Thankful

I haven’t been faithful to keep counting the blessings day to day. Working on it. I have heard how counting your blessings and in general just being intentionally thankful can change the heart and mind…and believe you me I need the change. I think I have said this a time or two before- be patient with me. Here are a few things on my list:

- little dark curls that fly everywhere when she runs & that hide her face a little when she doesn’t

- feet that are still small enough I can kiss ‘em

- a husband who doesn’t mind snuggling and sharing his warmth each night

- colds that are slowly fading away

- pink eye that seemed to skip the youngest two & husband

- the living room all aglow from lights on the tree

- the joy the kids get from doing crafts to go along with advent devotional

- how cute said ornaments/crafts look on the tree

- bright sunny days

- a little one who dances to most any music with his happy feet

- a boy who isn’t too old to ‘wrestle’ with his stuffed Hobbes tiger

- how she gets ready for dance an hour early and soon thereafter puts her coat on to go because she thinks it will come faster, she loves it so

- for other homeschool moms who encourage me with their friendship

- a picture taken months ago of the oldest and I that I just received…very precious

- the tree my mom made for us that carries on a tradition I had growing up

- neighborhoods full of color from all the lights

- how he giggles when he looks at me through the magnifying glass when I change his diaper

- how he twirls his hair when it gets long enough

- how she loves the Nutcracker and gets to be in it this year

- how she sings (Christmas carols) in the shower so loud we hear can it downstairs

- how he giggles so when watching the Charlie Brown Christmas special (original one)

- how she always snuggles in close to her daddy when she sits near him on the couch

- that we have been praying more as a family

- that she wants to pray, even if it is the same one time and again

So it Seams

So it seems another year has been added to my age. So it seems my mom came out just for the occasion. (Thanks so much, Mom!) So it seems there has been many a sleep issue around the homestead these last 2 (now 3) months. So it seems that during a recent midnight escapade with Ezekiel the seams of my pajama pants gave way!



Oh dear. And they were a favorite pair of mine too!

Have you ever had that happen to you? Have you ever heard that retched sound of clothing ripping all because you bent your hind quarters?

Thankfully I had this happen in the confines on my own home with all members of the family sound asleep, save Zeke. Also thankfully, I know the rip/tear was a result of much wear over the years I owned them. (I have lost weight recently, not gained….so we’ll not travel down that road! : ))

Add insult to injury, the very next evening when I am again up in the wee hours of the morning with Ezekiel the small tear that was confined only to my hind quarters with a length of 3 inches or so grew to run down my mid-thigh! They are nothing more than garbage now- too much ventilation for my taste. : )

This all began on the anniversary of my birth. I was wondering if this was any symbol of what kind of year I have to look forward to! The wee hours of any night are not hours with which you want to know me. I am ugly in attitude and spirit if the sleep interruption is more than 5-10 minutes in duration or if the interruptions number on the upwards of 4 times or more. U.L.G.Y. (Thankfully Zeke’s lips are sealed (and the other 3 have no memory of that time)…the apologies he could tell you I have made the next morning!) Just giving you a basis for the frame of mind that would make me correlate pants ripping to how my whole 33rd year of life will go. (Drama abounds in those wee midnight hours.)

Well, sleep did return to me briefly and my birthday did carry on. There was monkey bread to enjoy, kids to watch swim, Mom & step-dad in town to visit, an ice cream cake to consume, beautiful spring promising flowers to enjoy, a card from my beloved starting with “To my wonderful, beautiful wife” (cannot go anywhere near wrong with a beginning like that!) and there was sunshine to brighten all else that needed a lift.

Blessings # 135-150

- Mom & Husband in town for birthday visit

- Mom looks good (stressed look is dying away and joy stealing its place)

- warm, just out of the oven monkey bread

- I own more than one pair of flannel jammie pants

- bright, beautiful, warm Springy flowers that make me smile when Winter gets long

- ice cream birthday cakes : )

- homemade cards

- jeans to wear that aren’t a part of any maternity collection

- Husband who tells daughter I am more beautiful than any bouquet of flowers to him

- Grandparents who are rough, tough and tumble with my children

- children who are quick to forgive

- Grandpa’s who, even though they have been asked a dozen times, still lift kids up high and make them giggle loud and long

- a little girl who makes frank statements, often times bold for one her size, followed by physical gestures to emphasize the point being made

- a Grandma who takes delight in all things sassy and sweet about her grandkids

- Grandpa taking Isaiah swimming as many times as he asks and for as long as he likes

- safe coming and going for Mom & Beloved

A Declaration

I am not a huge football fan. Watching the super bowl? Not high on my list. My husband on the other was a little too into this years game because his beloved Packers were in it. : ) It is thankful I am that they won. (I left the house a little after half-time. I won't make privy the things he was saying to the T.V. prior to my departure. My only prayer was that he wouldn't wake the children in his agitation/excitement.)

