multitude monday

Here's my continuing Multitude Monday post, which all started a while back, right here on Ann's wonderful, amazing blog that I read each day. If you've never checked it out, do yourself a favor and click on over. She's an amazing writer and an inspiration!

"One Thousand Gifts":

1732. book club
1733. surprise birthday coffee with friends :: Happy Birthday Laura!
1734. encouragement
1735. the sound of a woodpecker in the tree
1736. Bible study and some wonderful ladies
1737. clothes steaming on the clothesline in the sunshine and crisp fall air
1738. a confident little walker {no more crawling here!}
1739. friendship
1740. teenagers who have their heads on straight :: how refreshing!
1741. my new chairs, I LOVE them :: I'm fairly certain someone was just as thrilled to be rid of them as I am to have them. To each his own. They make me so happy in all their 1950ish goodness::

1742. an afternoon spent with my husband {sans kiddos}

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

brown paper packages tied up with strings::

Ok, just for fun here are a few {random, and in no particular order either} things that I really, really like. "These are a few of my fav-o-rite things." I'm so glad each of them is a part of my life. {In case you thought there might be, there is no monetary reason for this list. You could buy a million of each of these things and I wouldn't get a penny. Just so you know}::

1. Burt's Bee's chapstick {a winter must-have in my book!}
2. The Jesus Storybook Bible {the Deluxe Edition includes the whole book on audio CD too, read by a guy with a bit of a British accent. How fun is that?}
3. my clothesline
4. a caramel latte {or maybe almond}
5. the library
6. oreos with peanut butter on top
   
7. 1000 gifts by Ann Voskamp
8. my favorite womanly essentials :: lunapads and a diva cup
9. my family
   
10. double coupon day at the gas station {Tuesday} and the grocery store {Wednesday and Saturday}
11. babies :: the newer, the better
    
12. Mod Podge {I got through the stuff like water :: and I know how to make my own, but I don't do it, if you buy it with a coupon {Michael's, Joann's :: whoever has a 50% off} it's just as cheap to buy it and you didn't have to do a bit of work yourself}
13. hard, face-hurting, side-splitting, pee-your-pants-a-bit laughter!
    
14. Haribo gummi fruit salad {mmmmmmm}
15. water with lemon
16. music :: my current favorites are Third World Symphony by Shaun Groves, Deeper & Painted Red by JJ Heller, Fireflies & Songs and Invisible Empires by Sara Groves {no relation between Shaun & Sara, they just happen to have the same last name!} soon, though, I will be listening to Christmas music. I love Christmas music!
17. watching Parenthood
    
18. smartwool socks {I have them on at this very minute. I'm a frugal girl, generally speaking, but these expensive numbers are worth every single penny, if you ask me!}

What are some of your favorite things?

flash {way} back friday

Two more little things :: nope, that's not Luke {my brother}, it's my cousin Phil. At least I'm pretty sure it is. Also, last weeks flashback friday was Anna. In case you'd spent all this time wondering! Happy weekend!

thankful thursday

Book club, a morning spent at Caribou celebrating a friends birthday and Bible study all in the same week :: how fabulous is that? Lots of fun, meaningful, laughter-filled, tear-filled time with some wonderful friends :: I am thankful! Plus, on top of that, our beautiful fall weather has continued. What a wonderful week!

multitude monday

Here's my continuing Multitude Monday post, which all started a while back, right here on a wonderful, amazing blog that I read each day.

"One Thousand Gifts":

1716. silhouettes of birds flying through the sunset sky
1717. unhurried time with a friend
1718. wrapping up a football season {with a win, even . . . and Jacob in on a play that resulted in a touchdown, which is unexpected and extra-fun since he plays defense!}
1719. a great 4th grade concert
1720. some really wonderful one-on-one time with my oldest girl :: LOVE her!::
1721. antique stores in barns::
1722. cactus bread from the Pizza Ranch :: yum!
1723. a super fun, safe Chicago trip for Jacob {how can he be old enough to go to Chicago for 4 days without either of his parents? Crazy!}
1724. a cleaned out, ready-for-winter garage
1725. a yard all mowed, raked and ready for winter too :: trampoline down, canopy off the swingset, most toys packed up {thanks Kirb & Joe}
1726. my wonderful, wonderful husband. I appreciate him so much.
1727. a beautiful, fun family day at the Arboretum {one of our very favorite places :: nothing is more beautiful than fall, if you ask me!}::
1728. a game {or two or three} of Poohsticks::
1729. a super fun play with the 3 big girls {Mercy Watson at the Children's Theater . . . we love Mercy around here!}
1730. a good workout
1731. FINALLY Joe's front tooth fell out {it's been imminent for months now and "it's about time" is an understatement at this point}::

