Multitude Monday #874- #918...

"We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures."
Thornton Wilder


I continue on my journey toward 1000 gifts...joining with the Gratitude Community to give thanks for everyday treasures.

Monday, May 23rd
874...the beauty of an old stone church
875...his blue eyes
876...piles of clean laundry folded
877...seeing his caring heart in action
878...deep conversation with our small group

Tuesday, May 24th
879...how he helps get his brother dressed
880...clutter put in its place
881...brothers swinging
882...how his eyes get squinty when he smiles

883...lunch with a friend

Wednesday, May 25th

884...a warm shower
885...Eli's reminder that "You are the princess and I am the King"
886...our heart-shaped leaf hunt

887...his turtle discovery
888...Will toddling across the room, standing at my feet, looking up and "asking" to be picked up

Thursday, May 26th
889...motivation and accountability
890...his bag all packed for Grandma's (2 days before the trip)
891...corn husks all over the table (he helped!)
892...orange Shutterfly box at the steps
893...watermelon juice dripping from his chin

894...hearing the baby say "outside" in that soft, sweet voice
895...Josh and his animals all lined up

896...Joshua's prayer before dinner with guests
897...the adventure of life
898...hearing my husbands heart as he closes our time with friends in prayer

Friday, May 27th
899...God uncovering areas of my heart that need more of him
900...a long ride that allows for good, deep conversation with my husband
901...riding out the storm at Dairy Queen
902...the calm after the storm
903...the boys delight in low lying fog

Saturday, May 28th
904...a morning long run through my old stomping grounds
905...memories flooding in
906...an encouraging text from him during my run
907...the boys ride on the PRT

908...the boys standing in front of where Wes and I first met (Woodburn Hall)

909...Will eating in the same highchair his Daddy ate in years ago

910...visiting old friends from college...and that we just picked up where we left off (thanks for watching the boys Grandma and Pap)
911...hearing a story of love pouring out with no holding back

Sunday, May 29th
912...being at the lake
913...tube and waverunner rides
914...golf balls rolling again
915...boys "flying"


916...quiet at the end of the day
917...soft lights on the screen porch as the sun goes down
918...the cool night air

LIfe is Adventurous...

So last night we had plans to have a few of our friends from the Worship Team over to pick crabs. Joshua was so excited about the "band guys" coming over.
We gathered around the table to pray and Joshua volunteered right away.

"Everyone hold hands...Dear Jesus, thank you that the band guys could come over for dinner, let us have fun and play some cool beats like 'ba, da, dum, da, da dum' (as he patted his hands on the table), in Jesus name, Amen."

Our guests at the table started talking about how the prayer was so sweet. I think Mr. BJ may have even said, "I just may use him in the service this weekend."
Mr. Danny proceeded to open the box of crabs and pour them onto the table...everyone grabbed one and started picking.
Joshua said "They stink!" I glanced at him and noticed that he was trying to look away so he didn't see the crabs. I've seen this face before...(like when he saw the really ripe banana on the counter top or when he was on a field trip and sat too close to the potter's wheel) but it was too late. Joshua proceeded to throw up onto the table just to the left of the crabs.
I grabbed him and quickly took him outside while Wes cleaned up the table and began explaining to our guests that he has a really weak stomach and a really strong gag reflex. Joshua emptied all of his stomach contents into the grass in the backyard and I told him I thought it may be a good idea if he took a shower. He said, "Let's go in a different door." "Why?" "So I don't have to see the crabs." Ok, buddy.
I remember catching their eyes as we passed through the back way and saying "Life is sure adventurous!" (Not realizing that this was just the beginning)

So I take him upstairs and put him in the shower and come back down stairs to join our guests. We continue to pick and eat crabs and every once in a while we hear Joshua singing in the shower. Again, everyone was commenting on how "cool Joshua was." Wes shared about his Stuffed Animal Daycare and they were even more amazed. As they were talking I began to hear the sound of water and thought...oh, no I forgot to turn the corn pot off and it's boiling over. I turn around and realize it's not the corn pot but water coming through the ceiling from the upstairs bathroom. Wes goes running upstairs and I run in to get towels to mop up the mess.

