- Our old kiddie pool busting open on the side. Sharing with Dutch about giving away his toys and how God always blesses a cheerful giver. Then immediately after Dutch giving a toy away the neighbors giving us a brand new kiddie pool as they are moving to another state. Whoa! Amazing provision and beautiful lesson for my boy. Thank you, Jesus, for Your beautiful presence even in the most mundane of places.
- Six of us snuggled into Mom and Dad’s motorhome. Kids sharing the table-turned-into-bed. Too many giggles and not enough sleep but isn’t that what camping is all about?
- The little night-walker who wiggled her way into our bed every night. Not that I minded…
- Sleeping with my little ball of sugar nestled in my arms. That girl takes my breath away. Watching her sleep. Kissing her mouth, inhaling her apple-breath.
- Sitting up late in the darkness playing Scrabble with my man. I must admit, the ipad has its value…
- Sound of pouring rain pattering loud on the metal roof. Thanking God that we weren’t in a tent…
- Gordy & Sandy showing us the pirate village. To my son, whose latest obsession is pirates (which he learned about on Veggie Tales of all places), this was a dream-come-true. All afternoon spent exploring pirate ships and even getting his picture taken with a plastic sword. He even managed to rescue mommy from the mouth of a Great White Shark. Close call!
- Napping with my kids.
- Afternoon down at the beach, kids lost in their make-believe world. Damming up the small trickling river, creating pond for splashing, playing. Heidi falling headlong into the water. Soaked. Daddy carrying her back to the RV for a warm rinse and dry clothes.
- Hobo dinner.
- Fresh blackberry cobbler.
- Arriving home with plenty of day left. Hum of lawnmower and washing machine, hanging clothes out to dry.
- Family trip to Spicer Brothers and a little ice cream treat…
- Waking up to the sound of pouring rain. Oops! Laundry’s still out. Collecting dripping laundry, sopping wet. Having to run the drain and spin cycle to even get it wrung out enough for the dryer. Gotta love Oregon summers…
- Riding with kids in an inflatable kayak … in the garage. No water necessary, all kids need is imagination.
- Finding fresh raspberries and basil on my doorstep.
- Husband who steam-cleans carpets while I write Bible studies. Dreams do come true. 🙂
- Doing a work-out video with both kids. Crunches with Heidi sitting on my stomach (that’s a challenge!). Dutch telling me I needed to do the one-legged lunges with my eyes closed (“Because you’re advanced, mommy!”). Both kids getting tired and just lying on the floor while I finished. They’re pretty wimpy and whiny, but hey, it was fun.
- Another day of rain … the gift is that we’re saving on our water bill?
- Looking forward to date night — free babysitter, free movie, and free popcorn… with the man of my dreams. DOES it get any better than that?
- Washing lettuce from the garden.
- A salad with a tiny bit of grit … reminds me that it’s fresh.
- Hobo dinner — a new hit with the kids. Dutch, “Can we have this for dinner every night.” Have I really found a meal he loves that doesn’t include bread?! Hooray!
- Realizing I’m going to run out of space on this list. Too many gifts to count this week…
- Date night OUT with my man. It really is nice to get out of the house sometimes…
- The blessing of Bob Paskins watching out kids and the hilarious fiasco that ensued when Heidi woke up with a stinky diaper and was not a little surprised to find Bob instead of Mommy. Bob earns a prize!
- Blessed day with a blessed friend getting very pampered for a belated birthday.
- An entire cleaning bucket filled with assorted bottles of Mrs. Meyer’s Basil-scented aromatherapy household cleaners. This domestic diva’s dream come true!
- Getting affected. Being bothered. Letting ourselves be touched.
- 3.7 million opportunities for our glorious God to miraculously move.
- Jeff’s day off.
- Sweet morning coffee date with a dearest friend.
- Arriving home to hear happy shrieks of children running through sprinkler.
- Watching through the window — daddy wrestling little monkeys in the grass.
- Dutch’s ability to turn anything into a pirate ship.
- Packing the car for day at Detroit Lake.
- Taking a nap.
- Resting in grace.