6people 12 times....March...

This photo was taken by my sister-in-law, Alison while we were playing on Uncle Josh's golf course located on Daniel Island, SC.

Reflections...

"A pleasure is not full grown until it is remembered."

-C. S. Lewis -

Multitude Monday #567- 585...

"I don't always think of myself as rich, and I'm guessing you may not think of yourself as rich either. But the reality is, if you and I have running water, shelter over our heads, clothes to wear, food to eat and some means of transportation, then we are in the top 15 percent of the world's people for wealth."
David Platt...Radical

as I continue this journey to 1000 gifts...this week I choose to focus on the gifts that I take for granted each day...

567...clean water
568...not having to walk miles to get the clean water
569...a mattress to sleep on
570...a pillow to rest my head
571...warm blankets to keep me warm
572...a roof to keep the rain/snow out
573...shoes for walking
574...a warm shower
575...not worrying about dying of a preventable disease
576...worshiping God without the threat of death
577...a car to drive
578...health in my body
579...that God "called me out of death"
580..."and called me into life"
581...that a faithful servant of Christ asked me to pray for Jesus to rescue me 29 years ago
582...clothes to wear
583...a loving family
584...the opportunity for an education
585...that God is faithful, even when we are faithless

Joy!...

Go Karts...

Joshua fails to use his brakes despite his dad's consistent encouragement...

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Multitude Monday #525 - #566 ...

"For you have been my hope, Sovereign LORD,

my confidence since my youth.
From birth I have relied on you;
you brought me forth from my mother’s womb.
I will ever praise you."
Psalm 71:5-6

Lord thank you for redeeming my life...here is my praise to you...

525...little boys in golf shirts
526...egrets flying
527...alligators

528...boys excitement in birds flying
529...a little boys delight in sand traps
530...boys swinging golf clubs
531...baby babble producing a slobber beard

532...a quiet house
533...walking paths of history
534...spanish moss hanging

535...boys with audio headsets on calling out historical information
536...baby asleep on my back
537...a little boys dream of a stuffed animal daycare
538...horseshoe crab shells
539...jellyfish

540...long wooden pathways to the beach


541...sand dunes
542...boys all wet and sandy
543...a shadow showing such beauty

544...a beautiful sky

545...an "ice cream party"
546...boys around and in (whoops) fountains
547...walking across the boys favorite bridge

548...dolphins swimming
549...this face

550...God's beautiful creation

551...hugs and goodbyes to family until next time
552...safe travels
553...finishing this book
554...a neighbors gift of necessities and flowers sitting on the porch when we return home
555...teaching Micaiah Skip Bo and remembering the hands that taught me
556...quiet time to read
557...an afternoon game of tag
558...Will's squeals of delight as we chase his brothers
559...Josh's first customers...
560...waking up singing the words to "Everything Falls" by Fee
561...Psalm 71:1-7
562...a friends reminder...the real reason things are different
563...a picked flower for me
564...noticing the rock in his hand as we worship and thinking of Luke 19:40
565...his little kisses during worship
566...my husbands affirming words

A Week in Review...

Charleston...

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Stuffed Animal Daycare

Multitude Monday #478-524...

"For your loving-kindness is better than life itself

my lips shall give you praise."

Psalm 63:3

So I continue my journey toward 1000 gifts as part of The Gratitude Community...

478...him wearing shin gaurds and soccer shoes 2 sizes too big for days

479...a long nap for the sick little one

480...afternoon snack and read aloud (finally!)

481...the sound of Wes opening the door after a long day

482...easy dinners from Trader Joes

483...a warm shower

484...snuggling with the baby

485...boys running outside

486...impromptu playdate on a warm spring afternoon

487...Wes hanging things on the wall for me again and again

488...baby feeling better

489...playing baseball with Eli

490...watching him pitch to me

491...beginning of lent and His amazing love for us

492...tulips, daffodils and tulips emerging from the dirt

493...a walk around the block

494...seeing his sense of accomplishment as he rode his bike all the way around the block

495...Col 3:12..."chosen", "he loves"

496...baby laundry basket ride

497...parachute play

498...two babies playing

499...catching up with an old friend

500...hearing a personal update on the wonderful works of NURU

501...safety for a loved one in Hawaii during the tsunami

502..."cookie jar" joy with Joshua

503...Mom Mom's help in the afternoon

504...boys excitement and anticipation of vacation as they lay down for bed

505...bags packed

506...rest for weary eyes

507...waking them in the early morning to begin our journey

508...an uneventful 9 hour drive

509...a kiss and embrace from my brother

510...cousins, cousins, cousins

511...soccer balls flying

512...baseballs hitting mitts

513...a warm sunny beach day

514...boys in the surf

515...a baby looking for the end of the sand

516...a walk and talk with my cousin Erin

517...boys driving go-karts

518...big boys and little boys in the batting cages

519...Joshua's parking job when he was through with the go-kart x 2!

520...deep belly laughing that leads to crying with my brother

521...seeing his sense of independence on his face

522...waiting for her to open the door

523...witnessing her embrace her boys after a trip that was a little uncertain at times

524...cousins all snuggled on the couch

Brothers Minus 1...

