multitude monday

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

"One Thousand Gifts"::

2555. the warm weight of a sleepy toddler snuggled on my chest
2556. a fabulous start to the school year
 
 
2557. terrific teachers
2558. long-overdue shelf paper replacement in our most-used corner cupboard
2559. a fun, unexpected meeting while walking home from preschool {it's a long story involving meeting Sara Groves' bass player and having a nice chat}
2560. a morning in Buffalo with my mom and "the littles"
2561. a new craft
2562. the glorious blue of the sky paired with the pure white of the clouds
2563. trampoline soccer with Anna
2564. coffee delivery from jenn
2565. fresh cucumbers picked, cut and immediately packed in lunches
2566. the stillness and quiet of daybreak on a Sunday
2567. a HUGE flock of birds overhead
2568. perfect day for a trip to the orchard
 
2569. finding a really fun new park
2570. kids climbing trees
2571. post-workout shower
2572. 23 months of Sara
 
 
2573. the sound of coffee beans grinding
2574. Sunday afternoon nap
2575. laundry out on the line
2576. things crossed off the never ending to-do list
2577. a toddler jumping on the trampoline in nothing but a diaper
2578. a walk around the lake
2579. spotting "the monkey man" {the guy who walks around Como with a monkey on his shoulder} and chatting a bit. so interesting!

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

multitude monday {yet another two-weeker}

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

"One Thousand Gifts"::

2429. Joey telling me about his crazy dream
2430. dragonflies all over the place in the evening sky :: so cool
2431. Sara's face covered in chocolate after eating her pudding pop on a 90+ degree day all by herself -- Little Miss Independant
2432. falling asleep again when I had given up on sleeping any more for the night
2433. hanging up beautiful art in our basement hallway :: all done by our kiddos
2434. genuine gratitude from my kids
2435. a great morning of shopping in Buffalo :: great bargains!
2436. being "carded" at Trader Joe's buying beer for Kirb
2437. the boy pushing his mini cart around Trader Joe's belting out "Mighty to Save" without an ounce of concern that someone might not like the fact that he's singing in the grocery store
2438. lemonade stands
2439. kids occupied for hours and hours {see #2438}
2440. a fun baby shower
2441. night out with a friend
2442. dinner at IKEA
2443. IKEA shopping {with a gift card!}
2444. the farmer's market
2445. unexpected, encouraging email from a friend {Hi Katie! . . . thanks, you made my day}
2446. girls enjoying a birthday party at the roller rink
2447. an absolutely perfect weather day
2448. evenings at the park
2449. visit from Mel, Chad & the kids
2450. exciting news
2451. my Grandma's TV debut {she's toward the end, if you watch the clip}
2452. BopBop and Joe taking a bike ride
2453. Rebekah singing with and praying for Sara before she goes to bed :: to hear her pray that Sara would come to know the Lord makes me so joyful, grateful and blessed!
2454. my friend Jodi's little guy, Eli, on the news :: what a brave little man he is!
2455. a cool, beautiful morning run
2456. music and how it touches me so deeply
2457. lots of time to create -- it makes me feel alive and refreshed
2458. apologies, hugs and forgiveness
2459. Joe reading to me from "Farmyard Tales" until I fell asleep
2460. dancing flames and glowing coals
2461. decorating the basement
2462. a family walk
2463. the sounds of the night :: taking time to really listen and hear them all
2464. Sara's laughter
2465. finding videos on my ipod that Anna recorded of herself
2466. beautiful evening walk with my love {and Sara . . . we left the others at home with a movie!}
2467. seeing kids playing tennis in the middle of the street while out on a run {and the fact that I knew the kiddos made it even better}
2468. laughing as a family
2469. my mom :: she is such a blessing in my life!
2470. crafting up a storm and being totally caught up on orders for the first time since May :: that feels good!
2471. Smashburger with Rebekah
2472. "throwing away" Sara's nuks :: bittersweet, my baby is getting so big {unfortunately still not "big" enough to sleep through the night!! honestly babe, let's get that one nailed down already!}

2473. Joey's desire to be baptized
2474. my patient, loving, meal-cooking, dish-washing, kid-putting-to-bedding, hard-working, cute husband


Alrighty, that's it's for now. Tune in next Monday {or maybe the one after that} for the next installment.

multitude monday {another two-weeker}

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

"One Thousand Gifts"::

