Today Needs to be a Gift Day

(because I need the attitude adjustment!)

108. the fact that even though most days I can't wait to get the boys in bed, I miss them once they are down.

109. Cory yelling, "Mama!" with a happy grin when he sees me in the morning.

110. Iain has just discovered the movie Cars.  Then he realized he already had shoes, a sleeping bag, and a post card with "Lightning the Queen" on them.  He was thrilled!

111. how much my boys love their cousins (or really, second cousins).

112. the cousins taking the time to play with and love on my boys.

113. Cory prays for his baby sister at every meal: "Dee Ge-us, um, baby sister, dee Ge-us, amen!"

114. Vitamin Water from Target.  Surprisingly tasty!

115. even though our baby gate is broken, no one has fallen down the stairs or tried to climb down when unauthorized.

116. the beautiful cool weather that makes me wish for a crackling fire and a good book

117. the fact that we have a fireplace!  Even though it's not working at the moment, at least we have the capability to have a fire someday.

118. which means we have a mantle to hang stockings on this year

119. and next year, we'll have five stockings to hang!

120. Cory looks so cute in his Oompa-Loompa pjs.  

121. our back deck

Gifts - Haven't Done This in a While

96. For a good time in Florida and a safe trip home.
97. For the Rock House - it's a good place to be.
98. For my extended family.
99. Tonight when we got home, Iain put on my watch, sunglasses, and a policeman hat, and sat on Mug the Chicken (his rocking-chicken) with his guitar and sang a song he made up about everybody going into the house.
100. For Cory's deep-voiced laugh.
101. For my new nephew Isaiah!
102. That my boys have a new cousin:


103. For our daughter in Rwanda. Oh how I wonder who she is!
104. For the opportunity to make friends up here.
105. That I got to meet baby Jude! And that he's my birthday-mate.
106. For Phyllis introducing me to this 1000 Gift idea - it is cathartic and refocuses my perspective. I have a lot to be thankful for!
107. For the ability to write.

Gifts of 2008

As I said before, 2008 went by so fast. I really can't believe it's already on its way out the door. A year ago today was Cory's due date!

As I look back through my photos of 2008 and think about the many, many memories we made or were given in that speedy year, allow me to share with you my list of gifts I was given during the last 366 days (it was a leap year, after all!).

57. Cory was born! A mere 15 days late, our sweet little man made his appearance into our home and into our hearts.


58. Related: we became a family of four.


59. Watching my boys being brothers is a sweet gift indeed.
60. Our trip to Atlanta to hear Pastor Tim preach, to worship the Lord, to see old friends...
61. Good times with good friends (Noah and Lauren continually make our list of thanksgivings!)


62. Jeremy's job which a) he loves and b) enables him to work from home.
63. In April, Jenna got married to Curtis (and Jeremy especially was glad to get another man in the family!)
64. Learning to juggle two under two - it's actually been wonderful! With a few exceptions of really crazy moments (like mealtimes), it's so much more fun to have two.


65. Our zoo membership!
66. Iain, my little man who is eager, fun-loving, silly, and zany, and who cares for Cory like a true big brother.
67. Watching Iain learn to pray. He loves to pray for people who are sick, especially. Like this: "Dear Jesus, please help Cory feel better. In Jesus' name, amen. Jesus will help Cory because He's a mighty God!" Or for Jeremy: "Dear Jesus, please help Daddy do a good job working. In Jesus' name, amen. Jesus will help Daddy because He's a mighty God!"
68. Special memories with me and my boys (like this walk to 7-11 for a rare slurpee treat, or our many trips to the park. Oddly, some of the best times we have are when we're outside because someone (usually Iain) is sick and we need a change of pace. We have some fun!)


69. Jeremy and I had a date at Epcot (with Cory who was too small to leave behind). We got to see the flower show.
70. Easter pictures with two boys instead of one! (Click here for last year's picture.) Thanks, Kels, for the photo shoot!


71. Lots of praying about big life changes... again and again... and waiting still to see what the Lord has for us.
72. Going to Camp Carolina - stressful but good.
73. The feeling of adventure that comes with being open to His plans!
74. Our trip to Tennessee for Nan's birthday.
75. Seeing Jeremy with the boys.


