A Return to One Thousand Gifts

It's been a really long time.  Like almost a year.  But, I really want to get back into counting one thousand gifts!  So, I'm jumping back in. This week I'm thankful for:


301. Getting to spend my days with my sweet baby boy (who just so happens to be 7-months-old today!).  I'm seriously obsessed with him.
302. Watching the love my husband has for our son just grow and grow.
303. A man who spoils me rotten.  Like, way too much.
304. Internet at the house.  Finally! (One of the many ways my hubby spoils me.)
305. Each new sign that Spring is right around the corner.
306. Skype.  I love being able to chat with my family half a world away!
307. Earl Grey tea.  Ah, yes.
308. How many sunny days we've had this winter.  This Arizona girl is soaking it all up!
309. Having fires in the fireplaces to snuggle up by.
310. Each new day to spend with my two guys.

One Thousand Gifts:

Sometimes I have to do things I don’t really want to do.  Sometimes I have things coming up that I dread.  And yet, I can’t avoid them.  I must press on.  The challenge is in finding the good in these things…embracing them.


Every situation is for a reason.  Through hard or difficult things, or things we just don’t want to do, we learn things.  We grow stronger.  That is a gift in itself.

291. Situations and tasks that make me stronger.
292. The opportunity to find joy in everything.
293. A short break to soak up some Vitamin D, after being stuck in a building all day.
294. A baby boy who’s kicking me night-and-day, and making me smile almost every minute.
295. The most comfy maternity jeans ever.
296. Minimal discomforts from pregnancy…just an achy back!
297. Warm baths to sooth that aching back. :)
298. Mango iced tea at Chilis. Yum!
299. Getting to wear the cutest shoes I found at a consignment store…and being pleasantly surprised that they are very comfortable!
300. Having people quickly notice that I’m pregnant.  It’s so fun!

One Thousand Gifts: My Garden

The grey winter days made us ambitious.  Maybe a little too much that way.  We dreamed of a huge garden, with all sorts of vegetables.  We dreamed of canning, drying, and making our own “spice mixes”.  We ordered any seed we thought we might use, and dreamed and designed huge garden plans.

And then reality set in.  We’d need more dirt, more space, and more time.  20’x40’ our first year out?  We were crazy.  But we didn’t give up the dream.


We settled on a nice raised bed, 16’ x 16’.  We were amazed as God provided the perfect amount of top soil, and for a great price.  We prepared and got everything ready, we drew up new plans and scaled back on numbers.  And now, we’ve started to plant. 

There’s still much work to be done.  More planting to do.  Watering and weeding and bug picking to plan out.  And then the comes the gathering and preserving.  Yet, it’s work I love to do.  Yes, I love to feel my fingers in the soil, to watch anxiously as my little plants grow.  To care for them and nourish them…to protect them. 

What stuns me most is that God cares for us that way…and then some.  He’s a more dedicated, faithful, and loving Gardener than I could ever hope to be.  Yet, somehow, when I see my little seedlings sprout, I understand just a little bit more about the Mystery that He is. 

281. A spot and land to start the garden of my dreams.
282. A husband who works tirelessly to help me achieve those dreams.
283. A small glimpse of God each time I walk in my garden.
284. His provision.
285. Friends who are always encouraging and faithful, and who I can count on with this baby coming.
286. Watching my belly grow more-and-more each day.
287. Feeling my little son kick me night and day.
288. Knowing that in just a few more months, he’ll be in my arms.
289. Consignment sales and new maternity clothes.
290. Ice cream sundaes on warm, Sunday afternoons.

One Thousand Gifts: Being at Peace

Nineteen more weeks.  Some days it seems like an eternity.    Being halfway there doesn’t seem to help. After all that, after seeing my sweet little man kicking on the ultrasound, after knowing what his name will be…I’m still only halfway there?!


There are days I long to hold him in my arms.  To look into his little face, to sing to him, to love on him.  And yet, I know that time has not yet come. 

