multitude monday

Here's my continuing Multitude Monday post, which all started a while back, right here.

"One Thousand Gifts":

1150. the beauty of fresh snow to cover up all the yucky, dirty, ugly stuff
1151. no school today
1152. sleeping in
1153. a sofa-sleeping sickie smiling sweetly in her sleep {try to say that 10 times fast!}
1154. a new haircut
1155. people who've known you your whole life long
1156. people who haven't!
1157. May 6th! I can't wait!
1158. hope of answers tomorrow, following 5 weeks of waiting
1159. taxes ready to file . . . and a MONSTER return {bring on the Disney!}
1160. these eyes::1161. the blessing of kleenex
1162. the blessing of spanx
1163. yummy cake
1164. date night!
1165. delicious french dip from Flame {and the gift card that paid for it} SO wonderful!
1166. a new dress for $4.25 {Turnstyle 75% off sale}
1167. a warm bed
1168. hope that the week-long sickness at our house is at an end
1169. Joe getting his wish :: "please, please can't we worship at home today?" ::1170. seeing June at church again {Sara and I were healthy enough to go}
1171. a fabulous Sunday School class
1172. the library
1173. a good book!
1174. a mug of hot chai
1175. a working garage door {thanks to Bill}

Alrighty, that's it's for now. Tune in next Monday for the next installment.

flashback friday

My most injury-prone kid
{with a very lovely nasal abrasion}
How he manages to do these things is beyond me.
Plus, check out that mop of hair! WOW!

February 2008

thankful thursday

I am so thankful for my washing machine. This week especially.

I really don't know what people do with puke-covered sheets in the middle of the night if they can't stumble half-dressed to the basement and get them washing right away.

I don't want to think about the alternative!

Here's hoping the puke fest has ended. Three consecutive nights of middle-of-the-night puke clean up is enough of a run for us!

Stay healthy!

Super Anna::

she has a cape::

and wings
{nice hair you've got there, babe!}

multitude monday

Here's my continuing Multitude Monday post, which all started a while back, right here.

"One Thousand Gifts":

1122. arrival of the long-awaited book {ordered in September and just released last week}
1123. anticipation that does not disappoint {see above!}
1124. sharing
1125. a husband who takes care of the puke
1126. a little superhero boy fast asleep with toys clutched in his grip {face still stained with ice cream and a sweet girl sharing his room}1127. first belly laughs of a baby
1128. fresh, untouched snow sparkling in the moonlight
1129. the raised eyebrows of my babe which produces that ultra-cute, can't-get-enough-of-it wrinkly baby forehead. oh how I love that!!
1130. Sunday's sermon reminding me of this song {surprisingly, a favorite of mine} :: story of my life {the life of any mom, actually . . . or non-mom even}
1131. hum of the washing machine
1132. a warm bed
1133. forecasts of sun and 20's . . . and the sad, sad fact that that seems nearly tropical!
1134. girls crafting
1135. numbers trending upward
1136. the power of prayer
1137. fabulous, helpful friends
1138. hundreds of happy kindergarteners at the library getting their library card {and a free book!} not to mention the wonderful librarian who put a special smiley face on a certain kindergarteners card
1139. cookie dough
1140. when the congested baby finally stops fighting, melts into my arms . . . and sleeps!
1141. people who do what they can to make a difference :: since none of us can do it all and every little thing matters!
1142. the quiet of 2 am
1143. pom poms made of yarn
1144. reminders of friendships, currently dormant, that bring joy and fun memories
1145. a little boy, a BIG surgery and a great recovery so far. praise God from whom all blessings flow! keep up the good work, Ikey {and Chad and Melissa too}
1146. prayer
1147. no need to leave the house, all. day. long!
1148. the gift of perspective
1149. kids in swimsuits diving for plastic rings while outside the pool deck window the cold winds blow and the snow banks are huge . . . a short little "vacation" from winter


Alrighty, that's it's for now. Tune in next Monday for the next installment.

