Multitudes on Monday - March 5, 2012

What a week!  With gorgeous weather, we spent so much time outside playing with friends that I forgot to get pictures.  Likely, I would've ended up with lots of them showing smiling, filthy children.  :-)

In any case, some of the blessings we recorded are:

- fun school time

- a beautiful day for a tour of a beautiful church

- blooming flowers, signs of God's creation all around us

- best friends, snuggling and reading together

There's also been:
- a spontaneous date night
- a new local restaurant that has fun menu options
- the finding of something lost
- a warm coat and gloves on a cold night
- the hope of morning snow
- warm sunshine
- new friends
- playdates with good friends
- children's laughter filling the yard
- a kitten that puts up with rambunctious kids trying to carry her around
- a wonderfully tasty meal at church

What blessings have you found this week?

Multitudes on Monday - February 27, 2012

What a week!  It's been busy but wonderful.  Here are a few of our blessings:

- We got out first - and maybe our only - snow!  

- Not only was the snow fun, but it was beautiful, too.

- I loved watching the kids' excitement!

- Lenten fastnachts, our own version, shared with friends.

- An opportunity to learn with friends.

- A weekend visit with family.

- My Big Helper's first lost tooth.

There was also:

- I was served communion by My Big Helper for the very first time this weekend.  It was amazing.

- A run with my Little Man.

- Riding my antiquated scooter with the kids - until they decided that mine was better.  ;-)

What sorts of blessings did you receive this week?

Multitudes on Monday - February 20, 2012

Being busy always makes it harder to find peace, I think.  I love that God asks us to "be still" and know Him.  I've been bad about carving out those important pockets of time this week - I'm determined to do better in the days to come.

Still, despite my failings, He is always faithful.  This week has been no different:

My Little Man, excited to peel his own carrots, saying that "it's the best job ever!"

- Making valentines with My Big Helper.  She made each one individually and it took days, but it was fun to have some crafty time with her.

- Time hanging out and playing with friends at our Valentine's Party.

- My Big Helper is super excited about her new Bible and daily reading plan.  :-)

- I won a giveaway and a whole box of cakes in a jar showed up at my doorstep.  Yay for chocolate - delivered, even!

- Some beautiful, warm sunny days when we could play outside - more than usual.

- The neighbor's dogwoods are blooming!  They're so pretty and always remind me of my great-grandmother's tree outside the farmhouse.

- Violet-like flowers blooming all over the front yard.  They had my Big Helper quite excited this week!

- A playful, happy kitten.

- Our first Chinese food dinner as a family, and the kids loved it!

- While it was 69 a few days ago, today it snowed!  We've got much more than this now and school has been cancelled.  Snow day at home!  :-)

What blessings have you seen this week?

Multitudes on Monday - February 6, 2012

We had a totally chaotic week, with schedules going every which way, and yet ...

- My Big Helper loved making dessert all by herself - and she did a great job.

- There are such enthusiastic kids in our playgroup.

- My Little Man wrote his first book - about dinos, of course.

- He learned how to peel carrots, too, and excitedly declared that "This is the most fun EVER!"

- The valentines' crafts are beginning to happen.  I love to see their creativity!

And there were other things, things where the camera just didn't happen in time:
- A little boy, excited to spend time with his daddy on Sunday afternoon.
- A little girl, excited to come home from Bible class and start reading her new Bible, cautioning us not to lose her page.
- A great report card.
- Daffodils blooming in our back yard, and gracing the kitchen table, as well.  I love having fresh flowers in the house!
- A fire in the fireplace on a cold  night.
- Being missed at a party by my children, and having My Little Man decide that he and I should have our own to make up for it.  I love his thoughtful heart.

Which blessings are you finding this week?

Multitudes on Monday - January 9, 2012

Does it ever seem like there's a whole week of only happy in your house?  I keep looking for it - waiting for it - wanting it; but it always seems as if something crazy happens.  This week, the washing machine flooded again, causing lots of extra cleaning, which was rather depressing, but then again ...

• With so much 'flood' experience, it was cleaned up faster than ever.
• My laundry room has been returned to a pristine condition - with much less clutter.

