A Rare Moment of Silence

336. A rare moment of silence. Well, the dryer is running with my FINAL load of laundry. Yes, praise to God for no dirty laundry in the basement. Ah, that is amazing and purely a gift from God in our season. All 5 kiddos are napping... or at least on their beds... and quiet. Yes, a rare but wonderful rare moment of silence. I do hear the rain outside though... and the cars going by. But a rare quiet. No stinky diapers to change. No arguments over crayons. No spilled water. No screaming of anyone in anger. And in this rare moment of silence I hear You loud and clear. You are telling me, reminding me of what You've told me before... You deserve the glory. You have granted me the gift of children. You have allowed me to marry the husband I have. You alone are responsible for this brief reprieve from life's drudgery. So, my God and King, I thank You for this moment of quiet and realize that the quiet's good... but the noise of a house full of kiddos and a crazy husband is FAR better!

Good thing because kiddo #1 just came out of his room and is standing beside me saying, "Mommy, I napped." Of course, he didn't nap for I just closed his bedroom door 10 minutes ago!

October Thanks

335. My hubby planned the best bday for my 35th! What a wonderful man God has graciously allowed me to marry! And every year actually gets BETTER! He planned these surprise meals with people to bless me. The title was something like, "Finding Joy in the midst of Dirty Diapers and Drug Deals." The first meal was with a couple we knew back in Chicago shortly after we got married. They were a couple we were greatly encouraged and spurred on by. It was incredible meeting up with them again! The 2nd meal was with our pastor and his family. What was so neat about that time was it was almost exactly 3 years since we first had a meal with them on the our first Sunday visiting the church before we moved from MD. Autumn was in the hospital on the morning of what was to be our 3rd meal so perhaps we'll have another opportunity to get with that couple and their kids. But, Lord, I don't need any more. My husband has gone all out by organizing these events. Thank You for him and all he does and is!

334. Papa mowed the garden and the pumpkin patch. It's all pretty much gone. But what a fun experience! We ended up with 14 pumpkins! Not bad for a $1.49 pack of seeds! We had one little marconi pepper, a good amount of tomatoes, lots of zucchini, and some lettuce. The carrots, onion, and corn were a bust. But it was a great treat to watch the kiddos as they observed changes in the garden. Thank You, Lord, for the harvest. And thank You for my husband's excitement in thinking about next year. Yes, he already got the kids to help him plant tulip bulbs for the spring!

333. Our kiddos have a Papa who loves them so much that he installed a swing in our schoolroom! Yes, it looks crazy, I'm sure. But the kiddos LOVE it as they swing from the schoolroom to the foyer! Thank You, Lord, for giving my kiddos a father who adores them so much that he is not concerned with what's "normal." And how wonderful it is hearing the kids giggle as they play with Daddy!

332. Thank You, Lord, for allowing me to give birth to Autumn naturally. Though the labor was more intense due to the amount of time it took, it was a "better" delivery in that my recovery has been so easy. Lord, You are so kind to me.

331. I went shopping this afternoon and Joshua decided to come along. I went to Alid and then the Super Walmart. It was so nice having him with me. I love so many of his qualities... his attention to detail, his love for God's beautiful creation, his giddiness and excitement over so many things I would normally overlook, his desire to be near me at all times, his constant questioning and desire to know and understand... and more. Thank You, Lord, for Joshua Caleb and for creating him as you have. I adore my biggest boy!

330. Raquel, a genuine mother's helper! If you're local and are reading this you know who this young lady is. Wow! I am amazed that she comes WEEKLY (thanks to her mom from driving her every week!) to clean our dirty bathrooms and kitchen and allows me time to go grocery shopping without the whole gang or late at night. Lord, I pray You would help Raquel see how much she blesses me. May she feel and be assured of Your great pleasure in how she serves our family.

329. Our church family providing meals for us has been SO nice. I love to cook and always think it's unnecessary for others to provide meals for us. But, I am so thankful to all the wives in our church have done extra work and spent extra money to bless us by providing a meal. What a tremendous help!

328. Papa-bear was able to work from home the week Autumn was born and then take the next week off. We had a great time together, just the seven of us. Tomorrow will be an adjustment for all of us. But we are so very thankful to the Gift-giver for granting us this unique time together.