I don’t hate being pregnant.  In fact, for the most part, I love it.  Lately I haven’t felt extra tired or unable to do things, and there’s nothing like feeling that life kick and move around inside of you.  And yet, sometimes I get impatient.  Sometimes I just want to fast forward the next several months.  But how much would I miss if I could?  I’d miss the wonder of watching my son grow within me.  I’d miss the last sweet months with just my husband and I.  I’d miss getting to buy cute maternity clothes and show off my baby bump.  I’d miss getting to shop for things for Baby Baker.  I’d miss glorious spring and early summer.  And most of all, I’d miss out on all that God has given me to do today…in the here and now.

Yes, I wait in anticipation for the day I can hold my little one in my arms.  But I’m at peace with right now.  Never again will I be able to have him so close, and keep him so precious to me. 

Pregnancy is a time of waiting…but it’s also a time of feeling God pour out His glorious peace.

271. The gift of experiencing my child growing within my womb.
272. The joy of wondering what my little son will be like.
273. Feeling his kicks almost constantly now.
274. Getting emails from my husband with links to things he wants to get our little man…like a little Carhartt jacket or a Carhartt diaper bag.
275. Getting to experience pregnancy with a growing number of friends and family members.
276. Deals on diapers…it’s never too early to stock up, right?
277. Getting to go to a baby consignment sale this week…and possibly maternity clothes shopping!
278. The satisfied feeling after accomplishing some spring cleaning and organizing.
279. The sweetest man ever who literally spoils me rotten. 
280. Knowing that God has an incredible plan for this season of life.

One Thousand Gifts: The Plum Tree

Spring is in full swing here in the Ozarks.  It seems like everybody keeps holding their breathe for one last winter storm, but each day gets a little warmer, and each day winter seems more and more like a thing of the past. 

A couple of weeks ago, our plum tree started blooming.  Last spring I was enthralled with all of the blooming trees and flowers springing up everywhere you looked.  Spring in the Ozarks truly is a magical time.  But last spring, I didn’t have the plum tree.  In wonder I watched as the buds began to form, and then started to open into the most beautiful flowers I have ever seen.  And oh, how they smelled sweet!

Each morning I would sit at my kitchen table, gazing out at that plum tree.  It was like a fairy tree revealing all its mysterious glory.  I couldn’t help but thank God every time I saw that tree.  After all, what does it reveal about Him, that He would craft something so entirely captivating? 

The blooms are starting to fall and the leaves are branching out.  The enchanted look of the tree has now faded into the background.  My gaze is onto the next thing to spring up or bloom.  Yet, in my memory I hold the image of that lovely tree…and the promise of what each spring will hold.
 
261. Spring, the time when I see His handiwork most clearly here in the Ozarks.
262. Getting to gaze out my window at plum trees and flowers blooming, instead of concrete and cars.
263. The magical effect of daffodils springing up along every ditch.
264. The earthy smell that pervades our yard after rain.
265. True friends and fellowship.
266. Joining hands with brothers and sisters in Christ to serve the Lord by cleaning up yards for people who need it.
267. Another good report about baby…just one more week and we get to find out if Baby Baker is a him or a her!
268. Feeling Baby Baker move all the time now…and Andy being able to feel it too!
269. Another sweet cousin for our own baby, due in October.  Congrats to my brother-in-law and sister-in-law!
270. Another week to spend living the life God has given me.

One Thousand Gifts: Seth

Last Monday was President’s Day.  I actually almost forgot.  The schools around here weren’t closed, and neither was the ironworks plant.  Except for not getting any mail, it seemed like business as usual.  Only, it wasn’t.


Late in the day, as I started supper, I suddenly remembered.  It hit me like a brick.  You see, I don’t know if a President’s Day can pass without me thinking of him.  After all, every time we drive through Harrison, on the way to visit my BIL or go up to the Fayetteville area, I see the sign for “SKD Motors” and everything comes back in a surging wave.  Even little things stir up old memories: Great Danes, four wheelers, sand dunes.  But President’s Day especially is when it all comes back in force. 