flashback friday

5 years ago, right about now, my mom was in the Phillipines working with a team at the Children's Shelter of Cebu {love, Love, LOVE that place!}
When she came home she was greeted by this {obviously excited} bunch::

Lydia {3}, Jacob {6}, Bop Bop {50-something}, Rebekah {4}
February 2006

thankful thursday

Today I'm thankful for my furnace. For a warm house and a warm bed . . . that I didn't want to leave this morning, I might add. I kept sticking my arm out just enough to hit the snooze button on the alarm clock and thought each time, "Yikes, it's cold out there!" which just made me want to stay in my warm bed all the more. But eventually I did get up! It's super chilly here today and I am so thankful to have a warm home to live in.

P.S. My camera battery needs to be charged, thus no pictures lately. I am fully aware that it's not hard to charge it. I just have to find an extra 12 seconds in my day and then prioritize the task, but so far that hasn't happened. Hopefully soon . . . You are wonderful, patient people for reading my babbling without any photographic incentive whatsoever! Thanks!

multitude monday

Here's my continuing Multitude Monday post, which all started a while back, right here.

"One Thousand Gifts":

1104. the beauty of fresh snow
1105. a relationship on the mend
1106. coffee with a good friend
1107. gas coupons
1108. Trevor's joy at church on Sunday . . . the highlight of the service for me!
1109. an extra day at home for the whole family
1110. a chance to talk about the reason we were home today and the life of Martin Luther King Jr.
1111. fun at the Mall of America {with rides for the 4 biggest kids} over the weekend
1112. the sweet girl sleeping in the sling against my chest as I type this
1113. the extra-funny things that come out of the mouths of the short people around here . . . sometimes I'm not sure I'd make it through the day without the laughter that it brings
1114. the wonderful, wonderful friends that my kids have::nice, loyal, kind friends . . . what a blessing!
1115. a job that allows me to still be home with my kiddos
1116. Joe's excitement about swimming lessons
1117. yummy almond lattes {see also #1106 . . . it's the first one I've purchased in 2011, I'm trying to be better about the calories going in and the money going out that my love of almond lattes creates!}
1118. preliminary tax return estimates {one of the blessings of having 6 kids is a XL sized tax return}
1119. music
1120. good friends
1121. fun crafting that turns out even cuter than you imagined it in your head


Alrighty, that's it's for now. Tune in next Monday for the next installment.

verse 2 and other good stuff::

It's already time for the second verse of Beth Moore's Scripture Memory Challenge for 2011. How can January be half over already? I still am writing 2010 on things, how about you? I think I've got my first verse down pat {at least today} and this next one is perfect for me right now. It's something I really need to keep at the front of my mind these days. So, with that said, here is my second scripture that for 2011:

And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4.19)

And here is Rebekah's second verse:

Understand this my dear brothers and sisters, you must be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to get angry. (James 1.19)

look at that . . . we're both doing verse 19, but from different books and different chapters. It's so fun to have her doing this with me this year!

If you want to join us in memorizing 24 verses in 2011, that's great! You can "register" the fact that you are taking part in it on Beth's blog. That's where you can log your verses each month and just generally be encouraged by all the other people resolving to do something so beneficial along with you. Blessings on you!

Also, while I've got your attention, there's a couple other things I want to share. There are a million and one -- more actually -- things you could look at/read/watch online, but when I find one that's extra great, I like to share it. This week I came across two that I thought were exceptional:: First of all, this post really touched me this week and I think it's worth a read {Ann almost always touches me deeply. She articulates things so well and I look forward to her words each and every day. What an encouragement she is in my life . . . and knowing she's also a mother of 6 doesn't hurt either!} Finally, although I know 17 minutes of your time is a lot to sacrifice, this video is great, I think. I was glad I took the time to watch it. Although parenting is great and I wouldn't trade it for anything, this video validates the fact that it's not all laughter, smiles and hugs! {but what's with the guy being named Rufus? For real? That's a bit unfortunate, I'd say!}

flashback friday

January 2007::

When Joe wore headbands . . . and "church shoes" . . . and diapers.

