The Ever Increasing List #1000gifts

81. Late evening chocolate cupcakes
82. Listening to Jessie count: “Seese, senen, eeght, ninne, teen!”
83. Maggie doing a mime show just for me!
84.Drinking coffee out of a mug from our wedding reception hall
85. Maggie setting the table
86. Jessie helping to empty the dishwasher
87. A new feeling of calm, no matter what happens, God will provide and we will be more than just “okay”
88. Time to sit just with Maggie to talk about her day
89. Learning just how much Jessie already knows
90. A treat before school and work
91. An easy drop-off with Jessie, even a kiss on the cheek!
92. Planning Maggie’s birthday
93. Lots of prayers of thanks at prayer group
94. Opportunity to volunteer at the next Walk to Emmaus
95. Cool evenings spent outside
96. The way Maggie tells a story
97. Maggie telling me the story “If You Take a Mouse to School”
98. Realization of how truly safe from harm I am
99. Little loose teeth
100. Good meeting with my managers, projects and opportunities are forthcoming!
101. Confidence to take my career to the next level
102. Extra time with Maggie each morning
103. Baby bunnies
104. A soup lunch with my husband
105. The little hand that holds tightly to mine.
106. Blowing bubbles
107. Watching Rusty try to catch bubbles
108. Watching Maggie & Jessie try to catch bubbles
109. Jessie asking to wear elephant socks
110. Commuting as a family this week – figuring out the best way to get everyone to work and school on time
111. Visiting Maggie’s classroom to see her projects.

One thing I have already learned with this little project is that I am in complete control in how I respond to a situation.  I can either look at a problem as that or as an opportunity.  It was said best by Joyce Meyer’s prayer for the August 24th devotional:

Lord, I can’t change the world around me, but I can bring my life and requests to You.  May Your peace guard my heart and mind today.  Thank you that I can rest in Your arms. Amen.

#1000gifts; More thanks!

48. A visit from an old friend
49. Being able to count on someone
50. A wonderful, faithful husband, knowing I can always trust him
51. An early rising daughter excited for school
52. Sunrise on the start of a new school year
53. The sparkle in my 1st graders eyes
54. The flash of my camera to capture the moment
55. A painful drop off at daycare – knowing the wonderful lesson that Mommy will come back
56. A new idea that is accepted with enthusiasm
57. Girl Scouts and Maggie’s excitement for the group
58. Spending time searching for the lesson I’m supposed to be learning
59. Recognizing something, a feeling within myself that I don’t like and adding it to my prayer list
60. Blue sparkly toes
61. The realization that my happiness, my joy does not need to depend upon my job
62. Smores bars
63. A little girl who makes adjustments easily, most of the time
64. Free movie tickets
65. Jessie bringing home a correctly colored “Brown Bear” paper
66. Opportunity to trust God with money
67. Half day of work
68. A new found ability to look at a tricky, difficult work situation as an opportunity
69. Taking time to humble myself at work to be able to work as if I am working for God and not man
70. Time with friends
71. Celebrating Rocky’s birthday
72. Delicious microbrews
73. Getting a table big enough for everyone
74. A delicious burger
75. The look on Rocky’s face when he saw Dave
76. Watching Rocky with Dave
77.  Old friends
78. New friends
79. A yard sale more successful than I could have believed
80. Time to think about that next step

Day 14,610 (again)

Today, I am thankful for the 14,610 days my husband has been on this planet.   He now joins me in a new decade and I think we welcomed this new decade right!  We went out with new friends and one old friend who made the journey from Denver to be here with us!

Dave is Rocky’s oldest friend (and we are looking for the photographic evidence which is around here somewhere).  And it’s been about 8 years since we’ve seen him.  Dave and I conspired to get him here to surprise Rocky.  He got here Friday.  I took half a day off work to pick him up at the airport.  Rocky and Dave spent Friday evening enjoying pizza, a growlers of Angry Hank’s Streetfighter and cigars.  Yesterday, we did put Dave to a little work during the garage sale (roaring success!), but the guys did spend a good part of the afternoon enjoying the Vig.  Last night, some of our new friends joined us at Angry Hank’s for some brews and then to Uberbrew for some awesome food (and brews).  Dave wasn’t sure what to think of the 3 beer limit, but I don’t think he’ll need to eat for about a week with all the food and drink consumed this weekend.