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

flashback friday

how cute is that Stoll baby?
can you guess who it is?

have a fabulous weekend!

thankful thursday

Today I'm so thankful for a break. A break from school for our kiddos. A break from the routine for me (Rebekah and I are going away for an overnight . . . just the two of us). A break from the craziness that the first month and a half of school has brought :: now that soccer is done and football is done hopefully we can settle down a notch or two as a family. A break from Sara's sickness (she's so much better than she was a couple days ago). Breaks are good! I am thankful!

stats

Little Miss Sara had her one year check up the other day.

Here's some important info about Sara at one::

• 30 1/4 inches tall (75th percentile)
• 23 pounds 3 ounces ( 80th percentile)
• 18 inch head (75th percentile)
• 5 teeth (3 on the bottom, 2 on the top . . . with a 6th one about to appear)
  
• can walk (but still often opts for crawling)
• waves, claps, signs "more", knows "how big is Sara?" and raises up both hands for "SO big!"
• can say "hi" (and does often!), "momma" and "dada".
• is not a fan of drinking from a cup -- prefers a bottle or a straw
• has yet to sleep through the night
• doesn't mind being carted around by her siblings (or their friends) even if they hold her in ways that look, to me, like they would hurt . . . what a trooper
• jabbers a lot
• will make a b-line for the bathroom to splash in the toilet if you forget to shut the bathroom door (she has some freakish radar for an open bathroom door)
• has mastered going UP the stairs, but can't get back down safely (although, unfortunately, has gotten down in an unsafe manner . . . yup, exactly what you're thinking. Don't worry. She survived just fine.)
  

There is a song I've been listening to lately that makes me think of my baby and how fast she's growing. I've been humming it a lot the past few days since my "baby" transformed into a toddler and I'm mourning her baby days while remembering to enjoy her blossoming toddlerhood. It's a fabulous song (the whole album is pretty darn good, in case you wondered . . . and so are all the other JJ Heller albums I have, too). To hear "I get to the be the one" by JJ Heller, click here and then play the first clip on the page entitled JJ Heller's song dedicated to her new baby due in the fall of 2011 (the baby has since been born and is a girl named Nora) and go here if you want to read the lyrics (they're very sweet).


Those babies, they grow up so fast! The other night as Sara was sick (blasted ear infection) and I was up with her most of the night I held her as she slept . . . and she's just. so. big. So long. So heavy. So grown up looking. That particular night, she would only sleep against my chest while I was sitting up. Anytime I tried something else (laying down a bit, or -- heaven forbid -- putting her back in her crib) she'd start screaming again . . . and with 5 other kids in the house, middle-of-the-night screaming is something we try and avoid. So I sat on the couch with her sleeping on my chest for a good portion of the night. It left me pretty tired, but, these days, the chances I have to hold her as she sleeps don't come very often, if at all. So, I'll try to see the silver lining and remember the feel of her one-year-old body against mine heavy with much-needed, but hard-won, sleep.

multitude monday

Here's my continuing Multitude Monday post, which all started a while back, right here on a wonderful, amazing blog that I read each day.

"One Thousand Gifts":

1693. a really fun family day::1694. the man working out next to me at the Y reading his well-loved (TONS of underlines, notes and highlights) Bible :: what a blessing! reminded me of this quote :: "A Bible that is falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn't." (Charles Spurgeon -- the guy my nephew was named after)
1695. helping at preschool::
1696. a good outcome to a stressful, potentially yucky situation involving an anxious deer nearly in an all-out panic
1697. kids walking to school on a glorious fall morning
1698. strangers telling me that I have a beautiful baby (I know being beautiful isn't the most important thing by any standards we hold, but I think she's beautiful and it's nice to have others think so too . . . and mention it!)
1699. the library
1700. Home Depot
1701. backyard fires with hot dogs and s'mores::1702. open spaces to run and play and relax
1703. sharing old stories
1704. a big van that can haul lots of kids (all ours and room for a few extras)
1705. new music to love
1706. an encouraging, fun, unexpected email (who doesn't love a surprise?)
1707. answered prayer (Quinlyn is home!)
1708. doctors and antibiotics
1709. my Bible study girls
1710. online shopping (+ free shipping)
1711. surprising people and brightening their days a bit
1712. . . . knowing that it makes a difference
1713. a beautiful full moon::1714. wrapping up fall soccer::
1715. the beauty of creation::
Alrighty, that's it's for now. Tune in next Monday for the next installment.

