Dear God - thanks for the tulips :)

462. Spring tulips. Nothing breathes hope more than sunshine-infused tulips.
463. Husband who bought me a great magazine for a relaxing read.
464. A supportive circle of family.
465. Naps with my daughter.
466. Spring-inspired chalk art on our driveway.
467. Knowing what I'm making for supper tonight :)
468. Work options for my husband.
469. Broad shoulders.
470. Grace.
471. A wonderful place to worship.
472. A pantry full of food.
473. Clean clothes (even if they aren't all put away yet)
474. Good neighbours.
475. Listening in on my children's conversations and giggling.
476. Watching my kids laugh and play with Nana and Papa.
477. A fun walk at the dog park with the grandparents.
478. Holy week.

I am part of the 1000 gifts community at A Holy Experience.

this moment

Inspired from Soulemama:

{this moment} - A Saturday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savour and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

Breaking Bread

A homemade batch of chicken vegetable soup does wonders for the soul. So does fresh bread. Today I am thankful for so many things, including:

441. Family to break bread with
442. Watching the steam rise from soup made with love
443. Unexpected family day
444. Holistic approaches to medicine and treatment
445. Hands folded in prayer
446. Saying good-bye to my 98 year old great-aunt
447. Hardy laughs from my ticklish daughter
448. Watching father and son play marbles together
449. Gently nuzzling my daughter's hot pink cheeks after waking from her nap
450. Having a reliable vehicle
451. A new fellowship group for my husband
452. Friends who can help with childcare
453. Lunch plans for next week
454. Teacher praises for my son
455. Listening to daughter sing her ABC's, especially the LMNNNNOOOPPPP (garble garble) part
456. Popping corn with my son (and sneaking in some Smarties)
457. Watching UP with my family, all of us cuddled on the couch
458. A quiet house filled with sleeping babies
459. Making connections and new friends
460. The feel of my bible
461. Watching with delight as my son learns how to add and subtract. I love watching his brain work, as he reaches understanding of new concepts.

What are you thankful for? Would you consider starting your own list of thanksgiving? Join the 1000 gifts community at A Holy Experience.

When life hands you lemons...

Today was a lesson in taking the lemons life hands you, and well, making blueberry lemon muffins.

I came across a wonderful blog (Joy Ever After) that featured a recipe for scrumptious blueberry lemon muffins, along with a great way to spread some sunny cheer with my neighbours (click here to download Amanda's template for the neighbour gift tag). Really, who doesn't enjoy the surprise of freshly baked muffins at your door? Instant joy. I love the zest lemons give to life.

To Uganda, with love.

(forgive me for the multiple posts in such a short span, but I FINALLY got my pics off my camera!)

Our family is really excited about our sponsor child, Sarah. I am trying to explain to my children that not everyone has the blessings that we enjoy. The kids look forward to the letters we receive from Sarah. They like to see her pictures and the drawings scribbled out by Sarah's eight-year-old hand. On this night, the kids are drawing pictures for Sarah. My son drew a picture of our church and all its windows and the cross at the top ("that's so people know where the church is, mom," explains my son.) My daughter drew lots of smiley faces to send to Uganda. We then traced all our hands on a sheet of paper...and we're hoping Sarah will trace her hand for us to see.

If you would like to find out more about sponsoring a child in need, please visit Compassion.

Swinging into Spring

any excuse to eat muffins outside on a warm spring day!

Boy, husband and our dog

Helping Daddy take off all the Christmas lights
Spring is budding
Writing love letters with chalk
snow in her rain boots...
their laughter is infectious
such a great big brother
My five-year old's portrait of his shadow
Bubbles

This moment

Inspired from Soulemama:

{this moment} - A Saturday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savour and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see. (ps - I cheated on this one. This is one of my favourite pics, as my camera won't download right now)

Letting go

We have been facing some real challenges in our family over the past few months. The words that keep surfacing in my heart are "Let go, Let God".

Lately my faith has been more of a pleading to my Father to deliver me from pain, anxiety, worry, anger, frustration, and loneliness. Isn't it predictable that when I am most needy, every waking thought (and my dreams) consist of pleads to God to restore? When times are good, I chat with God much more casually, thanking Him for His blessings at the end of the day; creating almost a feeling of entitlement.

I have to believe that this valley of darkness has a purpose, that this experience will refine me into a greater child of God. As Psalm 23 says, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil for you are with me, your rod and staff, they comfort me." God's very words promise that I will make it through this valley - and He will never leave my side.

What words give you a beacon of light in dark times?

One of those days

Today was one of those days I didn't know if I should laugh or cry. So I did both. In the spirit of honesty, here are some of the challenges that I dealt with today...

• waking up to a house that looked like a tornado had run through it. We were so busy this weekend, that there was no time to pick up and put away. So Monday morning began with picking up, stacking, folding, washing, wiping, clearing, brushing, shoving, scraping...and that was only the kitchen...