327. Autumn Glory is home with us and is no longer jaundice.

Autumn Glory

326. Autumn Glory... born Monday, October 5th at 3:14pm. Soooo much to say but I'd rather just enjoy this special new season. Hopefully I'll remember enough to document it all for later. Lord God, thank You for creating little Autumn Glory, for knitting her together in my womb, for granting me the privilege to carry her in my body and then to give birth to her not even a week ago. Thank You for granting a safe delivery, easy recovery for me, and for sustaining our littlest girls' life. Thank You that You are sustaining her and allowing her to grow and allowed her to come home from the NICU. We trust You to fulfill Your plans for her life which will be for Your glory and her good!

Big Gifts that are Too Big to Ignore

I am bummed I haven't been updating this blog. There have been SOOOOO many gifts to remember... And prone to forget I am. Lord, here are just a few to share...

325. Thank You, Father, for granting me a free copy of the book Revolution in World Missions. I think that book will become one of my top ten as I am being greatly challenged and provoked to live more for You by being bolder in doing what I can to share the Gospel with the world. In fact, thank You for helping me to see my neighbors as those You bled and died on the Cross for. That picture helped me deliver some of our garden tomatoes to Javier and to now pray for him. Would You grant another opportunity and help me to seize it when I see it!

324. Cloth diapering is actually going well! Surprisingly it is not that big of a deal. But, I will need more to realistically fully do it with two kids. Yet, I praise You and thank You for allowing me the finances to get some diapers to try it out and also a willing hubby that supports my stinky ideas that will hopefully save us MUCH!

323. William attended a Men's Retreat on Saturday and was so blessed by his response to my question of how it went: "Excellent! It was an outstanding Men's Retreat!" Lord, oh to see You at work in my hubby is just electrifying! Thank You for this retreat and how You will and are already working in the lives of the men of our church. I have no doubt the wives will benefit from that time investment!

322. Lord, I am loving my new Bosch mixer! I can almost see a day when I won't need to run out to the store and get bread for lunch! What a tremendous difference in the texture and even taste of the bread with this machine! And our homemade pizza is DELICIOUS! We'll have to get a pizza stone one day to make it even more authentic!

321. SSR Time! We started another idea of Papa's that he got from a radio program he heard over the summer. We are calling it SSR which stands for Special Sabbath Rest. Basically, it is our way of making Sundays a day that is different from every other day by having a special time (30 minutes for our current season) in the afternoon to do something that allows us to REST in Him. We've explained it to the kids as a time similar to our morning Quiet Times but special because it can involve something we don't get to in our morning QT like reading a book about God, journalling about what He's done, having an extended time of prayer, listening to something that can grow our affections to for Savior, etc.

320. Our Family Worship Time led by and spearheaded by our own Papa is a great hit! I love that William has decided to read through Psalms, have a time of prayer, and then worship time. The kids are now at the age of being capable of actively participating. In fact, even Kadin shared his prayer request - for help staying in his bed at nighttime. Lord, thank You for these precious times as a little family. Thank You that William is being led to continue growing in his parenting and training of our kiddos. Thank You for our kiddos response to these times. May this be a sweet memory they have of growing up, us reading Your Word, praying, and singing songs to You... constantly.

319. Paloma has made it through TWO Sundays without me being called to get her!

318. I officially have a "Mother's Helper!" And not just any old mother's helper! I have the best, dare I say, most sought after 17-year old in our area to help me in any way I need it. Raquel already knows the kids b/c she's been serving us by babysitting for us every care group not at our home. We had our first day of her helping last week and I walked in with our groceries to a mopped floor and all dishes washed AND put away! I actually cried a bit I was so overwhelmed. Lord, You alone know just how meaningful this service is to me. May Raquel (and her parents!) be blessed for their great kindness.

317. Received an ENORMOUS deep freezer from the Dancas a couple nights ago. Wow! When I emptied our current side by side freezer contents into it is maybe filled it an eighth full! It's so big I can't reach the very bottom! Your gifts are so much more than we can imagine!

316. Baby #5 had an irregular heartbeat about a month or more ago but it doesn't seem to be anything to worry about. So grateful for Norreen (the midwife) and her calm yet swift response. Thank You that I can go to a midwife opposed to a doctor as that better suits our needs/desires. You are kind to grant us this, Lord!