76. Cory, who loves to be held, who climbs all over everything with astonishing skill for an almost-one year old, who is sweet and funny and lovng.
77. I've been getting practice two days a week at having three kids - Iain and Cory love days when Caiden comes over!


78. The Alabama trip to surprise Jenna - and seeing Iain's pure joy at getting to drive a tractor with Uncle Curtis. Truly a highlight for Iain AND for me.



79. Seeing Cory's personality just blossom. It's amazing to watch him grow.
80. Iain turned two! He delights and amuses us with his witty and hilarious remarks. Love to hear what is in that boy's brain! He's smart and sweet and all three of us adore him!
81. Jeremy and I celebrated our fourth anniversary. He is a wonderful husband and an awesome daddy - he's my biggest gift this side of heaven.
82. I had fun doing flowers for another wedding - that makes two weddings I've done (Jenna's being the first).


83. Hearing Iain sing all the time. ALL THE TIME! He constantly has songs on his mind and he loves to sing for whoever will listen, or even if no one does.
84. LOVED the trip to the farm with Lauren and Noah. What an awesome day that was!


85. Cory starting to learn to walk.
86. Holidays spent with families.
87. Cranberry sauce on my Thanksgiving meal! And this year, Iain joined me!
88. Jenna and Curtis' happy news - and a cousin for my boys.
89. Doing NaNoWriMo and finishing!
90. Christmas - Cory's first, Iain's third, and Jeremy and my fifth.



91. Lessons learned this past year, especially on contentment.
92. Jeremy, who is patient, kind, loyal, hard-working, silly, steady, and loving.
93. My new business idea - stay tuned!
94. My girls' Bible study and the small group we have meeting in our home.
95. My family. This is where I want to be. I am so blessed!


On to 2009!

Gifts This Day

45. Cory looks SO CUTE in his little blue turtleneck/
46. legos. They're very theraputic, you know. They always seem to fit together just right.
47. cool weather
48. old friends
49. There's this blue wooden block on my desk. It has a clock face painted on it, and doors below that. Whenever Iain plays blocks, he always brings me this one and says it's my house. Now he just wants it to stay on my desk all the time, and I do, too.
50. music, in general
51. and good books
52. and this quote: "Seeing our Father in everything makes life one long thanksgiving and gives rest of heart, and, more than that, a gayety of spirit that is unspeakable" (Hannah Whitall, Smith)
53. seeing the Body of Christ come together yesterday to put on a beautiful wedding for a friend. Working together, sharing time and talents, enjoying blessing a family that we love and that has blessed us all - this is what Christians should be known for.
54. new journals waiting to be filled
55. this picture, which makes me laugh. Cory looks like an alien baby, no?



56. Iain learned the word Amsterdam when Kelsey and Haylee went there earlier this year. It has become one of his favorite words. Only he has morphed it in true Iain style and now likes to randomly repeat Hamster-dampt.

And More Gifts

(Iain, imitating Raffi, sings into his "microphone.")

33. The joy of the Lord, and His peace, and His rest, and, and, and....
34. a cool day today
35. Iain did a little better in nursery this morning
36. a good sermon that made me think (and is still making me think)
37. I made a new friend this week!
38. Jesus promises that His yoke is easy and His burden light
39. water, in general :)
40. my home - it's easy to get bogged down in the repairs, etc that older homes need. But it's a cozy little place and we are thankful for it!
41. the boys' naptime
42. pressed leaves
43. hearing Iain talk to Cory
44. Cory's funny, hoarse little grunt (wheeze?) of a laugh

Mid-Week Gifts

18. play-dough and the minutes it affords me while Caiden and Iain play.
19. cool-ish weather
20. our small group that met here last night
21. peanut butter cookies with hershey's kisses on top
22. Cory learned how to give hugs
23. a good book to sink my teeth into
24. I get to play with flowers again, for Kristin's wedding in a few weeks
25. really good sermons by Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church, on my ipod while I do dishes at night
26. baby laughs
27. Yesterday, Iain plowed Cory down (again), and before I could say anything to him, he put his arm around Cory and said sweetly, "Cory, I'm sorry that I knocked you down."
28. Iain singing, especially when he sings Big Rock Candy Mountain
29. story time at the library (that deserves a post all its own!)
30. double strollers
31. Cory is learning to drink water by himself!
32. Jeremiah 31:12 "...and they shall be radiant over the goodness of the LORD... their life shall be like a watered garden, and they shall languish no more."

