I am thankful for snapping turtles and trees. The trees in Virginia are gorgeous. They are tall and thin and how they manage to stand is beyond me. I have no idea how they do it. God alone must support them! Today, we loaded the kids, attitudes and all, up in the car and did the driving tour around historic Jamestown. It was still pouring rain so we promised not to ask them to get out.
My sick one, Michaela, had a great attitude about it and Daniel didn’t complain either. (Thank you, Lord!) As we drove slowly along the road going out on Jamestown Island, my husband suddenly stopped the car, excitedly saying “TURTLE!”
Now I am a major wildlife fan, but even *I* don’t get that excited about a turtle. Well, this wasn’t just a turtle. This was a TURTLE! About two feet long! I had no idea what he had seen! WOW!
I had to laugh, though. When I look at the picture of me from yesterday’s blog (the one with the canon near my head…LOL!) and the face on this turtle, an Eastern Snapping Turtle (I think), it was like looking in the mirror! 
This turtle looked majorly GRUMPY! I think God, in his glorious sense of humor, decided to show me what I looked like when I chose to keep a grumpy attitude! This old turtle was doing a lot of scowling (or whatever you call the expression on the turtle’s face)…and, I do believe God was sending me a message!
Anyhow, in spite of the fact that I, too, seem to be coming down with whatever disease we are sharing in our family, fever and all, I can definitely say with assurance that I am thankful for rain, trees, snapping turtles, Andy Griffith reruns on TV Land and…oh, yes, a daughter who is amazingly nurturing…this afternoon, she rubbed my feet, kept a cool, damp rag on my face and feet this afternoon, all while dealing with her own misery…just so I could catch a bit of sleep and a brief reprieve from my fever.
Lord, thank you for these things. Thank you that Daniel is doing well, all things considered. Thank you that Michaela has a spirit of joy, even when sick (well, most of the time, Lord!). Thank you for a husband who kept a good attitude in spite of all we have thrown at him! Tomorrow we head off to Chincoteague. I pray we might catch a glimpse of the wild ponies there. Lord…I ask for sunshine. It has been raining…and raining…and raining. No wonder it is so beautiful here! So many flowers and lush, verdant growth! But if it is possible, we would love a stop to the rain long enough and a stop to our fevers and cold symptoms long enough to be able to walk out to see the ponies tomorrow. I read about the ponies at Chincoteague when I was a third grader, Lord, and would love to see them in “real life.” Give us a good night sleep, I pray. Thank you for the wonderful HUGE bathtub with jets that we have all enjoyed here at this condo. As we all convene in a small hotel room tomorrow night, may it be with joy in our hearts. Change us, Lord. Help us to be grateful and joyful. I choose joy, Lord.
