Friday, February 18, 2011

Friday Should be Fun

Alright blog friends,
Today is Friday, the beginning of the winter break and time to relax!  Actually I won't be relaxing all that much I'm taking a class during the break that promises 6-8 hours of class-time/day and 2 - 3 hours of homework every night (basically one semester of course squished into 1 week).  That should test to see if my brain still works at all!
Anyway, just wondering what you do to relax during holidays with your kids all home?  Have a great break...

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Monday, February 14, 2011

1000 gifts...continued

I have already completed a list of 1000 gifts but on this wonderful day I think it is time to continue the journey...

gifts for a Valentine's day, compiled with the help of my girls...

19 years of wedded bliss....really, I'm not kidding
6 wonderful kids
a warm home
clothing to wear
food to eat
plans and dreams
difficulties to make us stronger
cheesecake
presents
sunshine
family
rain
deep snow drifts
my little hippie girl (she's just a hippie for today)
my little sweetie who is thankful for Jesus
The Truth Project
friends
laughter
smiles
giggles
straws
pipe cleaners
new fabric!!!!!!!!!!
finding the perfect pattern
putting those last two together to make something glorious
fresh bread in the oven
summer borscht on the table (yum)
classical music
the hope of spring
butterflies
flowers
The Mother Earth Garden Planner
tea
engagements
weddings
babies
cousins
being married to my best friend for 19 years
girlfriends
not caring for one day about what a mess my house is or how much weight I need to lose
being caught up with the laundry (for 1 day)
answer keys to math questions we can't figure out
it is a gift to no longer be required to do math! :)
quilts
good books
ponytail holders
hugs
new shoes
a 7 year old hurtling through the dark to land on me and tell me he loves me
sleep
waking up without pain (didn't happen today, but when it does, it is a gift)
green smoothies
Mr. Chubbs
Ginger
Storm
Cassie (even though it's time for her to make her way to doggie heaven)
love
peace
joy
patience
pictures
to have a thankful heart is a gift in itself
music
milk
comfy chairs
15 minutes
accountability partners
money
selling lentils
cookies
pink dresses
dolls
purple dresses
green dresses
Polly Pockets
flannel boards
pianos
hair
lips
tongue
nose
eyeballs
ears
teeth that grow in your mouth every day
cheeks
fingernails and nail polish
headbands
paintings
movies that make you cry
movies that make you laugh
owies that get better
bread
buns
bracelets
earrings
necklaces
glasses
Ipad
Ipod

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Seasons

A week or two ago we were at a friend's house for supper.  They have a lovely home and warm hospitality.  As we sat down to eat I noticed a series of pictures on the wall.  Each one had a tree in a different season.  My husband asked them which one represented where they were in their journey at the moment.  They decided that they were in the springtime season at the moment, not yet fully blooming but showing loads of promise, past the dark winter that they had recently experienced.
Our host made a comment that resonated in my spirit.  He said, "The season will change whether you want it to or not."  For me that is good news today.  We are living in a very dreary winter, problems are piled high and it is very cold, lonely and bleak in my spirit, yet the promise of spring remains.  This season will pass and we will enter a time of newness and budding and promise.  For now, we wait, still alive in there somewhere even though it may not look like it on the outside.
Every season has a beginning and an end.  It is glorious to feel the summer sun on your face and smell the fragrance of  flowers in bloom.  We sigh contentedly as we watch the summer flowers droop and fade, full of watermelon and lemonade.  Autumn brings a crispness to the air and it is immensely satisfying to see the harvest come in. There is beauty even in the longest of winters, branches dripping with hoarfrost, diamonds sparkling in whiteness. Then the warmth comes back and the snow gives way to mud and a glimmer of green.  I look forward to the excitement of spring again, it will come, it may be a long way off yet, but thank God, it will come.