Thankful for family, hearth and home

This afternoon my oldest cousin and his wife came for a visit after attending a conference in Portland and before flying home tomorrow morning. I haven't seen him since my sister's wedding in 2008 and I'd never met his wife before (and they've been married 20 years!), so it was wonderful to get to see them. With grandparents (and in his case, parents) long gone, us cousins get together rarely now.

So I'm thankful Dave contacted us and drove down, and I'm thankful we were able to welcome them here to a warm house and a home-cooked meal....

Yesterday was a busier than usual Sabbath. After church, potluck, and visiting, we came home just about long enough to unload the car, change clothes, take care of the animals, load the car, and take off again – in different directions. I was going to our Christian trail-riding club's annual planning meeting and officers election in Portland; Rick was going to take Brian to open gym at his school to practice basketball. I asked Rick to stoke the fire; there weren't many coals left so he loaded up the firebox and left the doors cracked so it could take off again. I was supposed to close the doors before I left – and forgot.

When Rick and Brian came home (a half hour before I did), the firebox doors were wide open, the house was filled with smoke . . . and a smoldering log was laying on the hearth, inches from the carpeted floor.

Everything could have been gone (most heartbreakingly, the dogs), but we were mercifully, undeservedly spared.

Thankful and humbled at . . .