We took Dave on a quick trip to Red Lodge this morning before his flight.  The smoke from the fires has blocked the mountain view, even in Red Lodge, but we got MORE good food and enjoyed the ride.

Happy birthday my love!  I’m looking forward to at least 40 more years with you!

It was the First Day of the First Grade

A few quotes from today:
6:00 am: I thought it was still night, but then I looked out the other side of my window and saw it was light so I knew I could get up.
6:05 am: is it time to go to school yet?
6:20 am: I think that healthy food goes to your brain, but bad food just goes to your gut.
6:24 am: Is it time to go to school yet?
6:40 am: I'm going to wear my vest. These pants are comfortable.
6:41 am: is it time to go to school now?
Repeated numerous times for the next hour until we headed to school at about 7:50, arriving about 15 minutes early.

8:05 am: Okay Mom, you can leave now.

After asking Maggie about her day, she replied: Best thing is 3 recesses, 1 in the morning, 1 after lunch and 1 before we left. And if you are in the after school program you get FOUR recesses!  I looked for a book called "Mystery in Bug Town" in my first grade room. Mrs George likes animals and turned our room into a Zoo or Jungle!  And I played a short game of Monopoly, but somebody helped me.

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More Thanks

25. The Fair!
26. Hot, delicious tomato basil soup
27. A walk in the sunshine
28. The song “Beautiful” by Mercy Me at just the right time
29. Lunch with my friend Diane
30. The way Jessie says “Mag-gie!”
31. The way Jessie says “Mom-my!” when I come home from work
32. The golden light of sunrise on the fields behind the house
33. Cool mornings that signal fall is on the way
34. A sure sign, the sign that a decision was the right one
35. Iced coffee on a hot day
36. Daycare & afterschool care all lined up
37. Mickey Mouse pancakes
38. Taking a lesson learned and doing it again, doing it right
39. Hugs for no reason
40. Jessie singing along to “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse”
41. Action songs with Jessie
42. A fired up preacher man
43. Joyfully singing with an open heart
44. A little boy wanting to be just like Daddy
45. Emerging bravery
46. High-pitched joyful giggles
47. Hot coffee on a cool morning  

Slowly, but surely, I’m getting there.  I think I need to step it up to get to 1000 by the end of the year.  I have, however, caught myself saying Thank You for various things as I have quiet time.  The author is getting more into Grace and how to say thank you when things are difficult.  This is definitely a book to read many many times.

Meet Me at the Fair

Maggie & I went to the fair last night.  It was my first time at a State Fair in a long time. I was in high school the last time I went to the South Dakota State Fair, and I think I went to the Colorado State Fair one time in college.  We weren’t in 4-H and none of us were big on rides, so it never seemed worthwhile for the trip.

But the MontanaFair is right down the road.  And we drive by it every. single. day.  Maggie LOVES rides.  She is much braver that I ever was on those rides.  She didn’t even want me to go with her on ANY of them.

Except the Ferris Wheel. That one she held pretty tightly to me on.

We also ran into some friends, so Maggie had a blast going on rides with Caleb, who is just her age and size and only slightly braver than she is.

I so loved watching Maggie’s smiles and joy as she stood excitedly in line.  I’m glad it was “buddy night” so we were able to get a wrist-band pass which allowed her to go on as many rides as her heart desired.  She was tired and thirsty and a little grouchy at the end of the night, but some water and cotton candy perked her up enough to tell dad about the “frog” ride, which was “The most awesome ride EVER!”