746

I don't know what possessed me to do math in the shower yesterday morning. I decided to figure out how many days I have been a parent; i.e. how many days Iain has been on this earth. The answer? 746. This really does have a point. Stick with me.

It's not like it was a big day: 1000 or 500 or even 750. But I found myself thinking about that number all day, and thinking that we should celebrate day 746. Why? Because it was day 746, of course. That day will never come again. Let's live it fully, enjoy it, pay attention to it for goodness' sake. It's so easy to lose the days in the busyness or even the sameness of life. But when day 746 is gone, it's gone for good. Let's SEE it while it's here!

So, what to do to celebrate an importantly ordinary day? Go to the park, of course.

Swing high:



Climb up the slide:


Slide down on your tummy:



Meet in the middle in a delicious brother collision:


Wait for your brother to slide again, and giggle when he does:



Climb a rock wall:



Play at the general store:


In his book Breakfast Epiphanies, David Anderson makes the wise point that you can't really live each day like it was your last, contrary to the pithy quotes we've all heard. It's impractical: if it was your last day on earth, would you do the dishes? Take out the trash? Would you continue to save money, or would you write one big fat check to your favorite ministry or charity? Would you spend time checking your email or would you buy a ticket for the other side of the world? You get my point; it's impossible to live a responsible, or even sustainable life if you are truly living each day like you would if you knew it was your last. It would also be an exhausting way to live: cram it all in, get it all done, don't stop until you literally drop. Can't keep it up, friends.

We must remember that life is often found in the details, in the ordinary. When it is your last day, don't you want to have spent it doing what you were supposed to be doing, and what you had been doing faithfully every day? Isn't that a more meaningful way to spend your last day than frantically doing all the good you can in 24 hours? I think it is more, better, if it's a long-term, steady faithfulness than if it's a desperate chase to the end.

Psalm 90:12 says, “Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” I don't think David meant that we should literally count the days, as I did yesterday. But every once in a while, maybe it's a good idea. It helps keep life in perspective. It makes me remember that each day is a gift. It reminds me to be faithful in the day-to-day.

So with that, I'll add to my list of 1000 gifts:

17. day 746 and the lessons it brought.

Sunday Afternoon Gifts

(Iain's birthday cake. Thanks for the picture, Lauren!)

12. vanilla coke
13. really funny rounds of Catch Phrase that make you laugh until you cry
14. color. I really love color.
15. a wise application of the story of Ananias and Sapphira today at church. Pastor Joel said that they told God they were giving Him everything, but really they held back. How often do we do that with our lives - not just our money, but everything?
16. Iain making it past that critical two-hour mark in his nap. It makes all the difference.

A Thousand Gifts

Inspired by Phyllis, and one of her favorite blogs A Holy Experience (which I also am liking more and more), I am joining the gratitude community and making my list. I need a little more perspective when I am up to my elbows in dishes and diapers. I need a dose of contentment when Kelsey goes to China again. I need to be more awake and aware of the many gifts the Father has given me here and now.

So the idea is to create an ongoing list, eventually reaching a thousand, of gifts - not ones you want, but ones you have. I loved the quote from George MacDonald on the Holy Experience blog: "No gift unrecognized as coming from God is at its own best...when in all gifts we find Him, then in Him we shall find all things."

And John Milton: "Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life and the world."

Care to join me as we begin seeing the goodness of God in daily life (after all, that's where life happens. If we just wait for the big things, we'll spend most days waiting.)?

1. as Jeremy and I walked around Lake Lily today, there was a hint of coolness in the breeze.
2. Jeremy and I walked around Lake Lily today!
3. sycamore leaves
4. I changed Cory's diaper and then walked out of the room for maybe 20 seconds. When I came back, he was standing up, holding onto the brown chair on the other side of the room!
5. Iain's trampoline-jumping
6. seeing Iain go to bed, holding onto "just da poon" (the spoon - a plastic one he carried around before bed. Why?)
7. pickles on hamburgers
8. the way a song can carry you back to a particular time of life
9. a call from Sidonie today, from Germany
10. sleep
11. the smell of wood burning