A New Week Begins

I love the godly pressure I feel in having to update this blog! It truly is forcing me to thank God for things I take for granted and causes me to stop, see, and sing praises to my King. That said, I have decided that I will NOT update on the weekend for I want to enjoy living, experiencing, enjoying these marvelous gifts without having to excuse myself from time with my man or with our kiddos. That said, I still find myself over the weekend thinking, "Lord, help me see all the things I need to thank You for!"

Speaking of our weekend, we had a full and fun weekend and a full and fun start to a new week. Here are some of the gifts God has lavished on our fam...

50. Watching and listening to the sounds of sleeping children.

49. Joshua, standing between Kadin and Saraina, puts his arm around them as they were looking out our window this morning. Then he kisses them one at a time and then lays his head on Kadin's and says, "You're my precious boy." I love seeing and hearing him as he imitates his Daddy!

48. The line, "And Your saints below join with Your saints above rejoicing in the Risen Lamb!" from "The Glories of Calvary." We sang that at church on Sunday and I immediately thought of Andrea and others.

47. How quick Saraina is to say, "Thank you, Mommy for my pony tails! I love my pony tails!"

46. Joshua attending his first Cubs game with his Daddy, Grandad, and Uncle Freeman (who's expecting a baby REAL soon!!!). It so tickles me hearing Joshua share with Saraina about his time "with just the boys" (as he told his Sissy) and then telling her and me, "Maybe next year Saraina can come to the ball game."

45. Building our friendship with our neighbor Joe by attending Mary Poppins with him and then having him join us for dinner afterward.

44. How the kiddos are a great excuse to meet our neighbors and exchange smiles and waves. It really is a blessing how they feel no awkwardness in staring, pointing, and talking about them right in front of them. We getting closer to inviting two of the families with little kiddos over to play. How sweet it is to work through fear of man revolving speaking different languages!

43. The pressure cooker and frozen lentils and pork chops leftovers! Lord, thank You for providing a meal that required little prep time thanks to the pressure cooker and the leftovers. What a difference it can make when we want to enjoy more time outside!

42. Honey. I ran out of strawberry jam but was able to substitute it with honey for our wannabee PBJ sandwiches. But, honestly, Lord, Sunflower Seed Butter is also a gift! Since the boys can't eat peanut butter it is such a gift giving them something similar but safe!

41. Our first tulips blossoming!

40. Eating lunch outside because it always allows for some contact with some neighbor. Today was the pastor of the church next door. And though we couldn't be on further sides of the spectrum in terms of our beliefs, the Lord keeps providing opportunity after opportunity to build our relationship.

39. Saraina singing as she played outside, "... of the darkness have no fear..." over and over and over. Then she switched to, "Blessed be Your name when the suns shining down me..."

38. The sound of Joshua excited playing basketball and saying, "Yes!"

37. Going to the zoo and then park today right after they opened and then running in to a friend from church.

36. Joshua saying, "How 'bout I can show you?" when I told him I wasn't any good at basketball.

35. Play clothes!

34. The look on my Hubby's face and our corny and predictable phrases we greet each other with when he gets home after a long day of work.