How long ago is it now?  I can’t even remember.  I know I was fifteen.  Seth was barely sixteen.  We’d grown up together really.  Lived in the same neighborhood, were in the same class in school, even went to the same church.  Our moms went to Bible study together.  Driving through the neighborhood, we’d see his mom frequently, walking their enormous, loping Great Dane.  Over the past several years we’d lost touch.  We’d gone to different schools and even moved churches, but I still saw him from time-to-time, and barely a day went by when we didn’t see his mom walking their dog. 

And then came President’s Day.  For me, it seemed like any other day.  We were homeschooling at the time, and my mom probably made us do a little bit of school before we were released.  We might even have gone to a movie.  Really, though, I don’t remember. 

It wasn’t until the next morning when I opened up the newspaper that that particular President’s Day suddenly became burned in my memory.  There, staring at me, was a picture of smiling Seth…and an obituary.

I soon found out that it had been an ATV accident.  Seth and his family had been camping at the dunes in California for President’s Day weekend.  They were packing up to leave when Seth had asked his dad if he could go for one more run.  One run was all it took.  He collided with a dune buggy or something, suffering severe head injuries.  He’d died in his brother’s arms before the paramedics could even get there. 

I don’t remember every detail of how I reacted, just snippets of emotions.  Death really had never touched my life.  Great-grandmother’s had died when I was little, but I didn’t remember much.  The worst loss I’d experienced up until that point had been our beloved dog.  But suddenly, death was very real and very cold.  And, worse, it had touched someone so young.

I dealt with my grief quietly, privately.  I didn’t even go to Seth’s funeral, too afraid to even face it.  But I cried for him.  And I mourned with a heavy heart. 

Somehow, through it all, I learned that everyone’s life is in God’s hands, and that we don’t know when our time on earth will be done.  All we can do is wholeheartedly work at the tasks God has given us for now.


Seth died knowing our Loving Savior, and I have no doubt where he is today.  Seth’s passing proved to be more influential for Christ than his life, and many of the friend’s we had grown up with turned to Christ because of it.  Even today, I still see Seth’s life at work.  All over my hometown, you’ll see bumper stickers bearing the initials “SKD”.  And people still talk about him.   

Sadly, Seth was not the last of the kids I grew up with to pass young.  Many of them, unfortunately, did not know the Lord as Seth did.  Every time President’s Day comes around, I think of this.  I think of how fleeting life is.  I think of all the people who don’t know Him, and my heart is burdened and renewed to seek and save the lost. 

Lord, may I be as much a testament and an shining light pointing to You in life as Seth was in death.      

251. Knowing that God has a plan and a purpose for my life.
252. For the opportunity to be used of God to bring others to Him.
253. For the people God has placed in my life who don’t know Him, but whom He’s called me to reach.
254. Being able to leave my burdens and grief at the feet of a loving, merciful Savior.
255. For music that speaks and ministers to my heart when I need it most.
256. For good times with good friends.
257. For a sunny, Sunday afternoon drive exploring with my husband.
258. For getting to feel little kicks in my belly for the first time!
259. For all the babies due to arrive this spring, summer, and fall!
260. For a life full of memories and events that God has used to shape my life.

One Thousand Gifts: A Weekend Away

This past weekend my husband and I took a weekend getaway as a late Valentine’s Day.  Thanks to an amazing deal on Priceline, we were able to get two nights at a nicer hotel in Little Rock on the riverfront for a great price.  We didn’t know how many trips we would be able to get in before the baby comes, so we took this break.

It was well worth it. 


Pictures and more to come, but suffice it to say, we needed the break.  It was so great to just have a weekend for the two of us.  Sometimes, when life is busy and crazy, you just need that time away.



241. Being able to find a great deal on Priceline.
242. Spending two whole days with my best friend.
243. Not having to worry about anything “back home”.
244. Planning for Baby Baker together.
245. Meeting up with friends for some yummy food and frozen yogurt.
246. An absolutely gorgeous, clear Sunday…after a long time of grey.
247. Bright red cardinals in my bird feeder, adding color to dreary days.
248. God’s resolving problems better than we could imagine.
249. Being able to trust Him always.
250. Getting back into the “swing of things” after a time of rest and renewal.