When our kitchen was still green {instead of black} . . . and the shoes hadn't completely taken over the spot where that table is. {ah, who am I kidding? the shoes have taken over the entire kitchen!} ::

Although some things never change :: I'm pretty sure Lydi wore that same shirt just the other day {with something over it, thankfully!}. Yup, it's quite a bit too small. That sort of thing doesn't seem to bother her a bit. Oh, and now the diaper-clad boy from the picture wears that Gophers sweatshirt and sports the missing teeth instead of his dark-haired older brother! Oh, and he doesn't wear diapers anymore either, in case you wondered.

What a difference 4 years can make!

My, how time flies!

thankful thursday

Today I'm thankful for a week that's {so far} pretty much normal. Without the extreme amount of drama and tension and anxiety and tears and lamenting as last week. {Don't get me wrong, our week has held all of that, but not as disproportionately as last week -- and for that, I'm thankful!}

Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow.

Matthew 6:34 (MSG)

multitude monday

Here's my continuing Multitude Monday post, which all started a while back, right here.

"One Thousand Gifts":

1076. thoughtfulness
1077. prayer
1078. introducing Sara to her aunt {and uncle too}::1079. double dates
1080. yummy steak
1081. side-splitting laughter-inducing movie
1082. time with wonderful friends
1083. when other people truly, truly love your kids
1084. the fact that Joe, all on his own, packed up some toys {albeit duplicate/unneeded ones} for his friend Jimmy who, he claims, "doesn't have any Batman toys" {gasp!! How can it be?} and brought them to school in a box with this fabulous note::1085.encouragement
1086. grandmas
1087. angel food cake
1088. de-Christmasing the house
1089. my compassionate, loving husband who takes extra-good care of me and comes to my rescue when I'm a mess
1090. peapods new {closer!} location
1091. lunch with a friend
1092. inexplicable tears and the healing {and headache, unfortunately} they bring
1093. doctors who know helpful stuff
1094. taking time to be creative
1095. forgiveness
1096. love!
1097. 1/4 of a year with Sara {how can it be?}
1098. the truth of these words! {this one always makes me feel better and oh so grateful}
1099. crazy morning hair on 2-year-olds {and on 11-year olds who are growing their hair out -- yikes!}
1100. my mom {have I mentioned that one before? she's the best!}
1101. support and offers of help
1102. a really crappy, yucky week to give you the perspective that most of your weeks are not as bad as you may have thought
1103. a new week


Alrighty, that's it's for now. Tune in next Monday for the next installment.

flashback friday

Anna at about the age Sara is now.
June 2008

thankful thursday

I had kind of a rough day. Not all of it. It had good parts too. But on the whole it was kinda rough.

Kirb thought we should go out to dinner tonight. We all could use it, it seemed. We let the kids pick. They picked Red Robin. We weren't surprised. It's their favorite. So we piled in the van and headed north. We rarely, rarely eat out. Any of us. But especially all 8 of us together! We found our booth (the BIG one) and ordered (most everyone knew exactly what they wanted before putting their coats on at home). Normal stuff. At one point a dad at a table next to us smiled at Sara and said, "They all yours?" "Yup, they are." I answered. "And we think we've got our hands full with 2." his wife added (they had 2 boys, 2-ish and 1-ish by my best guess). I told them that they did and that when we had 2 we had our hands full too. Our waitress seemed to be at our table a million times (more fries, pop refills, refills on mac n cheese x 3, delivering Jacob's special allergen-free meal separate from the rest of the food). She was very sweet. She said that she had a girl who was almost 2 and her and her husband were talking about another, but she didn't know how we handled 6. At the end of the meal she brought our check. Between when she brought it and when she came back to get it Kirby told Lydia he'd give her a quarter if she asked the waitress if she loved Jesus. So, she came back to pick up the check and make sure we didn't need anything else and Lydia asked. She didn't answer right away and then she put her hand to her chest and said she thought she might cry. Then she answered with heartfelt sincerity: "I do. I love Him very much." and Lydia got a little teary too. When she came back to have us sign our slip she said, "She (Lydia) made my whole night." Then on the way out an older lady (80-ish, I would guess) at a nearby table grabbed my arm as I walked past and said "They are very well-behaved." I didn't get to chat with her long because Anna was making a b-line for the kitchen, but I thanked her.