Anyhow, why the chat about the super bowl when I am not in the slightest bit a football fan? I was thankful and surprised to hear the Declaration of Independence being read just prior to the action by different NFL players.



This year we have begun our 2 part study of the history of the United States. We are on the Revolutionary War, thus my interest and appreciation in the reading of the Declaration of Independence. : ) In addition to the history section of our curriculum we have books that Kiersten reads on her own (I do too, before she does.) as well as read-alouds. It has been so neat to have the books we are reading tie in right with where we are in history. Currently we are finishing up Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes.

I have to tell you I have a whole new appreciation for what our forefathers went through and did just so that I could live in a free and democratic society. I honestly don't remember learning much of this in my own school days, which is neither here nor there, but am doubly thankful I am learning it now.

Continuing my much slacking list of thanks : )

# 125 - 134

 - living in a free & democratic nation

- those dear men & women who have served in the military and given so much from 1776 to today

- a rich national history

- a school curriculum that works hard to bring out the most in what we are studying

- the Declaration of Independence

- the Star Spangled Banner

- Adventures in Odyssey telling Kiersten the story of how the Star Spangled Banner came to  be written

- a country that was founded on a belief in the One, True God

-relearning a history I had long ago forgotten and thus greatly under appreciated

- my Mom is home safe (for good)  after having served to support our troops over seas in  a warring area for 6 1/2 years

Electrifying

This weekend was the first of many a snowfall that will grace our dear state. Oh we've had flurries before now but nothing that has stayed on the ground or warraunted a snowplow to grace the streets.  Our kids proclaimed it "A Winter Wonderland." I told my Beloved that thought will hold true until the year that they are enlisted to clear the drive way off. : )

Both my Beloved and I have gotten a kick out of the fact that our state now names storms coming as if they were hurricanes. I am not sure if they decided we were lonesome for some personalization to the weather systems or if we have name envy from seeing those ocean side states name their weather systems. Who knows?

We had been anticpating this storm for a few days and knew it was going to be a good one. What we hadn't expected was to see fireworks outside our window in the middle of the night. Oh, not literal fireworks, but there was diffintely some glowing and sparking of electrical lines.

We are always a little weary of the electrical lines because we have some trees that hang close to our line. We've had our line ripped off the side of the house during a similar winter storm by these trees so our weariness is not without merit. Both my Beloved and I went to bed fairly sure we would lose power at some point. When we were awakend to a loud buzzing and a click I simply said, "There it goes." I really thought nothing of the noise. (My curiosity is not easily peeked in the middle of the night.) My Beloved jumped out of bed to look out the window and the noise came again and would you believe the electrical line coming into the house was glowing? I was near another window and noticed some bright light from that direction. We aren't too far away from some more substantial lines and it turns out the sparking and bright light was a transformer going just down the hill. Not sure if the current jumped to our line (closest to transformer line) and that was the result of our line glowing or what. Craziness.

Long story short Beloved called the power company and grabbed the ladies attention with the glowing and bright light info. Two very short hours after we lost power it was back on again...in the middle of a fierce storm.

I've got my eye on that electrical line. I'll be stepping smart whenever I need to pass under it. It better be on its best behavior from here on out....or else.  : )

And the thankfulness goes on....

# 113-124

- beautiful Christmas lights

- holiday baking has begun

- beautiful, crisp fallen snow

- a working snow blower (& a man who loves to use it!)

- power only out 2 hours

- the electrical line didn't start on fire or cause damage to the house

- no trees took out our line : )

- nephew ok after seizure last week

- getting to see the sweet faces of some dear family and friends through their Christmas cards

- warm cups of tea (fighting a cold just now)

- kids enjoying and looking forward to Jesse Tree Devotional

- wonderful reading books to go along with era we are studying in history

Nothing Changes

Every year it is the same. Every year. You would think I would learn and attempt this feat earlier than I do. What feat am I yammering about? Getting a picture of the family or at least of the kids'. I know I have been remiss about posting lately and especially posting pictures of the kids. I assure you this will be sufficient coverage of all four!