2394. my grandma's sweet spirit
2395. birthday dinner made by my mom and delivered to our house during an extra-busy week
2396. many heart-felt birthday wishes from many wonderful people
2397. a birthday morning doorbell and (iced) coffee delivery from a thoughtful friend
2398. first guests staying in the basement
2399. 64 years of life for my dad -- what a blessing he is and a great example of selflessly serving others
2400. the Stoll reunion
2401. kids reuniting with their cousins and second cousins and second-cousins-once-removed or whatever all those relationships are
2402. Stoll family Bunco {or is it Bunko? these are things I just don't know!}
2403. basement 99% finished
2404. moving things back downstairs and reclaiming our house
2405. free birthday coffee coupons
2406. friends who pray for, laugh with {because what else can you do but laugh -- well, after you're done crying that is}, support and encourage me through the not-so-fun stuff of life
2407.wrapping up the summer soccer season
 
2408. Sara's good nature, even when sick
2409. fun Olympic party with neighborhood friends
2410. a fun, just-what-I-needed, life-giving night out with Al
2411. side-splitting laughter while shopping at Patina
2412. Chatterbox Pub {always a favorite!}
2413. making it through a rough week
2414. hope
2415. Jacob's friend Jack :: I love that kid!
2416. a fun day with Jacob :: he's pretty fabulous too!
2417. all-day VBS for the middle 4 kids at Como Park Lutheran
2418. 34 years of life for my brother. What a wonderful man of God he has grown into. I'm proud of you, Luke and am thankful that you're my brother!
2419. Sara's DAILY explosion of new language, she's picking up new words by the minute these day and it never ceases to amaze me. Today she pointed at the radio and told Jacob to "turn on KTIS." Honestly babe, you're not even 2.
2420. Kirb (or God :: maybe a bit of both) fixing the dryer
2421. my dad going to Menards to get a bunch more wood for me -- buying lumber is not the most fun errand to do with kids!
2422. unexpectedly bumping into a friend and catching up for a few minutes
2423. good days
2424. watching a bunny munch on the grass in our yard
2425. a good book, a cool evening and a little breeze ::  heavenly!
2426. geese flying through a beautiful sky
2427. harvesting peas, cukes and carrots in the back yard with Anna
2428. a glorious sunset :: what a loving, caring, thoughtful artist God is!

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

multitude monday {two weeks worth}

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

"One Thousand Gifts"::

2353. overnight rain
2354. late-night IKEA furniture assembly with Kirb
2355. Sara saying "Buh-bye, have fun!" over and over and over again {the funniest part is that I wasn't going anywhere}
2356. carpet!
2357. making thankful walls in the laundry room
2358. beadboard, doors, trim . . . basement coming together
2359. dropping kiddos off at camp
2360.  Sara spontaneously "raising the roof" and "head banging" whenever the rockin' music comes on
2361. Jacob and Rebekah taking care of our neighbors house/lawn/mail/plants while they're gone
2362. watching Anna play soccer
2363. spending the 4th (and the 3rd) with the Newman family
2364. Sara's excitement over the pool and swimming :: she LOVES it!
2365. cooler temps {even for just a day or two}
2366. morning snuggles with Joe
2367. Jacob's burn healing up nicely
2368. my faithful, kind, cute, loving, funny, thoughtful husband
2369. Sara's chubby feet
2370. Lydia's spunk
2371. double coupon day at the gas station and a 20 cent/gallon coupon, which, when doubled, saved us $8 on a 20-gallon fill up
2372. girls night with my  mom, Bekah and Lydia
2373. helpful kids
2374. family trips to the library
2375. hanging out the laundry :: it calms me and makes me feel all peaceful {unless it's 100 degrees, then it makes me sweat!}
2376. the race our kids organized on a Saturday morning complete with numbered bibs, a finish line and medals :: Joe took 1st place and Bekah carried Anna the last little bit because she was worn out
2377. an early morning run with Bekah
2378. Jacob getting more man-like by the minute {and me being -- mostly -- ok with that}
2379. Bueggers asiago bagels . . . mmmmm
2380. book club night
2381. the best news ever
2382. girl's weekend with friends on the way to pick up our girls {11 girls between us all} from camp
2383. seeing the kids write on the thankful walls in the laundry room
2384. the community we have at Central
2385. girlfriends!
2386. birthday week free coffee coupons {I'll be happily caffeinated all week long, I think!}
2387. lap swimming on a beautiful, sunny morning
2388. a great week at camp for Rebekah
2389. my clothesline
2390. {much-needed!} overnight rain
2391. donuts from SugaRush
2392. the kids all singing along to Go Fish in the van on the way to church
2393. my wonderful friends