I wanted to Thank You

Since starting on my little challenge, this is the song that has been going through my head.  I believe I heard on K-love Radio that he sings “Thank You” over 30 times in this song.  How very appropriate. In less than a week, I have 24 gifts, blessings, reasons to Thank God:

1. Watching “Curious George” with Maggie
2. A kiss before work
3. Toothless grins from my almost 7 year old
4. Little girl giggles
5. Snuggles from my Jessie
6. A husband who still finds me sexy
7. Purple daisies
8. Time in prayer with girl friends
9. Planning surprises
10. The smell of dry erase markers
11. A cancelled obligation & the gift of time
12. Cold, refreshing water
13. A free lunch
14. Early morning snuggles watching cartoons as a family
15. Fresh smell of rain
16. Raindrops causing ripples in the swimming pool
17. Giant sunflowers just starting to bloom
18. Cupcakes baking, smell wafting throughout the house
19. A whispered “I love you,” secret, seemingly stolen in time
20. Jessie saying “Oh pretty!”
21. Popcorn, the timeless snack
22. The smell of sunshine still in Jessie’s hair
23. Splashing water on a hot Sunday afternoon
24. The hint of pink against a leaving storm cloud at sunset

I think I’m off to a good start and will hit my goal in no time!

Thankful

For my birthday, I received 2 books: the first was the Joyce Meyer devotional I mentioned last week, the second was "One Thousand Gifts" by Ann Voskamp. And today, I am compelled to make a commitment to myself based on what I have read this morning.

The devotional was about not letting the little things get to you, as that is how we lose joy each day. Little things can frustrate us, me, in ways the big things can't. And in the book, the author is writing about how to be thankful, grateful, truly in everything. And to be grateful for the big things we, I, must be grateful for the little minute everyday things.So, if I am thankful in the little things, the little things will not sap my joy, but give me joy.

And so today I commit that I will write down the little things I am thankful for each day, with the goal of getting to 1000 before then end of the year. To keep myself honest, each week I will publish the list in the blog.

1000 seems so daunting and easy all at the same time. Can I do it? Can I learn to be truly thankful in all the little things God provides to me each day?

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Birthday Celebration

My heart {and my wine rack!} is full. I am so very blessed!

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Day 14,610

That is the number of days I have been on this earth (obviously this only counts the days that I have been breathing on my own ).  That is approximately 2087 weeks or 350,640 hours or 21,038,400 minutes.  As I look back on those days, hours, minutes, I tend to wonder, what have I done with that time?  I do have to admit that not all of that time was productive.  Many of those hours have been wasted away in various ways.  Perhaps if I had not wasted those hours, I would be in a different place?  Perhaps I would not wonder else can I contribute to society, to work, to my family.

Of course, there are many things I would not change: my faith, my family are at the top.  Everything else is gravy.  And of course, it is never too late to make changes or go on a different path.  As part of my entry into this new decade, I am resolving to turn my focus inward.  I can only control and change me; I cannot control others, only my reaction to them.  My wonderful husband, perhaps in a nudge by God, gave me a yearly devotional book by Joyce Meyer entitled “The Confident Woman,” a devotional I had kind of started online.  On Wednesday, I checked out the daily devotional and felt it was just too timely, what with my birthday only a few days away.  Titled: It’s Not about Age.  I want to remember the parts speaking to me today:

… It really does not matter how old or young a person is.  If God calls someone to do something, and they have the confidence to go forward, nothing can stop them
   How you respond to your age and, for that matter, how others respond is really up to you.  We all age in years, but we don’t have to an “I’m too old” mind-set.  Moses was 80 years old when he left Egypt to lead the Israelites to the Promised Land.  Confident people don’t think about how old they are; they think about what they can accomplish with the time they have left.  Remember confident people are positive and look at what they HAVE, not what they have lost …
      Lord, You used people of all ages throughout the Bible, and You can use me.  Today is a new day (and decade), and I am excited about what You have for me to accomplish!  Amen.

Today is a new day, a new year, a new decade!  I cannot wait to see what is in store for us!