Multitude Monday

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow. ~ Melody Beattie

Even though I wasn't blogging for a bit, I was still counting the gifts God has given:

• singing girls while doing dishes
• timers to help keep my helpers moving
• safety for the boy on his first ever ski trip
• the sound of the Engineer's voice
• doggie footwarmer
• hand lotion
• roof trusses going up
• shingles going on
• safety for our construction crew (one took a fall)
• a kitchen design that we LOVE
• BIG windows for amazing natural light photos. Can hardly wait to try them!
• windows going in
• apple crisp leftovers
• delicious tummy warming soups for kids' lunches
• my fellow GEMS counselors.Oh can we laugh!
• travel vouchers from our 2010 vacation passed on to others who can use them
• a very busy week completed by a restful Sunday
• five girls laughing in the kitchen while baking cut out chocolate chip cookies
• more fresh snow
• neighbours (yes plural) who clean our lane for us when needed
• extremely successful retail therapy
• jeans "made just for me". I DON'T wear jeans (until now).
• birthday excitement
• band aids
• libraries
• post offices
• rice cookers
• successful business trips for the Engineer
• safe travels for the Engineer
• sunshine!
• above freezing temperatures
• washed, dried, folded, and put away window treatments in anticipation of the work to be done in the already existing part of our home.
• organic lavender hand and foot lotion -- heavenly!
• a Saturday away with our family listening to some awesome Christian bands
• new music to listen to and be inspired by
• a clean from top to bottom bathroom
• praying friends (You know who you are)!
• travelling husband meeting precious blogging friend  and her husband for a delicious home cooked dinner (I still would have shared the chocolate pie with you, Annesta :o). Yum!)
• a much anticipated book arriving in the mail
• the nighttime sound of dripping. It means it's almost ten pm and it's still not freezing out
• much anticipation for blogging friends who are flying to the PI as I write (on 02/16/11) to meet their adorable and precious little boy who spends his days playing with our daughters
• excitement for another couple who have after much anticipation flown to the PI to meet and fall deeply in love with their beautiful little girl 
• meals shared with both sets of parents
• freshly falling snow (again). It is so beautiful when the world is a blanket of white!
• laundry days. I love doing laundry!
• freshly laundered flannel sheets
• lavender fabric softener. (The only scented laundry stuff I will use).
• finally finding a second fleecy soft blanket for each of the Wee Three's beds.
• a third (and final) quilt being worked on for a precious little girl.
• suitcases that are starting to be packed (Yes, I'm a little OCD that way).
• phones that work -- even though I want to check it a hundred times a day to make sure it's working
• answering machines to catch the all important call (which has not come yet) in case we aren't home
• email that tells us that we'll be waiting for awhile yet
• an evening reading in our favorite bookstore
• a trip with gramma to pick up 'Monster' who accidentally didn't have his plates yet, so he gets delivered to our door today
• roll up the rim to win. We're hoping for the car :oD. Just kidding!
• coffee beans, freshly ground 
• friends over for a relaxing lunch and some great laughs
• the God given strength of a blogging friend during a time of loss and sorrow. Lifting up prayers!
•  a head injury on our little girl that was only minor

Thanking God for His gifts to me #'s1009 - 1068.

If you'd like to find joy in the everyday, join us at Holy Experience. You'll be glad you did!