Multitude Monday #414-477...

"Most loving Father, whose will it is for us to give thanks for all things,
to fear nothing but the loss of you and to cast all our care on you who cares for us: Preserve me from faithless fears and worldly anxieties, that no clouds of this mortal life may hide from me the light of that love which is immortal, and which you have manifested to us in your son Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever."
The Divine Hours: Prayers for Springtime

I continue my journey to 1000 gifts as part of the Gratitude Community...

414...reading the prayer above
415...cool rags for sick foreheads
416...a pile of rocks on the countertop (a boys growing collection)
417...surprise of sun
418..."Will you snuggle with me?"
419...a washing machine to clean "sick" clothes
420...boy waking from nap with "life" in his face
421...peek a boo with the baby
422...waking up to a sink full of dirty dishes and remembering that there were more important things for Wes and I to take care of the day before
423...God's patience with my failures
424...boys outside playing
425...small chat with a friend
426...Psalm 67
427...hearing his worship music
428...watching him rub the silk over and over again as he doses off to sleep
429...a new day
430...Elmer Elevator and Squanto going to school
431...showing blog posts to answer his question "When will I be little?"
432...Eli and Poppy exchanging letters in the mail
433...sun shining and good music in the car
434...UNO with Eli
435...music class with Eli and Will
436...God reminding me to stop and give thanks as frustration mounts
437...the wind on my face
438...a doctor's support
439...batting cages with the boys
440...hearing little feet come down the steps
441...bed heads and boppy's
442...family rounds of UNO
443...fingerprints on the wall
444...husband grocery shopping
445...cadbury mini egg surprise
446...clean sheets on the beds
447...slobber on the screen door glass
448...putting clutter in it's place
449...loving teacher observations/recommendations
450...God answering my cry for wisdom
451...brothers offering forgiveness
452...the joy of looking for gifts in the midst of difficult days
453...stopping to pray aloud with everyone as anger rises
454...belly laughs as slobber pours
455...mid day text from my husband
456...the little gingerbread boy makes good
457...Micaiah as "Little Willy" in the story of Stone Fox
458...dinner with Wes
459...late night movie too!
460...free babysitting
461...baby crawling across the room to reach up and "ask" to be held
462...a boys dream for the day as he looks outside the window at breakfast
463..."It smells like spring!"
464...dance party in the car
465...boys in boxes466...little boys delight in "flying" on the swing
467...little handprints on the floor

468...help at the grocery store from my big boy
469...clean van (thank you Wes!)
470...familiar sound of floorboards creaking as the glider rocks
471...toddler breath into sleep
472...sleeping in
473...worship at church reminding me again of God's message to me in Matt 14:22-32 474...handwritten gift on my pillow
475...design help from a friend
476...a new look
477..."Your Love Never Fails" especially verse 2 and the bridge

The Gingerbread Man Makes Good...

Joshua's class performance for Litature Fest last night...

The moral...you can change how a story ends!

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Literary Characters...

For school today, the boys were able to dress as a character from a book...

Joshua chose Elmer Elevator from My Father's Dragon

and he packed his knapsack "very carefully."

"The night before my father sailed he borrowed his father's knapsack and he and the cat packed everything very carefully. He took chewing gum, two dozen pink lollipops, a package of rubber bands, black rubber boots, a compass, a tooth brush and a tube of tooth paste, six magnifying glasses, a very sharp jackknife, a comb and a hairbrush, seven hair ribbons of different colors, an empty grain bag with a label saying "Cranberry," some clean clothes, and enough food to last my father while he was on the ship. He couldn't live on mice, so he took twenty-five peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and six apples (he only took one of each of these), because that's all the apples he could find in the pantry"

Micaiah dressed as Squanto complete with face paint that he painted on himself...

Where Is Will...

"there he is..."

"Where's Will?"

"there he is!"

Pictures taken as Micaiah played Peek-a-Boo with Will...if you look close you can see the bananas all over his face.

Multitude Monday #366-413...

"In the midst of the meaninglessness, in the midst of the randomness, in the midst of things that don't make sense, every once in a while you stumble upon something that is so beautiful that in that moment you say 'Aww, look at that...that makes me think their must be more to this life than this.'" Andy Stanley

366...boys calling out signs of spring on a gray and dreary day 367...placing words in their "holy space" 368...warm soapy water and dirty dishes 369...snow covering the muddy yard 370...SNOW DAY! 371...boys sled riding 372...Will's first sled ride
373...little hands helping me bake 374...Micaiah's phone call to Daddy..."Will you please come home early so we can go sled riding again?" 375...Daddy home early for sled riding round 2
376...sled riding as the sun sets
377...quick dinners
378...John 15:1-11
379...solitude in the car
380...Wes' worship at night
381...Micaiah's worship in the morning
382...parent support at Department of Education
383...resting eyes to relieve throbbing head
384...snow boots and snow pants for outdoor fun
385...progress reports showing progress
386...a morning to play games
387...the birds singing
388...an Occupational Therapist's help
389...a child old enough to tell me what hurts
390...rain
391...a watch with 3 different alarms to remind me of medication dosing
392...hide and seek with Eli ("I will hide right there and you find me")
393...sky waiting to "open up" until after I got the kids and the groceries in the car
394...sunshine streaming after the rain
395...vibrant greens
396...seeing the lights of home
397...muddy yard (reminder that boys play here)
398...Time of Your Life, Part 5 by Andy Stanley
399...little boys with blueberries in their mouth
400...splotches of paint in bathroom sink and on towel (little boy creative)
401...neighborhood playground
402...a child reading one of our favorite children stories
403...baby babbling "Ma, Ma, Ma"
404...rooster costume pattern on the internet
405...my husband's sewing abilities