More Gifts from the Giver

315. Another Paperbackswap credit

314. Lots of movement from Baby #5

313. Another day ended exhausted but thankful

312. Children dirty from good play

311. Three new windows

310. Good memories of childhood

309. News of babies being knit together in the womb

308. Children fed

307. A husband sharing temptations so that I can pray for more specifically

306. Tears shed over my transgression and His undeserved forgiveness

305. Swollen pregnant hands and feet

304. Prayers answered

303. Faith-building and sacrificial giving

302. Rolls made by scratch and a son excited to partake

301. Folded towels and sheets by a friend

Gifts My Eyes Have Seen Recently

Lord, it is easy to see misery when my focus is on self. But when I open my eyes to see as You see, my view changes drastically! Thank You, Father, for these visible gifts and the greatest gift that can never be taken away!

300. A friend struggling in her faith attending church and being cared for by God's people.

299. Children excitedly eating a treat of ice cream.

298. A mother shedding tears of joy over having all of her grown children worshipping God together in church. Lord, may I be that blessed!

297. Distant relatives enjoying the gift of family.

296. A grandfather sitting cross-legged on the carpet playing with his grandson Hamilton.

295. A husband, my Papa-son, diligently teaching our kiddos about God.

Joshua Prays

294. My four-year old Joshua prayed for me yesterday morning at the breakfast table after seeing me not able to hold back my tears. I was sharing with William some struggles and respond to one of William's questions by saying, "I just can't see clearly" meaning my situation. Well, my smart, attentive, and compassionate Joshua said, "Mommy, I can pray for you." And this is what he prayed:

"Jesus, help Mommy's eyes to feel better so that she can see clearly. Help her not to be angry."

The other night when William had a meeting he prayed,

"Jesus, help Daddy and Mommy to know how to train us, me, Joshua, Saraina, Kadin, and Paloma. Help them to know how to teach us."

Wow! Wow! I am humbled. I am so thankful for You, Lord. That Your would allow me to have a child who even at the age of four prays for me. Bless him. Use him mightily for Your kingdom and glory!

The Harvest Begins!

293. The harvest is coming in! We're getting zucchini, lettuce and the tomatoes are almost ready too! All this is possible from a generous blessing of "seed" money a friend sent us out of the blue. Charity & Ryan, your gift continues to bless us and is also allowing us to bless others! Thank you!

Saraina's hernia - repaired!

292. Saraina's surgery to repair her umbilical hernia... completed as of yesterday, June 26th! Thankful William's work load was such (and his priority to be home with our other children during a time like this!) that everything went fairly smoothly. Lord, thank You for granting our family a sweet time of petitioning You to heal her without medical intervention, thank You for reminding me that You are the healer, for Saraina's surgery being scheduled first thing in the morning, for good hospital care, for our health insurance, for Saraina's response to the entire experience, for the alone time I was able to have with my sweet biggest girl, for strength to complete all You had in store for me though I was weary, for a husband who is the greatest husband I could ever imagine and the unbelievable Daddy he is to our kiddos! My cup is truly overflowing...

Pastoral Care

291. Our pastors are such gifts! In fact, Lord, You are awesome in how You provide Your people with shepherds to help us guard our souls and treasure the Gospel. Thank You, Lord, for Tab and Josh and how they ALWAYS make time for whoever is in need. I recently needed some pastoral help and ended up speaking with both of them at separate times and ended both conversations even more thankful for these men and their wives! Bless them and their families, O Great God! Oops! I left out our new pastor, Jamie. Lord, I have already been on the receiving end of our newest pastor's gifts as I can now listen to the message in the hallway thanks to the new speaker! Oh what a gift that is to so many moms and dads who walk the halls with sick or sleeping children. Thank You, Lord God.

Our Week

290. Had a chiropractor appointment which included a 25-minute massage! I'm still in shock at how quickly I'm feeling better since starting back up at the chiro! Lord, I am so, so grateful You have made a way for me to go again. You are merciful to me!

289. Made it to my midwife appointment without problem and b/c Papa-Bear is home I was able to go solo.

288. Daddy was off today! Always a gift having my Hubby around all day. He's my favorite person to be with...

287. New fence completed! Already enjoying the extra benefits! And how sweet the blessing is knowing that we were able to pay cash and not incur any debt. (We paid off all our debt just over a year ago. Well, not 100%. We do have a mortgage but hope to pay that off long before it's due!)

