Late but grateful...

Adding ropes to the front yard tree 

Climbing

Singing

First time in the tree!

Learning to play chess.

Ocean Eyes

:)

Fort building

Love

0131.  Skype.  Can't get enough of faces I love.

0132.  Pandora.  I love hearing new artists and all I do is type in one I like and I get a nice soundtrack to my day that plays in the background. Right now it's Adele and Ingrid Michaelson. Love them girls!

0133.  Pinterest.  Have you been?  I know a few girls who have because we are on their daily sharing what inspires us and what we are going to make in the days, weeks and months ahead.  It connects us.  

0134.  New adventures and places to see.

0135.  Strangers who bring meals.

0136.  The sweet voice of my niece.

0137.  Family pictures drawn by a four year old.

0138.  June bugs and geckos.

0139.  Movie nights.

0140.  New cookbooks.

Gratitude

I received a new journal from a friend before I left California and I was waiting to fill the pages of my current journal before I started the new one.  However, I need something new (because there isn't enough new right now? LOL), something that I can poor just my thanksgiving into.  Just that.  Thanks.

I have long read Ann's blog.  It's deep, heavy and most I have to be ready, prepared to read.  But I have been reading her book and been rocked so this morning I decided to continue my list.

Thankful for:

0121. More space than I know what to do with.
0122. Technology that keeps me connected.
0123. Family.
0124. Little girl hugs of new friends.
0125. Cyber hugs from best friends.
0126. Squirrels in the backyard.
0127. Justin's job, his boss.
0128. A place to write it all down.
0129. Hydrangeas from home.
0130. A new purse made with a friend.

Sweetly Broken

I have kind of claimed this song as my anthem.  I want this for my life...

Sweetly Broken.

Wholly Surrendered.

The last two weeks have been crazy here. We started getting sick on a Thursday, followed by Justin getting laid off on Friday and a death in the family on Saturday. Maleiah had bronchitis was on antibiotics and a breathing treatment. I had a sinus infection, Justin had a bit of it all and Caeden got the least of it. In my parenting life I have never felt worse and together, Justin and I made barely one functioning parent. We are still processing so much and I found the one thing I actually wanted to do was blog. Probably to just get it all out of my head but really it was a jumbled mess so I spared you. Really.  From the moment I found out Justin was laid off again I was really trying to think of the good.  Knowing that everything happens for a reason {but why?}, knowing that God cares and will take care of us {really?}...

My heart was {and still is} scared but trusting.  

0106. The gift of time
0107. Kleenex
0108. Music that breathes life into me
0109. Days together working out the kinks.
0110. Good books that kick our parenting into high stride.
0111. New recipes from a colorful cookbook.
0112. Girlfriends
0113. A family remembering a grandmother who left a legacy.
0114. Maleiah's new made up language.
0115. Caeden's afternoon of creating: a treasure map, a treasure chest and the quest to find the perfect spot in the backyard to bury it.
0116. Side jobs to keep us afloat.
0117. Rainbow legwarmers for a little girl.
0118. Books, books and more books.
0119. Napkins waiting to be made, if I should be so brave.
0120. Sunny days that remind me of San Diego.  

Latest & Greatest

0092.  A one car lifestyle=money saved, simplicity.
0093.  A big box from Rainbow Resource full of goodies to read, play and learn.
0094.  Work after a hard rain.
0095.  Family
0096.  A TV that is turned off and kids imaginations turned on.
0097.  Computer time limited.
0098.  God's word
0099.  Tacos with friends
0100.  Notebooks with scattered ideas and inspiration.
0101.  Burlap for little hands to embroider.
0102.  A niece to love on.
0103.  A scout who won a trophy or two. :)
0104.  A small girl singing.
0105.  Worms

1000 Gifts

0076.  Kids in the kitchen
0077.  Foggy days
0078.  The Wizard of Oz
0079.  Story In A Bag from the library
0080.  Double sided tape
0081.  Goodwill-thanks for feeding the addiction, more books!
0082.  Worship music and a little girl singing, "Hosanna, in the highest!"
0083.  Breath
0084.  Ocean waves that bring me closer to the Creator.
0085.  New yarn
0086.  Friends to meet in coffee shops
0087.  Books about snow
0088.  Bonfires at Papa's
0089.  A good day with my dad.
0090.  Nature that comes right up to our window to say hello.
0091.  Oranges in season

For more gifts go here:

Gratitude for a NEW YEAR

2010

I love the new year.  A time to refresh, start over. Make new.