One Thousand Gifts: Valentine’s Day

I know a lot of people who hate Valentine’s Day.  Either they’re cynical about love or they don’t believe that buying expensive flowers and chocolates one day of the year can strengthen a relationship.  In a lot of ways, they’re right.

The first people have seen marriages based in “love” crumble and fall apart.  They might have even experienced it themselves.  The truth is, love and marriage is hard.  It takes a lot of work and sometimes can be downright messy.  And it’s worth it.


As for the second people, they’re right too.  A marriage that’s dying cannot be saved by boxes of chocolates on Valentine’s Day.  Instead, it takes daily work and self-sacrifice.  It takes giving everything you have and showing your love for your spouse in a million different ways.  But that doesn’t make Valentine’s Day an less important.


Valentine’s Day is a day to celebrate love.  It’s a day to enjoy having a “sweetheart” and make the extra effort to be romantic.  While it can’t be the foundation to a marriage, it’s nonetheless important to celebrate together.  What a great opportunity to just stop the hustle-and-bustle of everyday life and reflect on your marriage and your love?

231. Another Valentine’s Day with my soulmate.
232. Little seedlings in my “window garden”…I couldn’t wait any longer!
233. An abundance of south facing windows to let the sun in on my growing number of house plants.
234. Finding joy in the here-and-now.
235. Another good doctor’s visit.
236. Getting to hear my sweet baby’s heartbeat again!
237. Looking forward to learning the gender is just five short weeks.
238. Hearing God speak to me in the smallest, everyday things.
239.Learning to trust God through everything.
240. Having so many people who love me in my life.

One Thousand Gifts: My Sister

As many of you know, I have been blessed with three wonderful sisters.  Whether by blood or adoption, they are all my beloved sisters…a tie that only God can knit.  Today, I’d like to share with you about one of them.

Hilary and I have always been best friends.  We are less than two years apart, and so we found ourselves doing everything together growing up.  Even in high school, we played the violin in orchestras together, and made it to All-State together.  We pretty much had the same friends too. 

When I graduated from high school and went to college, things changed a little, but not much.  I still lived at home, so despite our differing activities, we still did a lot together.  When she entered college, she decided to major in Elementary Education…same as me.  Lest you think she was copying me, Hilary has always been her own person.  She’s independent and strong.  The fact was that it seemed like God was leading us on the same paths. But some days, it seemed like she would never be able to carve her own differing path.

And then I met Andy.  Unfortunately, as anyone who remembers their friends and sisters meeting someone, other relationships change.  Hilary and I were still best friends, but there was someone else in my life now.  And that someone happened to steal me away halfway across the country.  For the first time, Hilary was alone.

Over the past year and a half since I got married, I have proudly watched as Hilary struck her own path and became a woman.  No, it was not the same path as mine, and it’s had lots of bumps and holes along the way.  But she’s shown herself strong and incredibly grounded.  She’s gotten to do things I never did.  She’s taken a mission trip to Ireland, became a leader in various college groups, led worship at church, organized a whole VBS, became a wonderful nanny, became a prestigious Rodel scholar, and, in December, graduated with her Bachelors of Science in Elementary Education.  Oh, and did I mention she’s only twenty?


It’s amazing for me to watch Hilary’s walk with God.  She’s so in love with Him…so hungry for Him.  As she sought out God’s will for this next phase of life, she faced many tough decisions.  Should she teach?  Pursue a masters in Biblical Studies?  Attend a Bible college?  Go on a long-term mission?  Ultimately, she made the decision to follow God’s will. 

Starting today, she begins a two-year program at Calvary Chapel Bible College in California.  I’m so excited for her as she enters this new phase in life and seeks a deeper relationship with Christ.  I don’t know where God will lead, but I do know that she is right in the center of His will. And I couldn’t be prouder.