406...a little boys delight in "boot farts" 407...this sermon 408...hike with the boys 409...touching train tracks

410...boys exploring

411...Joshua mastering the fireman's pole for the first time

412...6 people 12 times shot 2
413...Ecclesiastes 3:11 and the hope for eternity

6 people 12 times...February...

this was taken today during a hike at one of our favorite parks...we went looking for a Geocache and ended up finding a really fun "tire park" as we came out of the woods. Wes set the camera on one of the tires and set the timer...Will decided that he would rather not participate this month.

here is a link to last months photo...January

Surprise...

5 inches of snow just as you were counting signs of spring! The boys started sled riding on the driveway...

Eli and Ian

but when Will was finished his morning nap we drove around the corner to the sledding hill...
Micaiah and Joshua spent the afternoon motor planning on how to stand up and go down the hill with just the right amount of balance

most of the time Micaiah resorted to sitting down when he felt like his lack of balance might land him face first in the snow...

Joshua however, quickly learned that when this balance thing was not in your favor...pull out some sort of trick that involved either a jump and roll or a dive into the snow (as you can see from the ice crystals that developed in his hair and the placement of his hat).

Will spent the afternoon on my back...including the time Eli and I decided to sled down the hill...Micaiah said he smiled the whole way down!

Multitude Monday #312-365...

Hakarat Hatov~ Hebrew for recognizing good
"The secret embedded in the Hebrew is that gratitude depends on not getting something good, but on recognizing good...no matter how much we lack, no matter what difficult times we are passing through, every one of us can find a myriad of things to be grateful for...gratitude is a feat of consciousness which requires a 'back to basics' mentality, becoming cognizant of all the rudimentary things we usually take for granted."
Sara Yoheved Rigler

312...a good nights sleep
313...conversation with a friend as we walk the neighborhood
314...boys enjoying God's creation
315...boys piled up in the stroller
316...fresh air blowing through the house
317...a friends counsel
318...boys belly laughing as they have a "diaper" fight in the early morning
319...seeing Will's excitement when Wes comes home from work
320...snuggling with freshly clean baby before bed
321...Cadbury mini eggs are back on the shelves
322...kids waking early, asking if Uncle Josh is here
323...hearing his excitement as he calls to say he's on his way
324...Micaiah and I spending the morning cracking the code of Enigma
325...the "hunt" for his gifts
326...a handmade bookmark from Joshua
327...seeing him smile and catch my eye
328...a doctor that "walks with us"
329...dinner with my brother and his wife
330...seeing all the kids piled in next to them as they try to eat
331...getting baby kisses early in the morning while the house is quiet
332...hearing Will babble "Da, Da, Da" all day long
333...the boys sharing their excitement for the aquarium with Uncle Josh and Aunt Alison
334...the excitement over sitting in the "Splash Zone"
335...the dolphins delivered and splashed them!
336...catching a beautiful sunset
337...a late night conversation with my sister in law
338...tunnel rides back and forth as we yell to hear our echo
339...donuts gifts in the morning
340..."Today is the Day" drum send off for Uncle Josh and Aunt Alison
341...suitcase waiting to be packed
342...books/notes piled high
343...trusting God
344...full round moon
345...hearing of a friends healing prayer
345...rejoicing over talks changed at just the right time to provide encouragement
346...reading about His love
347...breakfast with my mentor
348...thanking her for spurring me on to "Remember" God's faithfulness
349...giving her this book
350...seeing God weaving thoughts together
351...seeing myself as a disciple in the boat
352...a friend read aloud
353...an afternoon nap
354...dinner out with friends
355...deep friendships...sharing life with one another...praying for one another
356..."Love...a divine invitation"
357..."I will trust you."
358..."eucharisteo always precedes the miracle"
359...finding encouragement in this passage
360..."Look, listen, love"
361...a long embrace from my husband
362...coming home to my 4 boys...loud, excited and welcoming
363...a clean house
364...an afternoon riding bikes outside
365...my word for 2011 (I decided this at New Years but it seemed fitting to be the 365th gift)...LOVE...

A Special Visit...

Uncle Josh and Aunt Alison...we haven't seen them since they left for their honeymoon in August...

as you can tell the boys are so excited they are here!!

Winter Hike...

Joshua excited about finding the bridge...

snowball baseball...

Micaiah's shot of us...