flashback friday

Speaking of friends, here a picture of me with one of my very favorites.
New Years Eve 2008::

The best of friends for over 25 years!

thankful thursday

Today I am so thankful for the people who walk this journey of life with me :: my friends. I have the most wonderful, wonderful friends {including my husband, my mom, my wonderful girlfriends and even friends I've never even met in person . . . yet}. I've been praying like crazy for nearly 24 hours now for the daughter of a girlfriend of mine who is really sick with meningitis and is in the hospital. It was looking pretty dire at this time yesterday and we all started praying {and crying and emailing and making phone calls and texting -- well, not me. I'm not a texter. But the rest of the clan was texting and some one would call or email their 2007-model friend to keep her up-to-speed. Thanks girls!}. Today, I'm thrilled to say that she's doing much better. Out of the woods, it would seem, although still in rough shape. Hopefully she'll be home again over the weekend. Anyway, all that to say that I'm so very thankful for friendship and all that it means in my life. I really couldn't make it through a day without it. "Life with you is half as hard and twice as good!" Enjoy::


And on a differnt note, this is another of my favorites. It's totally the story of my life. If you haven't heard it {or even if you have}, you should listen!

multitude monday

Here's my continuing Multitude Monday post, which all started a while back, right here on a wonderful, amazing blog that I read each day.

"One Thousand Gifts":

1674. sleepy superheros::1675. seeing my stuff in an actual shop where people who don't even know me actually buy it::
1676. llamas {and their fabulous teeth -- they only have teeth on the bottom. did you know that? i didn't until today.}::1677. kids celebrating their dad {a whole birthday "program" planned without adult intervention complete with skit, violin duet, gifts and treats}::

1678. laundry on the line::1679. fun crafting {LOTS of it!}
1680. a 2-birthday week
1681. seeing my aunt
1682. continued amazingly glorious weather {80's in October . . . in Minnesota! WOW!}
1683. music and how powerful it is in my life
1684. shopping with my mom, an introduction to a fabulous little occasional shop and some amazingly fun {and did I mention cheap?} "new" dining room chairs. so very exciting to me!
1685. learning a fun new skill::1686. fun Friday morning coffee with the moms
1687. Kirbs making it through his really busy {and stressful} week of work {he put in about 14 hours on his birthday . . . what a trooper!}
1688. a 4-generation spread around the dinner table::1689. our kiddos :: what a blessings they are. each and every one of them. that I've been entrusted with them is truly grace!::1690. the fun of being "boo"-ed
1691. crossing things off the list {LOVE that!}
1692. a wonderful sermon by a wonderful friend

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

twelve

can i say that she's twelve months instead of saying that she's one? somehow that doesn't make it seem as bad. i can't believe she's been here for a year already. at the same time, though, i can't even remember life without her and can't ever imagine our family feeling at all "right" without her as a part of it. she's a keeper, that's for sure. and a walker too. did i mention that? well, it's true!
happy, happy first birthday sweet sara. we love you more than you could possibly know {at least until you become a parent anyway}::

good morning sunshine, happy birthday::

her cake {thanks Ama!}::

check out those big toofers::

dancing with Anna::

mmm, good::

flashback friday saturday

exactly one year ago::

Happy Birthday

Happy (39th) Birthday to the most wonderful husband & dad we can imagine::


We love you!

thankful thursday

For the beauty of the earth
For the glory of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies.

Lord of all, to Thee we raise,
This our hymn of grateful praise.

"Be exalted, O God, above the heavens,
and let your glory be over all the earth"
psalm 108.5
"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty,
the whole earth is full of his gory."
isaiah 6.3b
All creatures of our God and King
Lift up your voice and with us sing,
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Thou burning sun with golden beam,
Thou silver moon with softer gleam!

O praise Him! O praise Him!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Thou rushing wind that art so strong
Ye clouds that sail in Heaven along,
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Thou rising moon, in praise rejoice,
Ye lights of evening, find a voice!

Thou flowing water, pure and clear,
Make music for thy Lord to hear,
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Thou fire so masterful and bright,
That givest man both warmth and light.

Let all things their Creator bless,
And worship Him in humbleness,
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son,
And praise the Spirit, Three in One!
"Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;
let the sea resound, and all that is in it;
let the fields be jubilant, and everything in therm.
Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy;"
psalm.96.11-12
“I am the vine; you are the branches.
If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit;
apart from me you can do nothing."
john 15.5

Enjoy your day!