90 Months of Marriage

286. Celebrating 90 months of marriage! Yesterday, May 17 we hit our 90 Month Anniversary. Yes, we celebrate (or simply recognize) our marriage monthly in some way. Often it's a little "happy anniversary" verbally and other times it's a more deliberate recounting of God's kindness to us in allowing us to be joined together as hubby and wifey.

To my Prince William,

If time would permit, I'd write the top 90 reasons I love being married to you. Yet, there seems to be so much going on these days I can barely make time to plan our dinner menu. But can I tell you (again) how wonderful you are to me and how I thank our Great God for the incredibly overwhelming blessing of having you for my husband. You are my favorite person to be with and experience life with. I know God's kindness more from being married to you.

Loving you more each day,

~wfy

Back Pain

285. My back went out on Monday night (or was it Sunday night? I can't remember!) and as a result I could not get up in the middle of the night for the kiddos. Seriously, things went really bad when I sneezed because the pain in my back literally knocked the breath out of me. I had to wait for William to get out of the shower for him to help me up! I called out when I heard Bethany come in but she didn't hear me. It's crazy! When William helped me get up and get in a better position on the bed, we just laughed, which caused more pain!

But I am writing about this on my Gratitude blog because the Lord, in His kindness, used my pain to give me a greater glimpse of His unparalleled care for me. The pain I felt literally caused me to audibly call on Him, even in moments I wouldn't necessarily choose to do that. And that is good. Pain is humbling. And it's also relative. I think about the pain my Lord suffered on account of MY sin as He bore the wrath I could never stand to bear. He endured therefore I can endure through Him.

There is nothing that can ever separate me from His unstoppable, unshakeable love!

SO, Lord, I thank You for allowing me to endure this pain that I can see You all the more! Yes, I am ready to for this new day and all You have in store for me to see/experience/do/be for my good, and more importantly, for Your Great Glory!

Thinking Back on Our Week

284. May I not forget the blessing of having others lift me/our family up in prayer. Lord, that truly is a kindness, perhaps the greatest kindness someone can do for me/us. Bless those that have interceded on our behalf. Thank You for each one of them, known and unknown.

283. Thank You for allowing us the stre

ngth necessary to plant phase one of our veggies in our garden. And though they don't look well I am praising You for the opportunity to try. Indeed You can do all things, great God! May the rain we continue to receive help our garden to flourish and provide food for our family and others!

282. Though it's been a little tougher securing coupons since we had to cancel (again) our newspaper delivery service, You continue to show me that I don't need tons of coupons to save money. Thank You for the coupons I do have (and for those that are so generous to pass them along to me - wink, wink) and for reminding me that a budget is good. It is good to have boundaries. It is good to remind myself that I don't NEED everything on my list which helps me make calls to be a wise steward. Continue to help me grow in being like the Proverbs 31 woman who "looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness."

281. Though I've said it before, Lord, it so blesses my soul to hear my children pray. Oh my great God! You are so wonderful! Thank You for granting us three little ones that ASK us if they can pray!

280. Made it through another busy week of Papa-bear having back to back night meetings. Thank You for William's job and the provision that it provides our family.

279. My breast ultrasound went well. No cyst found in the location of my pain. Most likely the pain is a result of a bruised muscle or even broken rib from my cough.

278. Baby #5 is looking good in the womb! Ultrasound to measure the fibroids didn't find them much large than my previous pregnancy with Paloma. We hope to find out the sex of Baby #5 though we've opted to not find out with all the others. This round, though, I'd like to only have the clothes I need out! Also, the other biggie for me was to make sure we're only expecting ONE new arrival in October as we would have to get a straight-up full-size van if that were not the case. Don't get me wrong, I'd be thrilled with twins but am also thrilled to receive this news as well. Thank You, Lord God, for knowing exactly what we need and mercifully granting us way more than we deserve. We are so excited for this new Baby to enter the world and be used for Your Kingdom!

