Family

I'm the youngest of four children, but I'm the only child from my parent's marriage. My older brother and sister were teenagers by the time I was born. My brother and his wife live fairly close to us, but just don't seem to spend much time together. We do the get together at the holidays for lunch and usually everyone will come for the Bird's birthday. I asked both my siblings to go to church with us this past Sunday (my T-Bone was baptized)and it was so funny that the message was on family and the importance of it. My brother reached across and took my hand and my sister's at one point. It really served as a reconnection for us. There is nothing as far as anger or conflict, it is just that we don't make an effort. I'm unwrapping my small gift of a quiet place spending Sunday afternoon with my family in celebration. I know God wants us to be closer. I'm linking to Emily over at Chatting at the Sky.

Christmas Shopping

My plans for the day are to go shopping. Hopefully, I will finish the majority of things I wanted to purchase today. We are trying to keep it simple this year and the only one I get a little out of hand with is The Bird. I am clueless as to what to get T-Bone too. Wish me luck!
This is our Christmas card photo from last year made on the beach at Thanksgiving.

A Gift of a Tuesday

I am so busy at work. Most of my days are a whirlwind and I leave each day reminding myself of what I did not accomplish. Secretly I had been longing for a "personal" day off to clean, read, make lists, but felt that it would just put me further behind at work. My day off came today though in the form of a fever in my Bird. The rain is falling and it is so cold and damp, but we get to stay in and snuggle in the bed and read books and make lists and do laundry in between doses of ibuprofen. Don't get me wrong! I'm not glad my Bird is sick, but I am looking for the good and appreciating the space to breathe and care for her. I'm linking my little jump off the fast pace of life today to Tuesday's Unwrapped over at Chatting at the Sky.

Gratitude Community

I've been meaning to do this for some time now. Here is my beginning to counting 1000 gifts I'm grateful for:

1. Hot coffee with cream
2. Leaves raining from the sky
3. A good night's rest
4. Reading glasses
5. The Bird giggling in her sleep


John 15:7-8, "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples."

Blogs I read...

I love to read. If I could have a day to myself, I would probably pile up in a chair and read. This morning I found myself wide awake at 4:00 a.m. and got excited at the prospect of having so much time to "read" this morning. I found myself on Lysa TerKeurst's blog and really appreciate how God uses her to get through to me. Her post on the Eight Simple Words spoke directly to my heart. Also Chapter One of her book is posted and I've known for a while that I wanted to buy that book, but am now more convinced that I am supposed to read it. Anyway, I just like her. She's funny and seems so down to earth.

Last night I wanted to do some chores and was a bit distracted by a problem I had at work yesterday. My Bird called to me, "Mommy, come help me wash piggy." My first thought was that we needed to be heading to the tub ouselves, but instead I sat in the floor and gave pretend baths to The Bird's Blabla collection-piggy, doggy, and froggy. We giggled and laughed and washed them all clean. This cat was not in the group that received pretend baths.

John 3:30 He must become greater, I must become less.

Thankfulness...

My daughters were both very excited about Halloween. I was not so excited and feeling my usual angst over the chores that still were not finished and the day drawing to an end. While I was busy finding the whole interuption to my chores a nuisance, they were both waiting for the sun to go down so they could get on their costumes for a trek through the neighborhood. My secret hope was that the rain would start up again and I could have a better excuse to stay in and finish my laundry other than I just didn't want to go.
It was wet and cold, but soon our door bell started to ring and the parade of superheroes and princesses started. Reluctantly we set off into the icky night, but I only made it as far as across the street before I sent T-Bone off into the darkness with my girls. The only shot on my camera was this one that I took quickly before dashing back into the warmth of my dirty house.
Emily from Chatting at the Sky said in her post this morning at inCourage "It takes effort to be present on purpose and to see beyond the messy living room in order to appreciate the beauty of family and togetherness. For me, the simple act of noticing inevitably leads to thankfulness."
I've had a hard time lately stopping and appreciating what I have. What am I thankful for? A husband that loves Halloween and went out excited and happy with our girls. A sister-in-law that captured sweet shots of the girls in costume and bubbling with excitement on her camera. My girls for not letting a crabby mom dampen their excitement.
I'm thankfully unwrapping my Tuesday and linking to Chatting at the Sky.