221. For three wonderful sisters to share life with.
222. Watching God lead every one of us on His own unique path.
223. Having fun becoming aunts together.
224. For all the wonderful “almost sisters” in my life.
225. Getting to spend time with friends and family.
226. Spending time teaching young minds.
227. Another baby appointment today.
228. Much prayed-for blessings coming true.
229. The wonderful gift of a bright sunny day.
230. Getting to watch my sisters become amazing women of God.

One Thousand Gifts: Little Lives

I got to sub several times last week, in a variety of classrooms.  It’s always refreshing and renewing to get to pour into these young lives.  So many of these students have less-than-ideal home lives, many go without, and others live with their grandparents or relatives.  Some of them might not know what it’s like for someone to genuinely care about them.  How I want to just take these kids home with me!  But all I get are a few short hours from time-to-time…a few short hours that could make a world of difference.

As my belly starts to swell and I’m reminded more-and-more of the life growing inside of me, I think about these kids.  I think about how I will raise my own children…and I think about how different the lives of many children are from what I would wish upon them.

And then I think of my sweet little nieces and the gift that they are.  Jennifer finally got to come home on Saturday, so that means the girls are reunited once again.  They are so tiny and so precious…and already God has a plan for their life.

It’s at these times that I learn to remember that God is in control of each life, no matter how small.  He created each one of these children unique and special, just like He is forming the child in my womb.  And even when they may think nobody loves them…He does.  He has them in His hands, and that’s the best place to be.

Marie (left) and Jennifer (right) at home on Saturday

211. For the gift of hugs and sweet words from precious little children.
212. Nieces that are both finally home.
213. A swelling abdomen that is growing more each day…a sign of the baby within me.
214. A much-needed date night with my man after missing out for a couple of months.
215. Bright sunny days, even in January.
216. Working on our house and making it a home.
217. Homemade peanut butter granola bars (I’m trying to eat healthy even as my appetite grows.)
218. Planning out our garden and dreaming of what will be.
219. Thinking up fun things to do for Valentine’s Day.
220. The promise of Spring right around the corner.

One Thousand Gifts: A New Week

For some reason, every Monday is exciting to me.  It’s a chance to start everything afresh…a chance to start from scratch.  It’s so refreshing to have the opportunity to not waste as much time and be more productive, to live each day for Christ. 

So often, at the end of the week, I find myself wishing I could go back in time.  I wish I hadn’t wasted so much time on Facebook or watching t.v.  I wish I had gotten that chore done I needed to do, or wish I had done a better job with meal planning.  But there’s no going back, only pressing forward.

And that’s why, when Monday rolls around, I’m thankful to be able to start it all over.  I’m hopeful that the end of this week won’t find me regretting the way I spent my time so much.  And yet, I’m learning how meaningless so many things on my “to-do” list are.  I’m learning to take each day as it comes, asking God what He wants me to do in it. 

When you start a week knowing that the last one was chock full of God’s path for you, the new week becomes all the more appealing.

201. Hot chocolate on misty days.
202. Making a meal that makes me say “Mmm”. (That would be homemade stir fry. :) )
203. Omelettes made by my man before I head off to work.
204. Enjoying being young and spontaneous with my best friend.
205. The peace that comes with knowing that God is watching over us.
206. Sweet hugs from kindergartners.
207. A mice-free kitchen…even when we’ve had mice in other parts of the house!
208. A man who takes care of the mice for me at 3 in the morning.
209. A weekend to relax and rejuvenate with my sweet husband.
210. For another week to let God live in me.

One Thousand Gifts: Peace in Winter

The time of year I have struggled with most since moving to Arkansas has always been Winter.  I guess it’s because I’ve always connected my emotions so closely with the changing seasons, with the sky and the green tree.  When I go outside, I am revived.  Not because I feel a connection with “Mother Earth”, but because I never feel closer to God than in His glorious creation. 

It’s so easy to see Him in Spring, Summer, and Fall, when all is green or colorful.  New life comes, lives, then starts to rest.  And there’s so much to look forward to.  Each new bud, each magical firefly, and each falling leave are wonders to me.  And then there’s all that comes with them.  Spring, when being outside once again becomes fun, and when we celebrate Easter together.  Then comes Summer, days at the creek, no school, and Fourth of July.  And then in comes Fall with all it’s wonder, bringing with it apple cider, pumpkin pies, and Thanksgiving, and with it the expectation of the Christmas season.