Least you think I am joking about how very difficult it is to capture them I'll show you just a small portion of my efforts.

There are always those who refuse to look at the camera.

 Those who insist on closing their eyes.

Those who get bored and whose eyes begin to wander.

A random gem that has potential even though each child isn't looking your way.

There are those who are naughty with their squinched up face. (Makes me smile every time. Little weasel!)

Those where they shy away from one another and you hear, "Mom! So and so is touching me!"



And there are those where one child must make it look as though the lighting is much to bright for their delicate eyes.

 

Since I struck out with the group photo's I took a few individual pictures.

There is the oldest, whom even though the smile wasn't always there, was a faithful child looking at the camera for each click of the shutter. She looks a bit worn but did a wonderful job of hanging on to that squiggle worm of a brother.

Then there is him whose eye lashes truly are ridiculous looking all spiffy in that suit Grandma got for him.

Here is she who thinks smiling means this grimace with her tongue placed between her teeth.

Lastly is him who is just so sweet you could eat him up! Those dimples!

To make sure you know I truly have been busy...keeping up if not posting about it...here are some of my 1000 gifts from the last few weeks. You'll have to bear with the list (Its been 3 weeks! Oh, you didn't notice? Never mind then. Read away and be blessed!)

# 76 - 112

-  a warm pair of slippers

- fresh, warm, homemade apple crisp

- a Mom who is intentional about calling no matter how many time zones separate us

- a sweet pen pal for my girl

- few to almost no "accidents" from a girlie who had reverted a bit in the potty training department

- overbites in sweet little mouths

- accountability

- free material for school use from local library

- homemade brownies

- rereading "The Light at Tern Rock"

- a sweet sister making us rethink how we celebrate the birth of Jesus

- the warmth of small bodies on my lap

- that my girl thinks my arms are a safe place to be when the sound of the 'frain' (train) frightens  

  her

- the easy, no tears loss of a tooth

- vacuumed stairs

- neck kisses = much giggling : )

- a meal at home with some dear friends before they moved out of the state

- plants that merely wither, but don't die, to remind me it is watering time

- a stain stick that removes baby spit-up the 1st time through the wash

- a husband who has the Thanksgiving meal all under control and boots me from the kitchen

- girlfriends

- Cat in the Hat school paper

- brothers who take the time to call me

- a little bit of peace and quiet (around here known as bed time for the kiddies)

- kitchen aid mixer

- homemade bread gracing our house after a few years hiatus

- a girlie who was quiet as a mouse sneaking into my bed while her daddy was out of town

- the smell of baby

-the love story that is Christmas

- flannel sheets

- the safe return of my Beloved after a week away (the return of my sanity as well!)

- a cup of sugar borrowing type of neighbor

- a camera that is only maimed, but not broken, after falling prey to curious little hands

- bath time

- facilities nearby where I can take the kids to run off some pent up energy

- an afternoon watching snow fall that belonged in a movie it was so beautiful

-  sunny days in the midst of days upon days of grey

(Yes, I know it isn't Monday...bear with me for being a day late.)

Fumes

Just the other day my Beloved commented on the fact that Zeke is now 4 months old. “Where did the time go?” he asked. He followed that up by saying, “Are we just running on fumes?”

To which I most assuredly replied, “Yes!”

I am not sure why it has worked this way but with babies #1 and #3 I seemed to bounce right back into the swing of things. I hit my stride, if you will, after a month or two. But with babies #2 and #4 it just feels like chaos reigns and here we are four months out and I still haven’t hit my stride. Yet. (Thinking positive.)

Part of the problem is sleep. Yeah, not getting so much of it again these days. I stay up a bit late with Zeke to get a feeding in. He has had some trouble with gas discomfort so often times he wakes up more than once scrim scrambling crying out in pain. Thus sleep time is not solid but broken up. Add to that Katie has taken to waking up early. By early I mean around 6ish. It would be irritating but she wakes up and comes down to the bedroom in the sweetest way.

“I waked up, Mommy,” she says in her little girl voice. She has her blanket in hand and her binks still in her mouth.

“Climb on in Mommy’s bed,” I tell her. She grabs a pillow and snuggles in the covers close to my side. She doesn’t sleep but does doze from time to time. What I most appreciate is that she isn’t a wiggle worm. She just lays there and snuggles and dozes. That gives me a little more time to lay there and doze myself.

