Multitudes on Monday - Blessings #94 - 100

94. Austin and Michael are attending Bible school at our church this week and Doug is one of the van drivers transporting children to and from church each evening. I am so thankful for the blessing of Bible School.

95. We have had some wonderful rain showers the last two days that I am so thankful for. I'm sure the garden is grateful as well.

96. I am reading the book The Cure for the Common Life by Max Lucado and enjoying it immensely.

97. Bananas - for making Banana Bread and Banana Pineapple Cake. Yummy!

98. I am very thankful that the cattle that got out of their pasture and walked across the yard today stayed away from the garden. There were around 20 of them and they could have wrecked the garden. But they didn't.

99. I am so glad my kids like to cook. Austin made Garlic Shrimp Pasta for lunch today and Amanda made tacos for dinner. A true blessing.

100. Our managerie of pets that provide constant entertainment . . . and work. But mostly entertainment.

For these and many other blessings I am grateful today.

~ Linking Here ~



Grateful

As I've watched the videos and listened to the stories of the devastation caused by the severe storms this week I am so grateful for a home and the safety of my family. Although we had some storms and there were some small tornados in our area we were spared the worst.

I am thankful for the gift of beautiful views from all my windows as I go about my daily work and play.

I am grateful for a daughter who loves to cook and bake and shares that love with the younger children. Here they are baking chocolate chip cookies together simply because she thought they would enjoy it.

I am thankful for a son who still likes to sit and talk to me, telling me so many of the ideas and thoughts that fill his creative mind.

I am thankful for time spent with little ones

sometimes crafting

and sometimes just hanging out together.

For these and so many other blessings I am truly grateful.

Counting Blessings

There are so many blessings from this past week. I am listing just a few here as I join with Ann and others in counting our blessings.

~ Safety during the storms on Saturday that produced a tornado only a couple miles from our home.

~ warm sunshine on my face today after a stormy weekend

~ picnics at our new picnic tables

~ goldfinches at the birdfeeder in our yard

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~ delicate little wildflowers growing in my back yard

~ blossoming trees

~ the joy of creating something fun for the kids to play with and learn from

~ watching the children at play

Blessings # 67 - 74 as I count to 1000.



Blessings #50 - 66

Although I found myself feeling a little grumpy this week, partly because the weather turned cool and I'm just childish enough to want to pout about it, it really was a week of blessing.

Some blessings from this week.

#50 - 66

• A quiet Sunday afternoon to read Francine Rivers book Leota's Garden
• Plus an even quieter Sunday evening with a house all to myself
• A freezer full of fresh beef
• Lively discussion in Sunday School as we talked about lesson one from the book Compelled By Love
• New recipes to try this week
• The return of warmer weather
• A husband who vacuums the living room and playroom - without my asking him too
• A husband who takes the kids and does the grocery shopping
• Bubble Island on Facebook (I think that's a blessing)
• New CDs for the kids to listen too
• Reading books with little ones
• An uninterrupted night of sleep
• Twitter, Facebook and blog friends
• Hanging out with my kids and their friends

• Watching Michael enjoy new craft supplies

• Seeing the first shoots begin to show in the garden
• Watching three little friends look at books together

Blessings

I am finding this journey of counting my blessing to be both more difficult and more rewarding than I had expected. Difficult, not because I lack blessings, but because I forget to look and do not always recognize them in the moment. Rewarding as I am filled with a fresh wonder at how very blessed I truly am.

Blessings 43 - 49

- Discovering Kindle for PC (free app) and free downloadable books

-Leota's Garden by Francine Rivers (one of the free ebooks I downloaded and then stayed up way too late reading)

- Planting garden with my family during warmer days last week - beets, carrots, and peas - and dreaming of how tasty they will be.

- Quiet Sunday's when I can write, read and create to my heart's content.

- a nice evening walk with my kids as we become familiar with our new neighborhood

- salt and vinegar chips

- looking at the snow outside and knowing that it is winter's last hurrah, and warmer days will return.

The Counting Continues

We had a such a refreshing weekend. As business is slowly decreasing (by my choice) we are finding more time to do the things we enjoy doing with friends and as a family.