And here's a picture of Baby #5 with his/her hand in their mouth. The Baby is just shy of 15 weeks in this picture:

Joshua Worships

277. Joshua went to church with Daddy yesterday which meant he had to leave early so Daddy could practice with the Music Team before the meeting began. I came later with the other three, all with runny noses and/or a cough, thinking I'd keep them with me in the meeting and Joshua would go to his class. Did things ever change from what I was anticipating.

Joshua decided to stay with me and the other three for worship while Daddy was playing. It was one of the most memorable times of worship for me because Joshua, all on his own, stood up from his seat, moved over to where I was standing, and began clapping along with me. I was stunned and so very thankful to see him choose to worship at church for the very first time.

All the kiddos love to worship in the comfort of our own home, not worrying about anyone watching them, but they would never participate in worship at church even if I tried to prepare them by going over some of the songs (if I knew them in advance b/c William was playing that week).

Thank You, Lord, for Joshua deciding to worship with me and our church family yesterday! Oh, I asked Joshua at bedtime why he decided to stand up and clap and he said, "I just looked around and did what the other people were doing." Yep. Isn't that how it starts? Doing what he sees others doing. Thank You also, Lord, for a church family that is not ashamed of worshipping You.

Food, Kids, and a Car

276. Thank You, Lord, for helping me with my impromptu Baking/Prep Day today! I had fun baking Super Power Muffins, Banana Bread, rolls, and making and then freezing hamburger patties for Papa-Bear to throw on the grill on warmer weather days, and one batch of Kidney Bean and Ham Soup which I froze for a later meal. Yippee! I certainly felt Your nearness and know that I could only do this by Your grace. Thank You for always being so kind to me.

275. Joshua asked if he could pray at bedtime this evening and this is how he began, "Dear Lord, please help us children to become Christians." I was stunned! That is all him speaking to God on his own. Joshua, Saraina, Kadin and I then had a short but special conversation about how to become a Christian. Well, two-year old Kadin wanted to pray then. His prayer included, "Help Joshua and Nay Nay and Mony to obey." Afterwards, Kadin asked Saraina if she wanted to pray. She simply said, "No. I'll pray when I become a Christian." Thank You for conversations like those that remind me that there is no aspect of our lives that go unnoticed by You. Draw their hearts, Lord... for Your glory.

274. A full, sweet day being Mommy to my kiddos. Lord, thank You for all of our kiddos.

273. Papa-bear purchased a new-used car to replace the Jetta. So far, things are going well with Lil Red. He got a pretty stripped down maroon 1995 Geo Prism. The car has incredibly low miles and was kept in a garage. Lord, thank You! You faithfully provide for every thing we need. Not one detail is overlooked by You. And thank You, Lord, for a husband that desires to please You in all things, especially by the way he stewards the money You are entrusting to us.

Farewell, Rudi!

272. I purchased Rudi, our green Jetta, in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey back in 1996 during my first year teaching. I purposely got 4-doors because though I was extremely far from being married, I wanted her "to see children." Well, the ole girl almost made it to see Baby #5!

Rudi had her final commute home on Thursday night when William called from about 10 minutes away to tell me that the car sounded like the back wheels were going to fall off and he had no rear brakes. Poor gal crossed over into the "unreliable" category but made it to over 192K miles.

But, the reason for this post is to thank God for 12 years with that car! What a gift! We are so grateful God had allowed us to drive that car way longer paid for that not. We certainly have gotten our money out of that car. And to show how God is more than generous, we sold the car in less than 24-hours and didn't even need to leave our house or post an ad anywhere. The guy next door ended up being the buyer (after about at least 10 calls from people simply driving by) for the grand price of $425! Praise God!

Only God could work out such a story. Alejandro, the new owner, simply backed the car out of our driveway and parked her in the driveway next door! Lord, You are amazing!

Playing on the Porch

271. The three bigger kiddos were all playing outside on the porch yesterday before lunch. How nice! Though we still don't have the fence we hope to have one day, I saw the blessing of having multiple children close in age at play yesterday... for they had such a good time together. I set out the kitchen play items and gave them some of our old homemade play dough to have fun with and they were as happy as can be.

Lord, thank You for granting us these children so close in age! People always talk about "how nice it'll be when they are all older" but I see the blessing now. And thank You for giving us an oldest child who is so responsible at his young age. He does such a great job alerting to situations I need to deal with (i.e. if Kadin starts to go off the porch!). I so love these kiddos You've granted us to raise!