You see Joshua likes showers but he really likes a bath/shower better...he sits on the drain and lets the tub fill up while the shower is still running so the tub had begun to overflow and pour downstairs into the kitchen. Wes and I decide it's best to get everyone in bed and then return to our guests.

Wes helps everyone through the nightly routine while I go to clean up the bathroom. I look into the tub and stand perplexed...I know Joshua did not have throw up on him...what could that possibly be in the tub?...so I proceed to try and clean it out (I later found out that it was Old Bay seasoning that Wes had on his hands when he reached in to pull Joshua out of the tub). The problem was I didn't realize that in Wes' haste in stopping the overflow he didn't turn the shower off so I doused my head in water. As I look in the mirror I remember thinking, now I have to go back downstairs with my hair soaking wet and continue on with dinner?
Finally, everyone was down and it was time to rejoin our guests. I walk downstairs and explain why I look the way I do and we continue on with dinner. Not too long after this we hear Joshua at the top of the steps and he says "Can you send our guests up one, by one so I can tell them goodnight?" So they all went up to grant his request...we were pretty sure of the reason why he didn't want to come down the steps to tell them goodnight.

It's times like these where I learn how good it feels to laugh...

Will and...

bokeh...
taken last night while Will "watched" Micaiah's baseball game!

Lighting...

when I turned around to talk to him, I saw it in his eyes and knew I had to snap a picture.

Multitude Monday #835 - #873....

"Gifts He bestows. This writing it down- it is sort of like...unwrapping love."
Ann Voskamp

I continue on my journey toward 1000 gifts...joining with the Gratitude Community to list the gifts that He bestows as I go about my day...


Monday, May 16th
835...homemade muffins in the morning
836...watching him run through a field of yellow buttercups to see the train
837...his gift of 2 handpicked buttercups for me
838...our rhododendron in bloom

839...Micaiah's new Lego creation (picture to come)
840...the large white oak in our front yard

Tuesday, May 17th
841...an early morning run
842...the sound of a woodpecker
843...messes all before lunchtime (a full bottle of hot sauce broken on the floor, a full glass of water on the table, a bag of sunflower seeds all over the floor, half a bottle of the babies veggie puffs) that encourage me to mop the floor
844...how a "dance party" is just as good for me as it is for the boys
845...drawing letters on their backs for them to guess
846...hearing him say that the reason that he wants to grow up is so "he can marry me"~ Joshua


Wednesday, May18th
847...boys in a self-made fort
848...hugs from the baby
849...coloring with Eli
850...receiving their baseball team pictures
851...dirty clothes that reminds me of the joy of boys in mud puddles

Thursday, May 19th
852...seeing the sunlight streaming in the morning

853...the quick cycle on the washer when you realize he has no clean shorts for school
854...walk with Eli where he discovers some of the beauties of God's creation

855...discovering Hockey Guys in my shoes and thinking of the little boy that must have hid them in there

856...homemade cookies and cream ice cream


Friday, May 20th
857...early morning snuggle with the baby
858...hearing his heart about wanting to stay close to home
859...a game of playground tag between the boys and I
860...rest at night


Saturday, May 21st
861...breakfast with Micaiah
862...hearing his response when I asked him what he was most excited for this summer..."being baptized in the lake."
863...Wes' return from his hiking/camping trip
864...hearing the boys ask questions about his adventure and seeing the little one explore the tent
865...a 2 hour nap for me
866...girls night with my small group

Sunday, May 22nd
867...early morning baby kisses (he must have missed me last night)
868...A Mystery Ride
869...exploring new places
870...him showing me how he has learned to write in cursive
871...The Prodigal God by Timothy Keller...wow, I have been listening to this and it is changing the way I have always looked at Luke 15: 11-32
872...a good laugh
873...that he learned to pump!