But then the leaves fall and Christmas passes.  Suddenly I start to notice that the trees are all bare, and that the ground is brown, not like the evergreens where I come from.  The skies here are grey and colorless, and a purple haze hovers above everything.  In Flagstaff, the skies were always bright blue and clear, even in winter.  And then there’s the cold, wet days…the chill sinking to your bones…without much snow to brighten them.  In Flagstaff it was even colder, but not the wet cold we experience here.  And there was almost always snow…lots of it. 

And suddenly I feel my emotions becoming flat, like the grey sky.  What beauty is there to rejoice in at such a time?

My sister wrote this post the other day, about where God was leading her next.  In it, she talked about the seasons.  But she didn’t describe winter as dull and flat.  She described it as a peaceful time…a time for rest and reflection.  A time to let life slow down a bit.

Reading her blog, I was struck by the beauty I miss in winter.  Yes, there is that mysterious purple haze hovering above the Ozarks, a beauty I’ve always seen, but there’s also so much more!  Why can’t I delight in the peace of this time?  Why can’t I embrace the quiet and the solitude that this season brings.  Winter is about so much more than waiting for Spring.  It’s about renewal, rest, and silence.  Just like the trees outside, my soul needs a rest to.  And that’s where Winter comes in.

191. Peaceful winter days to read, pray, and reflect.
192. Letting life slow down just a tad.
193. Cardinals that still bring their beautiful red to my bird feeder…even in winter.
194. Unexpected sunny days that remind me of where I come from.
195. The blessing of seeing our precious baby on the ultrasound.
196. Learning to trust God with the actions and hearts of others.
197. A husband who is also a good man.
198. Game night with other couples
199. A weekend spent with family.
200. Starting to notice the beginnings of a baby bump. :)

One Thousand Gifts: A New Year?

Seriously, where has the time gone?

I should have known that I wouldn't have time for blogging and keeping up the house during the Christmas season.  I just thought I would.  But obviously I didn't.


After being gone for the better part of two weeks, first spending Christmas in Arizona and California, and then  taking our college group to Passion 2012 in Atlanta, I can definitely say it's glad to be home.  Now comes the "re-entry", as my MIL calls it, into life.

And yet, I don't want to go back to the same-old, same-old.  After all that's happened, I want to be different...changed.


Lord, may you lead us as we get back to life.  Show us what we need to cut out and what we need to add.  And most of all, let us not be the same.

181. Getting to be home in our own cozy bed...for the first time in awhile.
182. The lasting memories of spending Christmas with my family.
183. The beginnings of healing.
184. Learning that being like Jesus is not being religious.
185. Spending four wonderful days getting fed...and leaving changed.
186. Getting to have my sister here for a visit...knowing that the next may be awhile away.
187. A baby sister who turned eighteen on Saturday.  Can this be true?
188. Knowing that there is a miraculous life within me.
189. Not caring about the "inconveniences" that pregnancy brings, but instead being happy to take them on for the sake of my growing babe.
190. Having a husband who I can follow, no matter what...and who doesn't want to live the same old way either.

And lest you ask for pictures and updates on baby, more is coming...soon.  I have so much to share with you about our time out west and back east!  So stay tuned! Baby Baker is nine weeks along now and my first doctors appointment is tomorrow, so I expect you'll be hearing more in the next few days.

God bless in this upcoming week, and as you enter this new year.

One Thousand Gifts: For What Could Have Been

As many of you know, Andy and I own a sweet little beagle named Sam.  Sam is our little buddy.  She's sweet to everyone and is always happy.  She's not our "baby", but she's definitely a part of the family.

Last night we got home from Missouri (which was great...more to come!) to find Sam missing...with her tie out.  It was ten o'clock at night, dark, and our sweet Sam was nowhere to be found.  We called and called, and Andy even drove around for awhile with the four wheeler, but still no sign of her.