Starting with small thanks.

0070.  A Christmas season that was full.
0071.  A year of challenges.  Job loss and a father's stroke.  All making us stronger.
0072.  A break from the day to day school routine.  Restorative.
0073.  Friends to ring in the new year with.
0074.  A new Bible reading plan.
0075.  My husbands job.

Go here for more thanks...

Monday Gifts

0056.  Fellow homeschoolers who struggle and share and succeed and share which makes me a better homeschool mom and fuels the creative juices which then produces a great week of school!
0057.  A fresh cut Christmas tree.
0058.  Our first season of Advent and we are loving it!
0059.  Happy kids despite unesplained fevers.
0060.  A new laminator. :)
0061.  Potty training that was WAY too easy.
0062.  Christmas movies, especially White Christmas.
0063.  A backyard that is full of birds and squirrels
0064.  Craft kits that keep an 8 year old busy.
0065.  The library which fills my endless need for books.
0066.  The cranky librarian that challenges me to be nice anyway.
0067.  New recipes that turn out great.
0068.  Fruit and veggie ONLY snacks.
0069.  A box full of yarn that beckons me to create.
0070.  Pretty princess dress ups that are worn daily.

Monday Gratitude~{Past Due}

0032.  Flowers picked from the backyard, given to me after a not so great horrible day with the kids.
0033. "I love you much, Mommy" {Maleiah, 3 years old}
0034.  Candles
0035.  Options for medicine that don't include a bunch of things I can't pronounce.  The Vitamin Store lady who was SO helpful.
0036.  Tim McGraw {I kinda like him...}
0037.  Watching Maleiah lip sync to any song...it's hilarious.
0038.  Listening to Caeden narrate a lesson back to Justin with more information than I even remembered.
0039.  "Read more!"
0040.  As always, my friends.  They are infinitely more than I ask for or imagine.
0041.  Fresh baked bread
0042.  Christmas music playing.
0043.  A clean counter, at least for a few hours.
0044.  Cooler days and nights that require quilts and snuggling.
0045.  A busy November for birthdays, life celebrated and remembered.
0046. Warm baked bread.
0047.  Organic fruit and veggies from a local farm waiting on my doorstep.
0048.  Bloggers who help us find a way...
0049.  A boy who is loving his backyard....finally
0050.  Hands that work hard every day to provide for our family.
0051.  A slower paced Christmas season than normal.
0052.  Kids in seperate rooms which means they go to sleep peacefully.
0053.  A brand new laminator. :)
0054.  Great books to read aloud.
0055.  God's Word, living and active.

Receiving

and the gifts continue... 
 

0016. Friends to spend an entire day with, in a car, at the beach.
0017. A hill with apples, friends and lots of rolling down hills.
0018. Maleiah's fashion sense or lack thereof.  It makes me smile.

0019. A school day done by noon.
0020. Rain and wind, leaves twirling off the trees.
0021. Art projects to make with the twirling leaves.

0022. My husband who works hard days to provide for our family, even when he feels sick.
0023. Birthdays to plan for.  :)
0024. Heads to knit hats for.
0025. My dad, and his optimism that carries him through his stroke recovery.
0026. My step-sister who now feels more like what I imagine a sister might feel like.
0027. Bloggers that inspire.
0028. A new day.
0029. Friday Night Movie Night at the movie theater!
0030. Dinner with friends, celebrating another year. 
0031. A brother and a sister

For more go here...

Random~1000 Gifts

0006
Finding a ladybug larva and watching it become.
0007
A brother's love.
0008
Justin's job. Benefits.
0009
A tree to study in our backyard.
0010
My family.
0011
Friends
0012
Story time at the library and the librarian who will wear tights on her head and sing "Do Your Ears Hang Low?"
0013
Blogs that share the ups and downs of life.
0014
Max and Ruby, so I can have a break.
0015
Day trips for getting away from it all even when it's a small town with nothing to do.

1000 Gifts

0001

I am grateful for love.

0002These 2 treasures.

0003
Friends in abundance.

0004The clouds that are bringing Fall to me.

0005
Ladybug Larva in the backyard