workings of a situation that had baffled me. It’s good to know that even when you don’t understand what’s going on, God is in the details.
99.  Laughter–in the face of every circumstance in life, it’s such a gift.

Don’t miss tomorrow’s post: a special Valentine’s guest post and GIVEAWAY!