I resigned myself to go to bed, knowing that God knew where she was and would take care of her.

I realized we left our toothbrushes in the car and went out to get them.  I decided to call one last time.  This time, I heard a very faint whine.  I knew it was Sam.  Only, it wasn't coming from the field behind our house like I thought...it was coming from across the street.

I rushed inside to get Andy, who got the four wheeler out again.  Poor guy, I was kind of freaking out a little.  I think I woke up all our neighbors when I realized our cat was trying to follow us across the street in front of cars.  But I digress.

Andy found her behind the manufacturing building across from us.  Her tie out was badly tangled in big pieces of lumber...so much so that Andy left it...but she was okay.  I was so thankful, and I knew God had planned my going back to get the toothbrushes.  I never would have heard her cries had I not been out front, where I didn't expect to find her.

Anyway, Andy was very sweet about it and got our little buddy all tucked in for the night.  I don't think anymore tie outs are in her future...apparently she's just a little Houdini.

171. For God showing us where our little friend was stuck.
172. For Sam being totally fine...just a little scared. (No telling how long she'd been there!)
173. For a wonderful weekend with family in Missouri.
174. For the chance to sleep in two days in a row.
175. For delicious treats and Christmas goodies.
176. For the excitement of seeing my family this next weekend.
177. For looking forward to a New Year, and many new things to come.
178. For finding an ornament that summed up our year perfectly...and half off too!
179. For a husband who goes out in the middle of the night looking for our dog.
180. For sweet buddies who make our life a little big brighter (I'm so thankful for Sam and Elsa!)

One Thousand Gifts: Family and Friends

Another busy week closer to Christmas...another week closer to doing Christmas with my in-laws and another week closer to spending Christmas with my family back west.  December truly is flying by!

161. The joy of being completely done with our escrow work.  Now we can work on our house on our own time!
162. Finally getting my voice back after a nasty cold last week.
163. Talking to one of my sisters who is now done with student teaching...yay for graduating!
164. Going out for lunch with my man mid-week.  Always fun!
165. Spending time with wonderful ladies from church at a Christmas party.
166. Learning to play spades with some pretty awesome people.
167. The blessing of friends, old and new.
168. Having friends over for chili Friday night, and their two-year-old son wondering why on earth our poor Christmas tree was so naked.  (We haven't had time to decorate it yet!)
169. Seeing the people of our church donate so generously to send the college group to Passion 2012.  Even at Christmastime and even in hard economic times.  We raised over $4000 in one day!
170. Looking forward to time spent with family the next few weeks.

One Thousand Gifts: The Christmas Season

The Christmas season is upon us, and I’m loving every minute.  The beautiful decorations, the Christmas carols, the cozy mood…not to mention celebrating the birth of our Savior.  It’s a wonderful time of year!  What would winter be without Christmas?

It’s also been a busy season for us.  Christmas tasks and house projects have our schedules filled to the brim.  It’s nice to take the time to enjoy the season, though.  Sunday afternoon it was rainy and chilly, so my husband and I snuggled up on the couch with a blanket, warm chili, and hot chocolate, and just enjoyed being together.  All of our Christmas decorations aren’t up, and we still have gifts to buy, but we’re enjoying the time given to us.

151. The wonderful smell of a freshly-cut tree.
152. Hot chocolate on a rainy winter afternoon.
153. Extra parties and celebrations with friends.
154. Singing along to my favorite Christmas carols.
155. Looking forward to extra time spent with family over the holidays.
156. Already having decorations and things to put up…especially our “Our 1st Christmas” ornament.
157. Colorful Christmas lights on our house.
158. Cozy nights spent by the fire.
159. Nieces that are now at the hospital in Minot…one step closer to going home!
160. Fallen leaves and cold weather that remind you of new life that’s right around the corner in Spring.

One Thousand Gifts: Stress

Stress.  The bane of my existence.  The thing that makes my skin break out, my immune system go down the tubes, and my life become quite hectic.

This past week has been that way.  We're approaching a deadline (tomorrow!) for an escrow on our house, when certain work needs to be done.  It's been chaotic trying to get everything done.  But we're almost there!  And, despite how stressful it has been, this past week has been greatly rewarding as well.