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

multitude monday

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

"One Thousand Gifts"::

2302. day camp for Anna
2303. a fun night with a couple girlfriends :: laughter and a chick flick
2304. Joe's first day of archery
2305. Anna's first day of soccer
2306. Kirb home again :: for an extended stay this time!
2307. snuggling with Joe first thing in the morning before anyone else is awake
2308. my monkeys climbing trees
2309. a good 5K race
2310. packing Jacob and Lydia for camp {and the fact that they mostly pack themselves and we just double check makes it extra-great!!}
2311. having my clothesline functional once again
2312. a perfect summer day
2313. a fun housewarming party for good friends with a beautiful, perfect new home
2314. having church at home {they van needs some work}
2315. two kids safely dropped off at camp for the week
2316. family bike ride
2317. TONS of fun old cars in town for the weekend :: sitting on Snelling watching them drive by. a few even honked their fabulous horns {horns sounded so much better in the 50's and 60's. way more unique than they are now}
2318. an evening spent at the park
2319. organizing 5 kids worth of came-home-on-the-last-day-of-school papers
2320. crafting
2321. when your kids do things that surprise you and bless your socks right off
2322. a great husband who supports, encourages and loves me when I'm not doing so great {and when I am}
2323. prayer
2324. the funny things our kids say, that make my day

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

multitude monday

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

"One Thousand Gifts"::

2251. kids rolling down grassy hills
2252. a great dinnertime discussion following by the kids praying for each other
2253. field day :: potato sack races and tug-o-fun
2254. the escape found in reading a good book
2255. the closing of a really great chapter of life :: 3 years of watching Vince :: what a blessing!
2256. Joe washing dishes
2257. Sara's ever-expanding vocabulary :: I can barely keep up with her new words
2258. waking up to birds singing a beautiful song {loudly!} outside my window
2259. a full decade of Lydia :: Happy Birthday LJ!
2260. Anna asking me :: "Mom, how do you spell 'I love Lydia and I love everyone in our whole family except the mean people.'?" :: silly girl
2261. Sara telling me "dress off!" when I was changing her clothes
2262. an amazing beautiful double rainbow :: possibly the most beautiful, clearest, sharpest rainbow I have ever seen
2263. post-rain sunset
2264. a great first game of the season for Rebekah's soccer team
2265. last day of school
2266. a tangible, almost immediate answer to the sincere prayer of an 11-year-old :: thank you Lord!
2267. great, wonderful, fabulous, caring, excellent, passionate teachers
2268. having Luis {our basement contractor/carpenter} join us for our last-day-of-school BBQ
2269. four kids with check-ups at the dentist and zero cavities!
2270. Rebekah's first shift at the library
2271. a Saturday morning family walk {before it got unbearably hot}
2272. a freshly mowed lawn
2273. much-needed rain
2274. stopping in time to not hit any of the 3 deer that tried to cross the road right in front of our van. in the dark. in the pouring rain!
2275. a good run, despite the heat
2276. kids literally COVERED -- head to toe -- in dirt!
2277. godly, encouraging parenting commiseration

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

multitude monday

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

"One Thousand Gifts"::

1963. good mornings with Joe
1964. another night at Feed My Starving Children with the fam
1965. food to feed my kids
1966. the smell of fresh coffee
1967. a fun bookclub night
1968. my Bible study girls
1969. people you can be transparent with . . . what a blessing!
1970. 16 months of Sara
1971. family time
1972. celebrating 40 years of Mr. & Mrs. Doug Carlson {and, 1972 happened to be both the number of this blessing in my list AND the year my parents got married -- how cool is that? I didn't even plan it that way and didn't notice it until I was writing 1973 and thought how that is our house number and then realized the correlation in the previous number. And, in case you are wondering, I hand write my "gifts" in a journal throughout the week and then just type them here on Mondays}

1973. Trout Lake Camp
1974. traveling mercies
1975. light, fun reading material
1976. seeing people enjoying and using the space that my dad worked so very hard {and long} to create. what beautiful work. what a talented guy!
1977. the beauty of creation
1978. a lake so crystal clear you can see the weeds frozen a few feet below the surface -- SO cool!
1979. my kids in full protective skateboarding gear . . . and a great time at the skate park
1980. Lydia, the monkey, climbing up the rock wall over and over and over again
1981. waking up to full mouse traps {meaning there are that many less mice living in my house!}
1982. Sara's excitement over riding {not buckled to anything} in a bus