A Mystery Ride...

a family tradition of the Livernois family that they shared with us many years ago...you tell the kids you are going on a "Mystery Ride" and they don't know where they are going until they arrive.

Some kids enjoy the suspense more than others...Micaiah says every few minutes "Just tell me where we are going!" and then he will guess until the secret is revealed. Joshua on the other hand loves the suspense! This is probably the first one that we've done that Eli actually partially got the concept...I think for a while this morning he thought we were going to ride the "ferris wheel" because he was focused on the "ride" part of the title.

Thankfully for Eli's sake there was a ride involved...we took the Metro...

into DC for the afternoon.

and we made it home with all of the kids!

When Life Gives You Rain...

put your rain boots on and jump in the puddles!

Shades...

I missed the focal point as he was toddling toward me but the picture is funny and worth sharing...

Brothers...

Will giving Joshua a little love...

Multitude Monday #804 - 834....

"God wrote, 'I love you'~he wrote it in the sky, and on the earth, and under the sea. He wrote his message everywhere! Because God created everything in his world to reflect him like a mirror~ to show us what he is like, to help us know him, to make our hearts sing.
The way a kitten chases her tail. The way red poppies grow wild. The way a dolphin swims..."
a snippet from The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones

Finding His message everywhere is what this journey to 1000 gifts is all about...

804...remembering to reward him for his hard work on his month long project
805...seeing him walk more and more
806...the joy from the littlest boy when he saw dirt flying
807...time to be outside with the neighbors
808...that his chest x-ray showed no abnormalities (had to get one as a baseline for our little one that battles wheezing on and off)
809...leaving early enough to take the back roads
810...watching the farmers fields
811...the beauty of an old tree trunk
812...wisdom from another professional regarding his placement for next year
813...reminder from a friend of the words in Col 1:9b
814...seeing his smile when he realized his teacher came to watch his game
815...watching Will chase an ant for the first time
816...boys delighting in throwing sweet gum tree balls in the grate
817...freshly mopped kitchen floor
818...a whole week of "San Diego like weather"
819...the boys picnic under the Japanese maple tree in the backyard
820...Josh and Eli re-enacting the story of David and Goliath in the backyard
821...frogs jumping into the pond as we approach
822...Ann's post about burying dreams
823...an evening walk with a friend
824...a morning play date with his friend and a chance to chat with my best friend
825...The Jesus Storybook Bible...wow, I agree with Dr. Tim Keller..."I would urge not just families with young children to get this book, but every Christian--from pew warmers, to ministry leaders, seminarians and even theologians!"
826...tickling the babies neck
827...Wes' run to the grocery store
828...yellow tulips from him upon his return
829...a backyard campfire with smores and a few chapters of our recent read-aloud
830...singing You Never Let Go at church "I can see a light that is coming for a heart that holds on...a glorious light beyond all compare...I can see an end to these troubles but until that day comes I'll live to know you here on this earth"
831...afternoon rest
832...hearing Joshua singing Today is the Day while playing down stairs
833...a run in the rain with Wes (thanks Mom)
834...the white church steeple against the dark thunderstorm sky

Capturing "Right Now"...

This is Kelly Willette's challenge (most of you know I took a photography course from her last year and learned soooo much)...

so this is my "Right Now" for yesterday afternoon

Picnic..., a photo by Jenna Mace on Flickr.

Eli enjoying his picnic lunch in our backyard while watching Josh reenact a favorite story.

Wow...

such powerful words in this post from Ann Voskamp...When You're Burying All Your Hopes and Dreams...here is a snippet but please, if you have time, follow the link and read the full post...

"In this hard world, there is disappointment and there is death and there is dark and is it all only hard when we’re fooled into thinking this world is the only world we’ll ever get?