• newly potty-trained daughter peeing on my back as she lay on me while watching tv (kinda funny now, but SO not funny at the time).

• watching marbles fly everywhere when my son emptied his marbleworks box in the middle of the living room floor. Groaning because I knew that there was no way he was going to clean it up...
  
  
• Watching poor husband negotiate (and silently cursing) the pendant light I brought back from my trip into the too-small socket in our kitchen for days. Tonight he proudly showed me it was finished. Happy sighs quickly displaced by the light circuit popping and the pendant come crashing down. (note: husband wants me to specify the light broke because it was faulty, not his workmanship ;)
  
  
• Having said pendant light crash down on our sink faucet and breaking the seal. (Husband has temporarily fixed it...)
  
  
• Feeling horribly guilty for my mommy temper-tantrums which resulted in my sore throat and tears from all of us.
  
  
• Husband having a rotten day at the office. It really is tough to bounce back when both partners have a bad day.
  

Argh. Rough day in our house...but I know I have so many things to be thankful for. And here are some of my humble thanks:

425. A home that we "own" (of course the bank owns most of it, but you know what I mean)
426. Knowing that my biggest complaints are nothing more than bumps in the road.
427. Knowing that God is with me. It is a great comfort when I feel alone in this world.
428. Grandma's who are able (and want to) watch the kids.
429. Mini chocolate covered cheesecakes for days like today.
430. Good friends that I can just be myself with.
431. Having this blog to express myself.
432. Seeing great grandpa and grandma.
433. My health and my family's health.
434. A warm walk in the dog park with the kidlets, friend and dogs.
435. Sunshine streaming in my windows. Spring is almost here!
436. Cute clothes that are passed down to my daughter.
437. The song ALIVE AGAIN by Matt Maher. I'm literally breathing in this song.
438. Forming new friendships with God-loving women and their families (Claire, Meg, Amy, Leah, Steph...you girls are inspiring)
439. That my kids seem to put everything in perspective (when I am not mucking things up by trying to get them to fit into my schedule...)
440. My very breath.

Hurry up and wait

It always starts with my right leg.

Sub-consciously my leg starts bouncing, my foot tapping in place, speeding up to match the racing of my mind. My breathing, almost always shallow, adds to the pace. Everyday I compete in this marathon, and every night, I collapse into a restless state - slowed only by the weight of sleep.

The thing is, I have no idea what I am racing towards. Even on days that have no formal demands on my time, I am still in a rush to go, to do, and to be. Rushing to go downstairs and make a healthy meal. Rushing to do a load of laundry. Rushing to be the best mom to my kids.

An invisible stop-watch ticks, its nano-second markers heard only by me. But it sets the beat of my heart. Tick tick tick tick. My life is crudely compartmentalized into 60 minute segments.

I know this isn't the way to peace. And I also know that children have a wonderful immunity to time constraints. They are not concerned about appointments, appearances or apologies.

Children do not bend to the elderly great grandfather clock - rather they turn away from his old, worn out face. And I know my saucy two-year old daughter would even stick her tongue out at old father time.

So why can't I?

Why do I insist on worshiping time? Why do I correlate my success/accomplishments with how much I can get done in one day? What is the hurry?

Is it really a race? And if it is, is the prize worth all the hurry and stress?

From an early age, I have been taught to multi-task. Get more done in less time. Our entire society exploits this mantra. Fast food, fast cars, fast-tracking.

I'm tired of running. I need to slow down.

As I watch my babies sleep, I am mesmerized by their slow, rhythmic breaths. Like my children,
I will take some long, deep breaths: inhaling the moment, exhaling the expectations.

Surely, I can make time for that.

Suitcase of thankfulness

Hi friends, I know it's been awhile and I've definitely missed posting on this site. I am freshly back from my trip to Doha, Qatar and have so many blessings to count...

402. The opportunity to take a trip of a lifetime to visit my very dear friend.
403. Parents who came to share the adventure with me.
404. Husband to sacrifice his vacation time to stay home with our children while mommy went around the world to play.
405. Friends, grandparents and family to help husband with childcare while I was away.
406. voice recordings of my babies to help soothe my heart while I was half a world away.
407. Safe travels.
408. Roof-top dining, great conversations and fabulous food.
409. Sand duning and sleeping under the desert stars.
410. massages.
411. Long distance phone calls and email.
412. Welcoming friend and her family.
413. Comfy bed and loads of pillows.
414. warm sunshine.
415.fond farewell hugs from my friend at the airport.
416. Warm, hungry embraces with my husband and kids at the airport upon my return.
417. Letter from our sponsored child waiting for me at home.
418. Celebrating my son's 5th birthday.
419. Seeing the joy in my son's eyes when he got to pay for his own ice cream (such simple pleasures).
420. Blessings of many little friends to celebrate my son's birthday.
421.Sharing our journey with God during church service.
422. Repaired ceiling.
423. Nana spending time with daughter.
424. A home to call my own.