We also ...

- had lots of fun with 'T is for Truck' week.

- found several new recipes that even the pickiest eater in the household liked ....

- and one that quickly became my new favorite.

 

- A free family hot chocolate night at McDonald's turned into a smoothie night when their hot chocolate machines broke.  Not sure how that happens, exactly, but since I like smoothies much better, it all worked out for me.

- My Little Man has really loved the new family Nook.  We found a free Smithsonian app that allows us to watch short videos about sharks and dinosaurs. I love watching how fast he picks up the new technology!

We've also:

• enjoyed our first-ever family Oregon Trail.  
• my husband spent a fun day with the kids away from the house while I put away the Christmas decorations.
• my husband and our Big Helper did the dishes for me on Friday night.  Yay!
• my family delivered a healthy lunch to me mid-tree removal yesterday.  So yummy.
• I've eaten less sugar over the past few days.  Definitely a must.

So despite the usual craziness, there have been lots of good things this week.  What blessings have you received this week?

For more Multitudes on Monday, visit A Holy Experience!

Multitudes on Monday - December 19, 2011

This afternoon, as I was preparing to write this post, my computer decided that it didn't want to be on the 'Net anymore, and it still refuses to connect.  So I'm writing on my Jurassic-aged desktop, that fortunately connects happily but quite slowly.  Since my pics are on my laptop, this will be an almost photo-free post.

Despite my computer craziness, this week I'm thankful for:

- an abundance of homemade applesauce

- finishing 8 loaves of spiced applesauce bread for neighbors and teachers

- My Little Man finally liking to color! and asking me to color with him. Yay for dino coloring books!

- My Big Helper the Elf in her school's Christmas program

- My Little Man enjoying time with friends

- making a new friend myself

- a happy Christmas bonus from that temporary job

- a great weekend with family

- a wonderful Christmas Family Date Day with my immediate family, enjoying old activities and trying new ones

- the slowing of the schedule as Christmas approaches

- the great new book that came in the mail

- the sight of my two kids, side by side, sporting their ice skates, excited about getting on the ice for the first time

- My Big Helper making dinner for everyone by herself for the first time on Saturday - and loving it!  I love knowing that she's learning skills she can use as a grownup and that she's having fun, too.

For more Multitudes on Monday, visit A Holy Experience.

Multitudes on Monday - December 12, 2011

This week was a busy one, but the kids and I each got to have special time together.  

My Little Man and I made a simple nativity set.

We also went to see A Christmas Carol with friends.

He had his last day of preschool before Christmas break, so we made cookies for treat bags to share with his friends.

My Big Helper accepted my invitation for a night at the ballet together.

My Little Man served as Ishkatay and built a fire with my on Friday night.

While My Big Helper and I had a girly fun night, the men headed for the woods.  My Little Man loved his new coveralls!

Despite a super late night, we were up, dressed, and ready for church - early!  We visited a new church, and the kids chose to stay for Sunday school, and they left us to be escorted by the teachers eagerly.

We made Christmas cards to deliver to a nursing home on our upcoming Christmas Family Date.

A night at the theater with My Big Helper - it was such a fun night!

So often I feel as if I'm missing special time with my kids, despite the fact that I'm a SAHM and that's the whole reason I'm home.  This week, though, we made sure we got lots of special time, and in this season that so often involves loads of 'stuff,' this was priceless.

What blessings have you been given this week?

Christmas seems to be ruling my list this week, but we've been working hard to get ready.  I want to get the "stuff" preparations out of the way so that we can spend lots of time together focusing on the reason for the season in the days leading up to Christmas.

But this week, in the Advent craziness, here are just a few of the blessings I found:

- buying a freshly cut tree from a family's lot.

- rustic stuffed-apple coffee cake, prepped for Christmas breakfast and in the freezer.

- best friends, dancing to Christmas music, waiting to decorate the tree.

- beading Christmas ornaments while they wait patiently for the lights to be strung.

- time with friends, making Christmas cards for firefighters.

- Help not only with the tree ornaments, but with every other decoration in the house!  Wonderful family time - and the mess cleaned up in record time.

What blessings have you discovered this week?