That is the paradox: this wondrous mess, this is it, right now, and there’s no waiting for another elusive life of perfection here, so we’ll laugh praise now, knowing that the real, righter, forever life is still coming, if we walk gratefully through our Christ doors of now.

Because when He busted back that rock, He said there’s another chapter to this story, so you can trust today’s plot line, and there’s a forever beyond now, so you can give thanks for right here, and for every dream seed we lay in a grave now..."

Motherhood...

I am so thankful that my husband captured this shot of me with the youngest of our four boys. This picture reminds me of a quote I came across a few years ago by Washington Irving...

"There is an enduring tenderness in the love of a mother to a son that transcends all other affections of the heart."

Multitude Monday #761 - 803 ...

"Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;

his love endures forever."
Psalm 118:1

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

761...the bright pink azalea out the living room window
762...they finally changed the container for Tom's toothpaste
763...Eli and his "loves"
764...the boys spotting a starling as we wait at a stop light
765...hearing how this book has made its way around my community
766...green leaves against the bright blue sky
767...birds singing early in the morning
768...a gentle spring rain
769...waking feeling rested...before the alarm rings
770...coming across this quote
771...kissing his smooth baby back
772...boys dressed in costumes playing in the backyard
773...time just my mom and me
774...accountability for an early morning run
775...a fresh bunch of books from the library
776...boys swinging together
777...Joshua recalling and acting out Tacky the Penguin after one read through
778...laughing as I try to animate the story
779...the boys laughing at Daddy's "I'm a Meatball" dance
780...stashing notes in Daddy's lunch
781...seeing him in bare feet again and realizing we named him right...Eli James...walking barefoot like Poppy James
782...finding the boys IN the toy bin

783...a family bike ride
784...Joshua pedaling hard and making it to the bridge
785...Eli's first ride on the tag-along bike
786..."Let me give you a married kiss"~ Joshua
787...the shade of our neighborhood tree canopy
788...catching a video of Will walking
789...a lightening storm in the sky
790...seeing Joshua "whack" the ball
791...date night with a fun young couple
792...a walk around the harbor hand in hand on a beautiful evening
793...handmade mother's day gifts
794...breakfast in bed
795...a clean kitchen
796...a special message from my husband (made with magnetic phonics letters) on the refrigerator door
797...my Dad's poetic mother's day wish
798...a beautiful afternoon for a baseball game
799...an exciting baseball game with extra innings and a win!
800...time to take pictures (see link in #799)
801...Micaiah handing me a flower the color of his Gatorade stained lips

802...sunlight streaming through the clouds as we drive home
803...catching a glimpse of the moon out the

Micaiah and Baseball...

Joshua and Baseball...

Will's Walking...

Will staying busy at Micaiah's baseball practice...the bruise on his forehead is from this morning...he had a fight with the refrigerator door

video: if you received this post via email...please visit www.wjmace.blogspot.com to view the video

His Loves...

He is the one that keeps asking for "the dog with legs that can walk"...in fact that is what he asked for when we took him to pick out a reward this past winter...he walked the aisles slowly realizing that he may have to settle for something else.

He chose the "big doggie" and named it "Tanny" (no question why he was drawn to this dog and named it so perfectly...it resembles my Dad's dog Tanner that passed last year).
But just within the past month Tanny has become just as important as his one true love...blankie (also in the picture below).



Tanny is as big as him and something about the way he comes sleepily down the stairs in the morning with his blankie and Tanny clutched in his hands makes me melt. Not to mention the few times I've had to wake him from his afternoon nap and catch him using Tanny as a pillow to rest his sweet little head (yes, there are times when he is throwing a temper tantrum that I would not refer to his head in this manner).

Oh and I just realized there is one more of "his loves" in this picture...his yellow Brazil soccer shirt that was a gift from my mom this past Christmas. If it's not in the washer it's fair game in his book...and I'm not always great about the laundry these days.