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

multitude monday {evening edition :: once again}

Once again, better late than never :: 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"::

1946. a 3-year-old fresh from sleep
1947. seat belts
1948. breath-taking, beautiful frost-covered trees . . . frost covered everything!
1949. living across the street from a hardware store (3 trips there in 1 day)
1950. Joe's cowlick
1951. a VERY productive day
1952. the selfless help of my parents
1953. prayer
1954. a re-done entryway :: better use of space, less shoes all over the kitchen and prettier too
1955. businesses with integrity and more concern for the customer than with making money (George's shoe repair)
1956. new running shoes (and spendy orthotics :: I must be getting old)
1957. five family fish fry with fabulous, fabulous fish (and the joy of a good alliteration)
1958. family sleepovers
1959. great sermon on Sunday morning
1960. time with friends
1961. girlfriends doing each others hair and being silly (you should have seen my curls!)
1962. fabulous customer service -- companies that stand behind their products (Columbia is replacing my roughly 10-year-old winter boots with brand new ones because the sole detached from the rest of the boot, which they said was a manufacturing defect)

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

multitude monday {evening edition :: once again}

Once again, better late than never :: 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"::

1924. the sky right before the sunrise :: silhouettes of trees with a beautiful navy backdrop
1925. how Sara climbs on everything :: my little monkey!
1926. 6 ponytails in Anna's hair {do you still call them "ponytails" if there are 6 of them? or are they "pigtails"? or maybe some other farmyard animal?}
1927. glorious January sunshine :: warm on my face
1928. a new patching alternative for Joe that seems hopeful
1929. Sonic Happy Hour with Joe following his eye doctor appointment. Listening to "Bob and Larry Sing the 70's" together. All good stuff!
1930. breakfast for supper
1931. Sara's squeezable thighs and cute dimpled butt {I was tempted to say "cute, little dimpled butt" -- but then I realized that description was a little inaccurate so I dropped the "little" part}
1932. a wonderful memorial service for one of the most wonderful women I've ever known {and I know many people who would agree with me on that point!}. Welcome home, Viola! You will be missed. I will miss you!
1933. protection
1934. a winter Sunday afternoon family swim :: Sara is such a water baby. She LOVED it!
1935. a 3-day weekend
1936. lunch at my mom's
1937. encouraging, exciting preliminary tax refund numbers $
1938. the long-awaited Water Park of America visit for the 4 "bigs"
1939. powerful music lyrics
1940. our church family :: they really are family to us
1941. Kirbs new {additional} positions of leadership both at work and at church
1942. Anna singing along with the music -- music that no one could hear but her, since she was listening to it through earbuds . . . in public . . . and the blessing it was to see a women, who clearly thought it was great too, stop and listen to her and say to her husband "listen to that, isn't she adorable?" . . . did I mention it was Christmas music? when it's almost February. Yup, it was!
1943. people who "hear me cluckin' {Jennifer Scott, I first heard that one from you and still love it to this day. So perfect!} and feel my pain
1944. Grace. All is grace!
1945. crafting

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

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"::

1905. getting my favorite parking spot at the library (yup, I have a favorite parking spot -- it's wider than the rest, perfect for my HUGE van!)
1906. watching the snowfall out the window :: a real live snowglobe! so beautiful!
1907. shoveling when it's not too cold and the snow is light and fluffy (I think I could have swept it with a broom!)
1908. sisters practicing violins before school
1909. the 550-piece orchestra festival the girls were part of :: it was wonderful!::1910. a long-overdue coffee date with a friend
1911. Bible study
1912. people with whom we can be honest, vulnerable, transparent and authentic . . . and enjoying, so much, our time together
1913. a MUCH-NEEDED haircut for my shaggy pre-teen
1914. each time the dryer starts :: what a blessing!
1915. turning in early
1916. my hard-working husband
1917. church
1918. fabulous workout music that makes the workouts fly by
1919. Joey heading to school this morning without complaint
1920. the privilege of having known (and been blessed and prayed for by) Viola Carlson and the joy of knowing she is home with the Lord. The world is a much, much better place because she was here!
1921. him coming up to me after our adult Sunday School class yesterday (where I had gone WAY beyond teary -- teary, for me, is no longer shocking to anyone who knows me well, but this was a whole other story! -- at the memory of a wonderful, wonderful woman gone to heaven much too soon) and giving me a hug, telling me that he knew his wife would have given me one if she had been there that morning and he thought she would want him to give me one from her (great man you've got there, Catherine . . . but I know you already know that!)
1922. prescription drugs
1923. Sara's sweet voice as she learns new words