Random Praises from our Day

270. Hearing (for what seems like the millionth time) a stranger say, "Your kids are so well behaved?! They're all so good!" Lord, You alone receive the glory for that for I am fully aware of my sin in trying to train them. Thank You, Lord God, for being so incredibly merciful to me. They really are good kids.

269. Putting our sweetie pie Paloma Joy down for nite nite and watching her slip her little thumb in her mouth.

268. Watching seeds sprout and live emerge from dirt.

267. Being a part of the Body.

266. Experiencing moments of nausea but knowing it will only last for a season.

265. Eating in the sunshine, watching the kiddos feet dangle from the big picnic table, and hearing their sweet giggles at lunch.

264. Walking in the sunshine with the kiddos to the library.

Hope

263. My hope in Christ is sure! Therefore, I can enjoy the blessings of being hope-filled as I look to heaven and eternity. That is a gift that Jesus paid with His life.

Another Blessing

William and I keep meaning to put a blog post up on our big news but our days are just FULL. But today, my 12th Spiritual Birthday, seemed like the perfect time to share our special news with the world...

262. Baby #5 is due October 2009!

Missionary in Training

261. This morning Saraina-bug informed Daddy of some important news. Here's a retelling of the conversation...

Saraina: I work in Mexico.

Daddy: Oh, what kind of work do you do in Mexico?

Saraina: I do missions work.

Daddy stunned.

Saraina: But I live in New Jersey.

Lord, I do pray that You would use these kids to draw more to Yourself. Give them a heart for Your Gospel. Equip them to speak Your truth in love. Thank You for BLee's influence on the kiddos. May they grow up eager to do Kingdom work, for Your glory!

Stewarding

260. What a joy it is stewarding what God has generously given us. And, Lord, You have blessed our small attempts greatly.

Thank you for...

~split chicken breast on sale for 97 cents a pound

~free chocolate (after sale and coupons)

~$50 cash from selling our old TV stand on Craigslist

~buying books for our Home school from the gift cards earned through Swagbucks

~free soda

~Raisin Bran on sale for 29 cents a box (after sale, in-store coupon, and manufacturer coupon)

~family that encourages this frugal lifestyle

~cheap spices that make simple foods rich in taste

~8 pounds of rice for $1.98

and the list could go on and on.

Lord, you are so kind to provide us with everything we need and so, so, so much more. You are so good to me.

Rest Time for All

259. Rest Time.  PJ is sleeping, Kadin is quiet in his room (possibly snoozing), Saraina and Joshua are on the couch in the office reading books side by side.  I'm off to read a chapter in A Mom Just Like You and a little bit of The Well-Trained Mind.  God, You are so good to me!

A few to recount...

Here are a few blessings I'm recounting this evening...

258. Kadin, Saraina, & Joshua all ask to pray before we eat and are very concerned when someone doesn't.  Oh Lord, to see You at work in them is so amazing!  Joshua is now asking us if he can say the prayer before a meal or bedtime.

257. William.  Pops, I was struggling this morning, as you graciously pointed out this morning, and I felt your care.  Thank You, Lord, for my husband who "washes me with the Word" and cares so tenderly for me.  You, William, are so good to me.  I thank God for you!

256. My children love God's Word.  Thank You for allowing me to see their excitement over Scripture and to be spurred on by it!  Oh would you continue to grow that, O God!

255.  Learned my first memory verse in Spanish (thanks to BLee's encouragement and Spanish Bible).  It is so neat to say and read a verse in Spanish.  I actually think it is causing me to consider each word a bit more.  Lord, I know I cannot learn Spanish without Your intervention.  Help me!  I desire to communicate with our Spanish-speaking neighbors.

254. We had a great date on Saturday night, actually a double date!  What made it even sweeter was we were able to pay with gift cards William got over Christmas.  Oh Lord, it is good to fellowship with other couples sometimes.  Indeed I think I laughed harder and longer than I had in a really long time.