Someday I keep telling myself. Someday we’ll get on track. The schedule of nursing every 3 hours will click with all else that we have going on around here. Someday. Perhaps on that day they’ll be some actual gas for us to thrive on. Until then I am afraid the fumes will just have to do!

Blessings 61-75

- a tank that still has fumes

- sweet little girls who snuggle in my covers with me

- babies who forget/forgive mommies for ugly behavior in the middle of the night

- older children keeping baby occupied so I can make lunch

- good old peanut butter and jelly sandwich

- 2 hours or so of quiet at home with just baby while rest of family went to church

- Husbandry allowing me to stay in bed when older children got up after a particularly rough night

- deal on cutest little shoes for Katie

- empty dirty laundry baskets

- no one is sick

- my Beloved doesn’t give me a hard time for coming home to find me still in my jammies and not showered

- long eyelashes (all four have them) to go with beautiful eyes

- children ‘seeing’ that not all kids live the way they do through Mission India’s My Passport to India

- math doesn’t seem to cause Kiersten anywhere near the frustration and boredom as it has previously

- seeing that Isaiah’s penmanship has improved from just 8 weeks ago

A Bun

Each Friday it is a mad race to get Kiersten ready for dance on time. It shouldn't be a big deal and yet it is. See the first week she came home after ballet she promptly informed me that Miss Jean said her hair needed to be in a bun.

Ta-Ta.

You haven't met Miss Jean but if you did you would be well aware she is a force to be reckoned with. If Miss Jean says that's what she wants than that is precisely what Miss Jean will get. Or you will regret it. Promise.

Oh, I don't mean to play her out as some mean lady. She isn't. She is just a person who knows how she wants things done and expects you to follow suit. She knows that what she does she does well. Know what I am talking about?

There is that and the fact that she is 80 some years old. You're getting the picture.

Anyhow, I am not a 'hair' girl. Never have been. I just have uncooperative hair with a mind completely of its own so I have never really taken to 'fixing' it all that often. And what I do consists of no more that 30 minutes tops, for a wedding or some special occasion, and 15 minutes on a regular day. To be honest I mostly just brush it after I shower and let it dry as it is with a bobby pin added here and there to keep hair out of my eyes. When it was longer it just went straight into a ponytail, wet and all.

This order to have Kiersten's hair in a bun had me panicked a bit. I seriously set aside 20 minutes the next week in order to ensure it would get done. That was before I realized that bobby pins fight back. I should have allowed for another 10 minutes.

Each week it is still a challenge to get her hair just so. I not only have to get it in the bun but need to make it so that it stays in a bun despite her moving around dancing. (Last week she came out of dance with a ponytail. Oh, the bobby pins were still logged in her scalp. Chalk that down as a win for the bobby pins and a loss for me.)

This week though...ah, I won. She came home with this lovely bun still intact. Bobby pins 1, Me 1. A tie. I hold no grand illusions. I know the bobby pins will win more than I will but each week I am determined to try hard to give my girl a beautiful bun that stays. Why? Because she feels like a ballerina and because it looks beautiful on her.

Blessings # 46-60

- learning the art of making a good bun for my ballerina

- children who have contagious giggles

- a girlie girl learning to apologize without it being asked of her

- babies who smile in their sleep

- a husband who loves to cook

- a husband who always thinks I am beautiful and often tells me so

- cousins who live close enough for sleepovers

- a little girl declaring, "I'm a princess!" at the top of her lungs because she is in a dress

- homemade caramel corn

- a soft, warm head nuzzling into my neck (a.k.a. a cuddle : ))

- coming home to a vacuumed living room 

- seeing 3 dressed up kiddos, all with tails (kitty, dragon and giraffe)

- clean sheets

- a stolen nap for myself when my energy tank was low

- the Lord wooing me once again

Blessings to you and yours as we head into the Thanksgiving season. : )

Life

I fear life has kept me busy enough that right now I am just counting blessings here. : ) Not a bad thing to be doing, mind you, but I know some dear ones (Hi Mom!) are missing seeing the little people with whom I dwell and hearing about their shenanigans. I'll get there again soon, promise. I definitely need to do a post all on the wee littlest man of the house.