On Saturday Doug was working on his cousin Karen's car. So she spent the day here with her little boy. After lunch we decided to ride up to the top of the mountain to one of the overlooks just to get out for a little while. It was windy and a lot cooler up there then it was at home but the views were great. I was so glad we went.

Sunday morning we actually made it to church for Sunday School as well as the main service. After church we went to the Wood Grill for lunch and then took the long, meandering, scenic route home.

I am feeling truly blessed.

Blessings #34 - 42

- warm Spring days

- a morning at the park playing, picnicing and watching the ducks and fish

- scenic views from the top of a mountain

- thought provoking conversation in Sunday School

- worshipping with fellow believers

- delicious food at a good restaurant

- Sunday afternoon drives

- friends and family to enjoy spending time with

- naps



Finding Solid Ground

As the world shakes and seems to wobble on it's axis I am filled with even more gratitude for all the blessings in life both large and small. In fact, it is the small blessings that hold my attention and cause me to smile and fill my heart so full I feel as if I could burst.

Blessings #21  - 33

21. warm chocolate chip cookies baked by my daughter

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22. two little boys digging in the dirt for buried "tweasure"

23. watching Doug patiently teach Amanda how to run the riding lawn mower,

24. a group of small children peacefully playing "house" on a rainy day

25. cozy, companionable busyness in the kitchen as I cook with my daughter

26. savory beef stew and biscuits on a cool rainy evening

27. a sweet, cuddly, babbling baby

28. watching a wind and rain storm from inside a dry and warm house

29. spur of the moment family outing to Dairy Queen just because we can

30. a warm, springlike Sunday afternoon

31. little white flowers blooming in the grass

32. buds promising the spring bursting forth of life is coming soon

33. knowing that no matter what comes my way there is One we can always turn to and find rest in and solid ground to stand on.

The Blessings Continue

When I look for them, and take the time to recognize them, I realize I am truly surrounded by a multitude of blessings.

And the list continues.

11. Beautiful music in church on Sunday morning.

12. An unexpected free day to spend with my family, uninterupted by work demands.

13. The many ways my husband has blessed us this past week.

14. Spring rains bringing green to a once brown landscape.

15. Big comfy chairs for writing in.

16. Read aloud time with my kids.

17. A little boys questions as he explores the world.

18. Work that I love.

19. An unfilled notebook, waiting for words and ideas.

20. A good night of sleep.

Beginnning a Journey of Blessing

Ann Voskamp, who writes beautiful posts on her blog A Holy Experience hosts a beautiful community of bloggers each Monday who are counting their way to a thousand blessings.

It seems like a lot, and one blogger wrote that after the first, obvious blessings, there is sometimes a bit of a struggle to find the blessings each week. But they are there. We do not serve a miserly God who doles out blessings in limited quantity. There is simply the need to regard life with eyes wide open to see, heart waiting and ready to receive the blessings He so lovingly gifts us each day.

So today I am joining the group, counting along with them and learning from them. I am new to this journey, my number this week starts at one, but I know it will be a journey filled with blessings from surprising corners.

Blessings #1 - 10

1. Unlimited, unending love from my Heavenly Father, resulting in the gift of salvation through His Son.

2. Teaching and learning with my daughter as she tackles new challenges in the kitchen. Her chosen adventures today - chocolate chip cookies and homemade macaroni and cheese. I can hardly wait for dinner.

3. Watching my son, Austin,  care tenderly for a wee baby, Kaleb,  and delighting in watching him grow and learn each day. Kaleb is now nearly a year old and both boys have grown a lot this past year.

4. Bluebirds in the meadow behind my house.

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5. A Robin hopping around in my back yard.

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6. My four year olds spontaneous "I love you, Mommy."

7. The quiet in the afternoon when all the little ones are resting.

8. The sound of rain on the roof as I sit in the kitchen typing this post and serving as the chief question answerer (is that a word?) for my daughter as she cooks.

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9. Knowing that in a few minutes I will put on a pot of coffee to brew and fill the house with it's wonderful aroma to welcome my husband home from a long day of work.

10. The steady tick tock tick tock of the clock on the wall bringing back memories of being a little girl in grandmother's kitchen listening to the ticking of a clock much like this one.