Through all the stress and, in fact, because, of the stress, there are things to be thankful for.  Extra time with my husband working on the house.  Making the great decision to squeeze in some time to spend with friends and make little boys smile.  Yes, despite how much I hate it, I'm thankful for stress this week.

Somehow, it puts everything into perspective...and makes me trust my Jesus that much more. 

141. Nights and spent hanging out with friends and enjoying life together.
142. A Friday night "date" to get fast food in our paint-splattered clothes in the midst of working on our house.
143. Celebrating one year of life with a sweet little baby.
144. Becoming the "tickle monster" for two precious little boys...and knowing I'll never be able to live that down.
145. Honest conversations and encouragement with girlfriends.
146. Working on the house with my husband and seeing things finally "come together".
147. A husband who knows so much about house repairs and fixes.
148. A husband who thinks I'm beautiful even with that "stress" pimple on my chin.
149. Fog in the field behind our house.
150. Looking forward to possibly my favorite holiday...all coming on Thursday!

One Thousand Gifts: They Will Change Your World

This week my list has been completely taken over by two little girls, who have rocked my world.  And I don’t mind one bit. 

A week after my nieces were born by emergency c-section at just 30 weeks, Andy and I were able to fly up to see them, along with my parents and one of my other sisters.  We were so blessed to get to go.  Blessed to have flights that were open, and blessed that the girls are at a NICU in Minneapolis, which is much easier to get to than remote North Dakota where my sister and her husband live.

Being an aunt is a wonderful thing.

131. Getting meet me my brand new nieces.
132. Holding their little hands and stroking their soft heads.
133. Getting to see my sister as a new mommy.
134. Seeing her husband completely enraptured by his new little girls.
135. Watching my parents hold their new grandbabies with tears in their eyes.
136. Seeing my other sister crying and telling her little nieces over-and-over how much she loves them.
137. Watching my Andy becoming “Uncle Andy”, and looking at his new nieces with such tendernessl.
138. Feeling an incredible feeling of love wash over me, and feeling like an aunt for the first time.
139. Two little girls who are tiny but doing good, without any complications.
140. Knowing that my life will never be the same.

One Thousand Gifts: Precious Miracles

This week has been so busy, I haven't even had time to catch my breathe.  I'm still trying to catch up on everything from the High Point show (which I have yet to blog about).  Add to that a surprise visit from one of my sisters, my birthday on Saturday, and my two neices being born Friday via emergency c-section, and I'm about to pull my hair out. 

It's been good though.

Hopefully this week things will slow down...and I'll finally be able to catch my breath.

121. Two precious nieces that are tiny, but safe and healthy!
122. A sister who is now a proud mama.
123. Seeing God's mighty hand through everything.
124. A family of believers who have encircled these precious babies in prayer.
125. Getting to spend a weekend with my sweet sister.

126. Hayrides and bonfires with friends.
127. More rooms getting closer to being finished.
128. The crisp smell of fall.
129. Rain making our home seem so cozy.
130. Another year to delight in God's blessings.

One Thousand Gifts: Coming Home

Friday afternoon Andy and I finally pulled in to our driveway after being gone for a week and a half.  For a week, we had been in High Point, NC, at the furniture market.  The days were long and tiring.  My husband and I got to be together all day, but somehow it felt like we didn't actually have any time together.  We were too distracted with being "professional" and "working".

It's good to be home.

111. A delicious lamb gyro.  You just can't get that where we live.
112. Peace about God's plan and timing.
113. A bonfire with the college group.
114. Working like crazy on our house and seeing our dreams take shape.
115. Getting to actually spend time with my husband.
116. A Sunday afternoon nap after a long couple of weeks without a weekend.
117. The lowest energy bill we've ever seen.
118. Celebrating my beautiful Mama's birthday, even though I couldn't be there.
119. Sweet little pets so excited to see us home.
120. Getting to take a bath...after being stuck in a handicapped hotel room with only a shower.