253. Joshua read for the first time this afternoon!  He sounded out CAT and his eyes lit up!  He gave me a high five and said, "Oooo.  I want another one, Mommy!"  I then went through the -AT family and he had  tough time but he read some of them.  Oh Lord!  You know I loved teaching those 5.5 years and adored those kids.  But, You know just how incredible it was hearing my first child read his first word.  Thank You, Father, for this bit of undeserved and unearned grace.  Thank You for this day of teaching my kiddos at home.  I'm in awe of Your kindness to me.

The Garage Door

252. We had a fun fam time last night going to Barnes & Noble.  We're doing something "special" each Sunday in February (thanks to a crazy generous gift from Charity, $100 to "make a memory").  The garage door broke as we were leaving.

251. Garage door fixed this afternoon / evening.  And though it cost a lot, it works!  We can all leave the house safely!

250. Garage door broke but didn't kill me.  Seriously.  Lord, Your timing is perfect.  I ran inside to get the kiddos a cheese stick to hold them over till dinner when the garage door snapped off the chain and crashed down!

Pops, Home Schooling, Plumbing

249. My Prince and I have such fun together.  Being married is wonderful!  What a gift from You!  Last night we decided (impromptu, of course!) to rearrange our main floor!  Looking forward to seeing you after your night meeting, Pops!

248. Started officially home schooling the kiddos this week after Hubby and I sat down and talked through our goals and thoughts.  I am sure we will re-evaluate as we continue to move forward but we are beginning with a unified vision.

247. Plumber fixed our leak!  Did a great job!  And we got a very good rate for his services (Hubby knows the guy through his job).  To top it off I was able to pay guy in cash.  Yipee!  Paid in full means no seeing it later on a credit card statement!  Thank You, Lord God!

Jetta Running in the Cold

246. Jetta started yesterday.  William was able to drive her to work.  It also started this morning despite it being 3 degrees outside!  Thank You, O Gracious One!

Books, Butter, and More Books

245. Whiter Than Snow: Meditations on Sin and Mercy by Paul David Tripp.  Received this book over Christmas and am reading one chapter/meditation per week to be reminded of my sinfulness and His amazing grace.  Thanks, Papa!

244. A Mom Just Like You by Vickie Farris & Jayme Farris Metzgar.  Received this book as a gift and just cried as I read the 2 brief parts before the Intro.  What a blessing that book will be and is already.  I plan to read a chapter once a week to be encouraged as I seek to home school our kiddos.  Thanks, B!

243. Almond butter in the fridge.  Thank You, Lord, for giving us the money to allow me to take advantage of that sale on almond butter last month!  Almond butter in the fridge is SUCH a blessing.

242. BLee letting me borrow her car and run to the library to pick up my books that were being held!

Joshua's Prayer

241. Daddy had a meeting last night.  It was just me and the kiddos.  I got the meal ready and we all joined hands to thank God.  Well, to my surprise, Joshua asked to say the prayer.  Of course, I obliged.  Here's what he prayed,

"Amen.  Dear Jesus, thank You for our dinner.  Thank You for Mommy giving us our food.  And thank You for Saraina and Kadin.  Amen."

No words can adequately describe how that makes this Mama's heart feel.  Lord, You are good!

A Long List of Blessings

240. Knowing there are many praying for me

239. Money to register for a Marriage Retreat in MN and BLee all set to watch the bigger three!

238. An American Express gift card we didn't know we had that has $$ on it!

237. A scheduled date night this evening!!!!!  I love time alone with my hubby!

236. time to blog!

235. Saraina asking me for a hug a lunchtime.

234. Paloma not spitting up lots anymore and settling in to a nice schedule that works well with the other kiddos.

233. Joshua asking to "do school" constantly.

232. Impromptu conversations with other adults.

231. Fun Christmas gifts the kiddos got from random fam members.  They will make homeschooling and home managing a bit more manageable.

230. The minivan working.  William has had to take it to work every day this week since it has been so cold and the Jetta won't start.

229. Reading an article for care group on Judging Others.  Not done but already grateful for what I have already read.

228. The sound of child's creative play.  Kids really don't need much to have fun.

227. A home with heat and warm, clean clothes for each of us to wear.

226. Attending the homeschool meeting of my church.  Those women are such "powerhouses" of the faith and so encourage me as a mama.

225. Sleep in my own bed.

224. Kadin David's 2nd birthday.  For more on our little manimal, go HERE.

223. a new computer (we're MAC peeps now)