I needed that tonight.

But, turns out about 2.8 seconds after we got in the van and had not even buckled everyone up, let alone left the parking lot, no one would have told us our children were well behaved!! And don't get me started on once we got home . . . Yikes! But you have to enjoy these things in the moment, right? You never know how short-lived they might be.

Jaqi from Red Robin and the young couple with the 2 little guys and the older couple, you all helped turn around my day from a rough one to one where I was reminded how blessed I am. For that I am thankful!

multitude monday

Here's my continuing Multitude Monday post, which all started a while back, right here.

"One Thousand Gifts":

1065. Nursing my sweet baby. In the middle of the night. In a quiet house. By the light of the Christmas tree.
1066. sleeping in
1067. the return of routine
1068. a new year
1069. longer days
1070. life-long friendships
1071. Amazing love, how can it be that you my King would die for me?
1072. reviewing 2010 as a family and sharing our hopes for 2011
1073. a new year of Scripture memory
1074. the blessing of flexibility in Kirb's job
1075. puppy chow


Alrighty, that's it's for now. Tune in next Monday for the next installment.

Back at it/Happy New Year/Resolution

UPDATE::Rebekah is going to do this with me too. How fun is that!! This time around we're going to work on the same verse, but we might not necessarily do the same verse each time.

______________________________________________

Yup, I'm doing it again. Beth Moore's Scripture Memory Challenge, that is. This year I have 2 fabulous girlfriends that are going to do it too and maybe, just maybe we'll have a little girls weekend in Texas next January {me, Catherine, Melissa . . . and Beth . . . and thousands of other women}. Melissa already lives there, but it'll be a little miracle if Catherine and I can swing it somehow to join the party. Plus, who doesn't want to leave Minnesota and head for Texas in January? . . . heaven, I tell you! The goal is to memorize 2 verses of Scripture each month for all of 2011. That's 24 verses. I did it in 2009 and I think I can do it again!

Usually I'm not one for new year's resolutions. Yes, most years I think to myself that I want to drop a few pounds, be a better wife, exercise more regularly, etc. But I don't normally make intentional resolutions and plans to actually do those things. Anyway, since Beth Moore was challenging women to Scripture memory again this year, I knew I wanted to join her once again. It was a wonderful discipline for me in 2009 and I'm looking forward to doing it again in 2011. If you don't know Beth Moore, I'm so sorry!! You really should do something about that . . . she is one of my favorite people {I even met her once . . . and she hugged me. Although I'm pretty sure she doesn't remember} and I am so thankful for her! She is an author, speaker and teacher who writes Bible studies {mainly} for women. I think I've done 8 or 9 of her studies and have learned so much from her. Anyway, again this year, Beth's challenge is to memorize 2 scriptures a month for the whole year. So, knowing that I'm the kind of person who needs a little external motivation and who is also motivated by accountability and my need to be responsible and follow through on things I've committed to, I decided that I'm in; I'm gonna do it! So, it seemed only natural to, once again, add this journey and resolution of mine to the blog. Feel free to join me {and thousands of others} if you want, I think it's a wonderful, worthwhile goal for 2011, but you'll be gettin' no pressure from me. If you do decided you want to do this too, I would love to know it. It's nice to know that others are with ya in stuff like this. Anyway, the plan is that you can memorize whichever 24 scriptures you would like, and ones that would be especially meaningful and helpful to your personal life. So, here is the first scripture that I'm going to memorize in 2011:

By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. (John 13.35, NKJV)

If you want in, that's great! If so, you can "register" the fact that you are taking part in it on Beth's blog. That's where you can log your verses each month and just generally be encouraged by all the other people resolving to do something so beneficial along with you. Blessings on you!

The plan is to start the new scripture on the 1st and 15th of each month. So, keep your eye out for my verses twice each month. Ready, set, go!!