Coastal Reflections

Gratitudes - June 24, 2006

~ I'm grateful for the overtime dh will receive for working today.

~ I'm grateful for being blessed with getting to stay at home with my children AND be a homeschooler.

~ I'm grateful for a package full of goodies ds1 received in the mail today.

~ I'm grateful for emails.

~ I'm grateful for my bread machine to use during these hot months.  (And I'm grateful that ds1 is devouring a piece of Italian bread I just made.)

~ I'm grateful that dh loves to cook AND is a fantastic cook.

~ I'm grateful for all the paperwork decluttering I've gotten done today.  I feels so refreshing.

Gratitudes - June 23, 2006

~ I am grateful for dh bringing home a great paycheck.

~ I am grateful for ds2's temp getting back to normal and him feeling a bit better today.

~ I am grateful for the loving bond between ds1 and ds2.  They both make my heart swell.

~ I am grateful for a delicious dinner treat.

~ I am grateful for dh sharing his lemonade with me.

~ I am grateful for my beautiful family that I've been so richly blessed with.

~ I am grateful for my 3 goofy furbabies that make me laugh and smile.

Gratitudes - June 22, 2006

~ I'm grateful ds2 is feeling better today and his fever is going down.

~ I'm grateful dh was able to stop by the doctor's office to pick up items we need for some testing involving ds2 instead of me having to load up both kiddos and drive all the way there and back.

~ I'm grateful for online friends' prayers.

~ I'm grateful for silliness with ds1 today that has reduced both of us to fits of laughter.

~ I'm grateful for ds1 being my big helper and I'm so proud of him.

~ I'm grateful for time I've had this week to read a couple of books that I thoroughly enjoyed.

~ I'm grateful for a/c in this hot climate.

Gratitudes - June 12, 2006

~ I am grateful for a tremendous amount of rain this afternoon.  It is so needed.

~ I am grateful for a surprise that came in the mail for ds1 today from my friend R.  It made him so happy.

~ I am grateful for the delicious aroma of lima beans cooking in the crockpot that filled the house today.

~ I am grateful that the child who yelled "Run!  Mommy's going to make you eat mashed up lima beans!" (that would be ds1 yelling that to ds2) actually ate lima beans for dinner with no complaints.

~ I am grateful for a new cornbread recipe that turned out well and tasted good.

~ I am grateful for my crockpot and Rival cooker which allowed me to make dinner without using the stove and heating up the house.

~ I am grateful for dh getting home from work at a decent time tonight.  It's good to have extra time with him.

10 Year Recipe

10 Year Recipe

Mix together the following.......

* 2 beautiful, precious boys

* 3 silly dogs

* 1 crazy cat

* 7 cities

* 8 homes

* 1 island

* 1 part Pacific Ocean

* 1 part Atlantic Ocean

* 3 churches

* 3 hurricanes

* 2+ years of remodeling

* 1 smashed surfboard

* 4 years of organics

* A sprinkling of disagreements

* An enormous dash of laughter

* A drop of sadness

Toss it all together with a little bit of this and a little bit of that.  What do you get???  10 years of marriage!  Today is my 10th anniversary!

Gratitudes - June 7, 2006

~ I am grateful for the stamp club that invited the homeschool stamp club to their meeting tonight.

~ I am grateful for the gentleman that gave ds1 some old cars stamps and dinosaur stamps free.

~ I am grateful for the gentleman that had a shoebox full of stamps that he told the kids to dig through and take what they liked.  Ds1 ended up with a bunch of Australian stamps (which he has decided he is collecting), American flag stamps, old car stamps, Christmas stamps, and the like.

~ I am grateful for the stamps we were able to purchase cheaply.  Ds1  got some 'big cat' stamps from Burundi (I think I got that right) and is just thrilled.

~ I am grateful for a drive along the river today that left me feeling refreshed and peaceful. 

~ I am grateful for a wonderful kids program at the library today that we enjoyed very much.

~ I am grateful for email pals that bless me with their friendship.

Gratitudes - June 6, 2006

~ I am grateful for leftovers for lunch.

~ I am grateful for a new french bread recipe I tried in the bread machine yesterday - it was well received by dh and ds1 (and ds1 must have told me a hundred times it smelled delicious while baking).

~ I am grateful for ds1's love of reading.  I enjoy him reading aloud to us at night and love it when he reads aloud to ds2.

~ I am grateful for my bread machine - no heating up the kitchen!

~ I am grateful for time ds1 and I spent together working on his stamp collection this morning while ds2 napped.  It was a great opportunity to look up countries in the atlas and explore some topics of interest in the encyclopedia.

~ I am grateful for ds1 making me laugh today with his animal imitations - too funny.

~ I am grateful for shoes that ds1 received as a surprise - it made his day.

Gratitudes - June 4, 2006

~I am grateful for steamed crab legs for dinner last night - YUM!

~I am grateful for the sprinkling rain we're receiving right now.

~I am grateful for dh and ds1 who have been hard at work on enclosing/screening the back porch.

~I am grateful for a bit of much needed extra sleep this morning.

~I am grateful for our fantastic county library system.

~I am grateful for someone coming to stay with dh's dad today so dh's youngest sister could attend our nephew's wedding.

~I am grateful for laughter and memories we shared last night while looking at pictures from 3-4 years ago.

Gratitudes - June 2, 2006

~ I am grateful for someone ds1 sent an email to responding back and saying they would like to help him with his stamp collecting.

~ I am grateful for the rain we received today.  Even though it only lasted for about 15 minutes, it was a good hard rain and every drop is needed.

~ I am grateful for Sam's here selling more organic items.

~ I am grateful for ds2 letting me read a bit of Hard Times in Paradise today while he nursed.  He doesn't often let me multi-task while he nurses.

