Monday, January 31, 2011

Multitudes on Mondays

Already it's the end of January, and I can't believe how beautiful the weather has been around here! Sunshine always makes my heart happy, and it's been 65-70 degrees too...love it! More and more to be thankful for...
18. polka dot couch pillows
19. deer antlers that little boys found at the park (such a treasure!)
20. riding bikes at the nature preserve
21. visiting the zoo in January
22. memories of Aunt Sue and summer days in her front yard
23. happy moments caught by the quick snap of my camera
24. telling stories by a roaring campfire
25. little ones running through the dark woods, being chased by 'bears' (their Dads)
26. playing tennis with Sam in the winter...and sweating
27. an animated 5 year old story teller
28. sitting on a log playing the telephone game with my littlest two
29. Bridget's bike bell ring-ringing through the nature trail
30. high school girl's community group starting tonight...and a faithful friend to help with it!
31. blog books, five years of memories and pictures bound into beautiful books
32. the feeling of Elmer's glue between my fingers
33. Sam's pile of dead trees, vines and leaves, still smoldering after two days
34. too many books waiting for me to read

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Raisin the Flag

Yesterday I took Jonah and Bridget to the park to ride bikes.

On the way there, Jonah told me that his friend Blake had a cub scout activity that afternoon. There were going to raise the flag, and Jo Jo wanted to know what that meant.

I explained that they would be placing a flag up on a flag pole somewhere. I was a little confused why he would ask...I had heard Blake tell him that they were raising the flag today, and the term seems a little self-explanatory to me.

Of course, sometimes I forget that this is Jonah I'm dealing with. He proceeded to explain to me that he thought 'raisin' the flag meant to decorate a flag with raisins, and he was mostly wondering if they used glue or how they got the raisins onto the flag.

Monday, January 24, 2011

Multitudes on Mondays

Have you found Ann Voskamp's blog yet? If you have, then you probably understand when I say that my heart sometimes aches when I read the words this woman writes. Such beauty, challenge, and love is found there and it all points right back to Jesus. If you haven't read it yet, you need to head over there. Go ahead. Click here!
Trust me, you'll be glad you did. :)

On with the list already! I'm so excited to start my own (never-ending) list of gifts, things which I am so thankful for...

1. sunny winter days
2. swing-set in the backyard
3. overwhelming giggles at the kitchen table
4. construction paper weaved together and taped to my fridge
5. planning Jonah's upcoming 6th birthday
6. my travel coffee mug with a picture of my boys on it
7. Henry's love for order and cleanliness
8. laundry that is never truly 'finished'
9. a book on the way from Amazon...One Thousand Gifts!
10. little fabric flags that will hang from my daughter's bed posts
11. my favorite homeschool tool...my date stamp!
12. teaching Jonah to read
13. Bridget's love for books
14. my incredible husband who works so hard to provide for us
15. kvne (local Christian radio station)
16. elk postcards hanging in the kitchen, reminding me of Sam
17. a piece of strawberry bubble gum that Henry gave me out of his personal stash

Friday, January 14, 2011

Gathering Eggs

Bridget and Jonah are the egg-gatherers at our house. They have worked out a system between the two of them...Jonah usually carries the scraps bowl out of the kitchen, and he is in charge of manning the gate (to make sure no chickens are left outside of the coop and also to shut it when they are done). Once they get out there, Bridget gets to throw out the food, and they both collect the eggs. Then, since Jonah has to lock up the gate, Bridget carries the eggs into the kitchen and puts them on the counter.

Sometimes she carries them in the bowl, sometimes in her hands.
Always she carries them with a beautiful, proud smile spread across her face. And sometimes even while wearing a dress backwards, and zipped up to her neck. ;) She loves to have an important job around the house, and I love to see her working hard to do a good job.

Proverbs 31:17 "She sets about her work vigorously;
her arms are strong for her tasks."