To be honest one of the things that has kept my time occupied is laundry. I believe it to be related to bunnies - seems to breed at an alarming rate! I don't water or fertilize my laundry and yet it blooms and grows. It is amazing! If Zeke ever stops being one who cannot hold down his milk or Katie doesn't have any more 'accidents' in her bed (mostly my fault for giving a try at no diaper for rest time and forgetting it one night when I put her to bed) I think I might gain ground. Until then....

So enough with the excuses let's get to counting some of our blessings shall we?

31.  a dentist who is amazingly good with children

32.  a haircut given by a dear sister that is both cute and a nice change

33.  a warm, quiet (non child interrupted) shower : )

34.  Friday dates with Isaiah at the coffee shop

35.  the game of Sorry

36.  the smell of newly bathed children

37.  the sound of baby squeals as his neck is kissed

38.  a gracious husband (more on that another day)

39.  floors that were cleaned by a hand other than my own

40.  listening to Scottish friends talk (I love accents!)

41. having friends over for a meal

42.  an upgrade to my cell phone (I snatched my Beloved's old phone. This is my old phone 6+yrs of faithful service)

43.  catching a good sale on clothes for the kids

44.  getting time to read for pleasure several times a day while meeting the needs of the littlest person here

45.  laughter

Still honing that eye, training it to see things to be thankful for and rejoice over. Slowly but surely we are learning. (A good night's sleep goes a long way to helping the learning curve I've discovered. I know, I should have been a rocket scientist. : ) ) All kidding aside Miss Ann had a lovely post today and it is worth a read if you have the time. She is the dear lady with whom this 1000 gifts, the art of seeking blessings in the everyday, was prompted. Anyhow she blessed her Mom with a sweet gift.  Something like that would be a dear gift for any family member for Christmas. Can't put a price on something that feeds the heart. You'll have to jump over there and see what I am talking about! : ) 

Alright, I hope to be back before we count blessings again. I'll try, that is all I can guarantee just now. Hope you have a blessed day. Keep counting!

Blessed

I am tired today so we'll keep it short and sweet. I know you won't mind. :) If you've a mind to see what is blessing others jump on over here. The links are at the end of the post.

We are continuing on our journey to count our blessings...all the way to 1000.


15. Zeke's thrush seems to be gone : )

16. babies who have a snort mixed in their laugh every now and again

17. a husband who readily laughs...makes me smile when I hear it

18. gift cards

19. baby announcements in the mail

20. a boy who dances during church worship

21. sweet girl who looks precious with her hair in a bun for ballet

22. Dora sheets and underwear (making transitions easier and more fun for the Katie girl)

23. a laundromat mere minutes from the house

24. white chocolate mocha's (a weakness of mine to be sure!)

25. little toes on little feet (really all things little)

26. shared recipes to add to my arsenal

27. naps

28. a dent made in the laundry

29. bunk beds

30. Grapevine Bible studies for kids

Thankful

I have decided to try to be intentional about seeing the goodness of God and giving thanks to him in the big and the small.

I find I can find fault easily. That bugs me. I know my perspective needs a different vantage point. In changing how I look at everyday things and in even taking the time to ponder the everyday things I figure to find more that I am pleased with than I am displeased with. And yes, I mean mostly in regards to my family.

Please don’t get me wrong. It isn’t them it’s me. : ) Ok sometimes it is them.

The point is I am with them day in and day out. They school at home so we are never apart. Living life together all day every day helps magnify those things that do get on your nerves…but only if you are looking for them.

So instead of looking for things that bug me I am going to try to look for things that bless me. To get an attitude of gratitude as Miss Ann would say. : ) The eyes of my heart need a new vantage point, a refocusing, to one of thankfulness. So here we go on our journey to counting 1000 blessings.

Let the thankfulness commence!

#1-15
1. a baby who sleeps through the night


2. a husband who supports homeschooling


3. a husband whose job supports my being at home full-time


4. four healthy, happy children


5. a little girl who cries out as we near church, “Friends! I’m coming Friends!”


6. some serious progress on the potty training front


7. all things pumpkin (pumpkin bread, pumpkin pie, pumpkin muffins…..)


8. a big man who gets right down to business with his school time


9. a daughter who has come around in her attitude towards school, math in particular


10. the sweetest smile an my baby boy’s face


11. dimples


12. Fall, the beautiful colors of leaves


13. a warm cup of something each morning (coffee, tea, hot chocolate)


14. quiet, the sound of all sleeping peacefully


15. a soft pillow on which to rest my head

Here’s to our journey of gratitude, being thankful in the everday- cheers!