~ I am grateful for our encyclopedia set ($3 at a rummage sale a few years ago) that ds1 has been enjoying this week.

~ I am grateful for read aloud time with ds1 today while it was raining and ds2 was napping.  It's hard for us to get one on one time together and it's something he craves after almost 7 years of being the only child.  We snuggled on his bed and drank in the music of the rain on our tin roof while we started reading The Voyage of the Dawn Treador.

~ I am grateful for my washing machine.

Gratitudes - May 28, 2006

~I am grateful for the a/c!  It's 96 here today.

~I am grateful for our outdoor grill that will cook our dinner this evening.

~I am grateful for ds1 getting to get up close with baby tigers today (what a thrill for him).

~I am grateful for getting to re-read Hard Times in Paradise

~I am grateful for dh cleaning up the mess the youngest dog made.

~I am grateful for the parts of our home that have already been remodeled.

~I am grateful for dh having a paid holiday tomorrow (not all of his holidays are paid).

Gratitudes - May27, 2006

~I'm grateful for yard sale finds today.

~I'm grateful for the little bit of rain we received today - every little bit helps.

~I'm grateful for dvd's from the library to watch this weekend.

~I'm grateful for a much needed nap I was able to take this afternoon after a night without much sleep.

~I'm grateful for all the work dh got done on the outside of the house today.  He's making progress!

~I'm grateful for ds1's laugh that makes my heart swell.

~I'm grateful for sweet little baby fingers curled tightly around mine.

~I'm grateful for ds1's wonderful kisses that he gives me all day long.

Gratitudes - May 26, 2006

~I am grateful for the bit of rain we got today - we needed it badly.

~I am grateful for having a disposable camera left over from vacation.  Target didn't have any batteries the size my camera takes and I needed to take ds2's 5 month old pictures today!

~I am grateful for a sleeping baby nestled contently in my arms.

~I am grateful for finding a few things I knew would entertain ds1 in the Target dollar spot on clearance for 25¢ each.

~I am grateful for online friends.

~I am grateful for salty ocean air that envelops me in calm and peacefulness.

~I am grateful for safe travel on wet roads.

Gratitudes - May 25, 2006

~I'm grateful for ds1 and his silliness that makes me laugh.  I made homemade pizza for dinner last night (one of his faves).  When he found out that's what we were having he did a little song and dance throughout the house that had me in fits of laughter - imagine a 7 year old dancing around in conga line fashion chanting "Mama's making pizza, Mama's making pizza" over and over.

~I'm grateful for sweet little baby toes to kiss.

~I'm grateful for my Rival cooker (using it instead of the oven).

~I'm grateful for my dishwasher!

~I'm grateful for read aloud time with ds2 in my lap and ds1 snuggled up next to me.  (We're currently reading Prince Caspian from The Chronicles of Narnia)

~I'm grateful for ds1 bombarding me with kisses.

~I'm grateful for the bond that's already formed between ds1 and ds2.  They love each other so much.

Gratitudes - May 24, 2006

Today I am going to do a little something different with my gratitudes.  Instead of just a list, my gratitudes are going to focus on something that's been troubling me for about a year.

I had a best friend for probably 2 years prior.  A little more than a year ago I called to tell her I was pregnant and after that she never called me again.  We ran into her and her dd about 6 weeks after that and she was all smiles and excuses and made promises to call me that afternoon, get together at the beach the next day, get together for lunch during the week, etc. and never called.

I have been deeply troubled by her ending the friendship and in the manner she used.  I am finally at peace enough that I have turned it over to the Lord and have asked Him to take all the anger, hurt, bitterness, betrayal, sadness, and shock that I have carried with me for the last year and release it all to the wind to blow far away from me forever. 

Though the friendship was just for a season and ended on a sour note...

~I am grateful for the meals our family shared in her home and the meals her family shared in my home.

~I am grateful for the times we spent yard saling and thrift store shopping together.  It was something we both loved doing.

~I am grateful for the birthday party that was thrown for both of us summer before last at her home.

~I am grateful for the meals that she treated me and my family to in restaurants.

~I am grateful for her supportiveness in homeschooling.

~I am grateful for Biblical/spiritual discussions we had.

~I am grateful for her prayers when I went through a scary medical issue last year and for her rejoicing and praising the Lord with me when it turned out to be nothing.

~I am grateful for being able to contribute to an overseas mission her family was called to be a part of.

~I am grateful for gifts she and her family blessed me and my family with.

~I am grateful for hugs she gave me.

~I am grateful for the fun we had working on and at our church's rummage sale.

~I am grateful for her letting me pre-shop a rummage sale last year because I was going out of town on the day the sale was held.  I am also grateful for the great bargains she gave me price wise.

~I am grateful for fun times our families spent together on the beach.

~I am grateful for field trips we went on together.

~I am grateful for her treating ds1 and I to a movie that we all enjoyed.

~I am grateful for the laughter.

~I am grateful that the Lord blessed me with a friend that I had much in common with.  I've had so few friends over the last 10 years and I will treasure the good times.

May 23, 2006 Gratitudes

~I'm grateful for the 2 raises dh has been given so far this year at work (after going for approx. 4 years without a raise).

~I'm grateful for the change of ownership at dh's place of employment.

~I'm grateful for the bonus program that was instituted at dh's work this year (and that dh has earned it every time so far).

~I'm grateful for dh being given a pormotion in title at work which he has deserved for years.

~I'm grateful for dh's clients that gift us with meals from their restaurants.

~I'm grateful for supply houses that dh deals with that have gifted us with faucets and such for our remodeling.

~I'm grateful for a hardworking dh that loves what he does for a living.

~I'm grateful for a dh who cares about doing his best work for his clients and is honest and trustworthy.