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

multitude monday {evening edition :: once again}

Better late than never {twice in a row, now} :: 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"::

1881. hearing Joe and Sara "chatting" and laughing in their room in the morning
1882. a massage
1883. annual girlfriend overnight with some WONDERFUL women
1884. Sara holding my finger with her chubby hand
1885. book club
1886. 54 degrees and sunny on January 10th
1887. a great husband
1888. people excited about things I made them
1889. the power of music
1890. being introduced to the music {and powerful, true lyrics} of Rend Collective {you don't want to miss this video, even if just to hear their fabulous, addictive Irish accents. LOVE! -- it'll be 5 minutes well-spent, I promise!}
1891. a challenging message from Francis Chan {as wonderful and powerful in person as you might imagine after reading his writings}
1892. Sara's smile
1893. Costco
1894. old photos of our house from the 40's and 50's
1895. generous people
1896. friends
1897. the guy at the auto parts store who took pity on the not-yet-showered, harried mom with 2 little kids {one still in her jammies} and offered to put my new wiper blades on the van for me. bless his heart!
1898. fresh snow
1899. visits from out-of-town family
1900. date night
1901. 25+ years of friendship -- a lifetime of history and loyalty
1902. being home again and seeing my family after my 24 hour vacation
1903. sleeping in on a no-school, no-work day
1904. helping out some friends in the wake of a sleepless-night, sick-kid crisis

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

multitude monday {evening edition}

Better late than never :: 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"::

1870. a wonderful play {Wizard of Oz at the Children's Theater}
1871. awe in the eyes of a 6-year-old while watching live theater
1872. coming in to the living room first thing in the morning to see a pre-teen boy, Bible in hand, starting his day with devotions
1873. friends {life is with you is half as hard and twice as good}
1874. hanging laundry on the line in January
1875. encouragement when parenting is extra-tough
1876. snuggling a newborn {ahhh, that smell! i LOVE it!}
1877. night trains {a winter family favorite. so very magical!}
1878. my budding photographer
1879. a glorious Sunday afternoon walk
1880. volunteering together as a family {well, the 2 little girls didn't come along, so it wasn't quite the whole family. so wonderful to work together for such a wonderful cause}

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

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"::

1858. after-Christmas bargains
1859. dinner with good friends
1860. singing carols around the player piano with friends
1861. trips to the library
1862. good books
1863. many, many fun games of Qwirkle
1864. a 48-hour family double date to ring in the New Year
1865. bowling . . . and a few strikes even
1866. ice skating on the backyard pond as a family :: it wasn't a pretty site {we're not too good!}, but we sure had some fun
1867. a NEW year
1868. a beautiful dusting of snow to welcome 2012
1869. being home again after a couple days away {see #1864}

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

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"::

1828. packages arriving at my door
1829. church bells ringing through the cool night air
1830. our block all lit up with beautiful lights
1831. caroling at a nursing home with my kiddos and a bunch of friends
1832. a working washing machine {it got a good workout the past few days with 3 stomach-bug sufferers}
1833. Christmas music
1834. a night parade full of lights and the wonder in the eyes of the kids as they watch
1835. prayers of a 3-year-old
1836. cousins ::1837. the secretive gift-giving planning of children
1838. the cutest {and oldest, if I'm not mistaken} lady in the choir {no offense the rest of the beautiful choir} ::
Alrighty, that's it's for now. Tune in next Monday for the next installment.

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":

1815. silent, falling snow in moonlight
1816. Joe volunteering to read from Genesis during our Advent reading
1817. Joe's first time taking communion
1818. breathtakingly beautiful moon and that I was graced with the timing and awareness to notice it
1819. Rebekah's fabulous ringlettes {eat your heart out Nellie Olsen!}::1820. Joe sweeping up pine needles without being asked
1821. a wildly successful craft sale {especially wonderful since it was my very first attempt at such a thing}::1822. kids singing in church with the adult choir::

{I love that Joe, LJ, Rebekah and my Grandma are all in a line}

1823. LJ's Christmas program
1824. the warm, heavy weight of a babe sleeping on my chest in the early morning hours while the rest of the house was still asleep
1825. Bible study
1826. supportive, encouraging, enthusiastic friends
1827. supportive, encouraging, enthusiastic family

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

multitude monday {evening edition}

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":

1800. book club
1801. lots more christmas crafting
1802. buying myself a christmas present
1803. helpful, knowledgeable friends who can help you make decisions
1804. our advent reading each day as a family
1805. being introduced to a wonderful ministry :: 3seams {fantastic company & treats at the same time made it a nearly perfect evening}
1806. no school on Friday :: a family fun day!
1807. Soul Surfer {a miraculous story made it to a great movie!}
1808. a little more friend time and a movie on a snowy Saturday afternoon {unless I counted wrong it was my 2nd time in a theater in 2011 :: I know, I live quite the charmed life!}
1809. my gracious, loving husband who puts up with me when I'm a maniac {and when I'm not}
1810. my wonderful mother!
1811. the long-awaited appointment with the shoulder specialist and the fabulous news that my shoulder does not look like it will require surgery {praise God!}
1812. a working camera again, after it wasn't working {if you turn it off and on and take out and charge the battery and take the lens off and put it back on again and take out the memory card and re-insert it, one of those might fix your problem :: it worked for me!}
1813. a beautiful Christmas tree in my living room
1814. our new {fun} Elf on the Shelf family tradition

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

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":

1779. Christmas picture taken, cards ordered, cards in-hand and waiting to be stuffed . . . and it's still November!
1780. a fresh haircut on my VERY shaggy first-born
1781. Joey leading his class in the pledge at Grandparent's Day ::
1782. safe travels, despite van troubles
1783. seeing deers in ditches :: not on the roads!
1784. our baby girl loving on her grandpa even though it had been nearly half her life since last she saw him
1785. family
1786. boots & skirts {my favorite combo!}::1787. a great family Thanksgiving program following the yummy meal
1788. a nice post-dinner walk
1789. a breath-taking sunset
1790. so very much to be thankful for!
1791. grown-up dinner . . . and kids old enough to take care of themselves {the joy of 13 cousins together in the house with no adults in site!}::1792. hand-in-hand walk with grandpa ::1793. new power tools!
1794. home again {and safely, praise God!}
1795. a good Nancy Drew mystery to pass the time
1796. a letter from Melvin {our Compassion kiddo} waiting for us when we arrived home :: something else to be thankful for!
1797. a great church close enough to walk to when the van won't cooperate to get you to your own church on a Sunday morning
1798. a pretty successful 4th-grade-girl intervention
1799. being in touch with your feelings ::

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

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":

1767. a table full of men at the Y :: Bibles open, studying together
1768. sweet baby girl sound asleep :: little bum sticking up in the air
1769. a good book :: oh how I love a good book!
1770. an early morning walk to start a Saturday :: especially wonderful when the destination is a coffee date with a girlfriend
1771. our first dusting of white
1772. kids playing outside in the snow
1773. crafting up a storm
1774. my dad cutting up TONS of wood for me so I can keep workin' away
1775. my favorite church service of the year
1776. good customer service
1777. a celebration of a wonderful life lived for the Lord :: meaningful service for Gordy Peterson, a wonderful friend of our family {he and is beautiful wife, Gladys, were in charge of the guest book at our wedding; we were so happy to have them be a part of our big day and are glad to know they are together again in heaven now! Praise God!}
1778. that everyone has boots, coats and snowpants that fit {and hopefully will fit ALL winter long!} :: snow gear x 6 is a really big ordeal!

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

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":

1743. leaves raining down
1744. the beauty of frost-covered lawns all glittery in the sunshine
1745. a wonderful husband :: just perfect for me
1746. a discouraging diagnosis :: but through it are the only paths to an explanation for the pain and hope of healing
1747. sharing a slice of Costco pizza with my very favorite person in the world for lunch to refuel after pushing around that REALLY heavy cart on our Costco run that we got to take together
1748. good books
1749. writing letters to Melvin {our Compassion child}
1750. traveling mercies
1751. long awaited hugs::
1752. face-aching, side-splitting laughter
1753. a "full tank"
1754. time with my parents :: just the 3 of us
1755. kissing the faces of my kiddos as they slept
1756. a house full {nearly bursting} with teenagers
1757. listening to Jacob talk about what he learned about sin at the youth rally
1758. the grace of everyday. that we are alive. that we have the chance to live this glorious life. it could so easily be different.

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

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.