the sweet & simple blessings of life | july 2014

1st: To be able to say “Happy Birthday to my best friend and love of my life.
To a husband & daddy who strives to go the distance it takes to be
all there in everything he does, to a man who strives for a life of
integrity – even when it looks crazy in the eyes of
others or he’s alone. To a man who sacrifices much, is hard working,
and loves Jesus with all his heart. Who seeks to lead our family with
God’s word and grace. A man who is striving to be the man God wants him
to be in all areas of his life. So blessed to call you mine, honey!”

For the first time making and eating an authentic Chinese Birthday cake, and finding a new favorite!

2nd: How life here is brimming full and we’re just so blessed to be having fun, living it. 

5th: For the new occupants in the birdhouses, to watch and hear their beautiful singing. And for the daughter who captured this photo nicely. : )

 


6th: For husband who works hard at home, at work, & serves at Church.

7th: For summer days and long nights. And being able to allow the kids to sleep in, while mommy get’s a chance to catch up on a few things and do a little reading.  : )

8th: Our home study officially completed and in the mail! Tickled with delight!

9th: For 7 year old J’s desire to help, while preparing 4 gallons of green beans for the freezer.

 
10th: For random days that allow a quick early breakfast with my man at home before he heads off to work. : ) For the greatest smiles and treasures throughout our adoption process. {Grandma W, had given me this cookbook several years ago when the hubby and I were newly married. I had to giggle and a grin when I pulled it out last night to make one of our favorite Chinese dipping sauces. Who would have known years later we’d be adopting from China!?} God did, that’s who!

12th: For weather without humidity, and perfect 69-70’s’s out. Gorgeous enough to be able to have windows open in JULY!

18th:  For mud pizza’s, big grins and good old-fashioned summer fun!

19th: For protection and safety for my children. For my 9 year old son’s injury at camp, that it wasn’t worse than it was. And thankful for the reminders that Momma’s will not always be there, but the Lord will always be, and that brings great encouragement to my Momma heart.

20th: To watch and listen to my children and nephew share about their week at Bible camp at the beginning of the Church service. And especially how my 9 year old was such a sport, despite his face injury, we all had a laugh, and so did he. 🙂 Thankful that his face IS on the mend and that the swelling and bruising and cuts are healing nicely.

21st: How I-4yrs, has been on the extreme toad/bug
hunt this summer. And how we’ve had to limit him to no more then two toads at a time
in his little “cage”. He can keep them for one night and then he has to
let them go. He and N-2yrs have these long partings before they actually
let the little things go. These partings include eye to eye talks on
finding their new homes and so forth. I-yrs also received a battle scar
this past week as he was pretending with older brother J-7yrs, that they were
hang gliding {with long sticks} and he fell on his stick, barely
missing his eyeball! I am thankful my hair has not yet turned gray, and that these little guys keep me on my toes! : P

22nd: While the two older ones were at camp,
and  daddy was working out of town. Mommy and the 3 little
Munchkins did our best to enjoy a whole week with just the 4 of us. 🙂
We were able to all fit at the small table in the kitchen – it was fun
for them. And we were able to make some memories.

24th:  USCIS Immigration {I-800A} mailed! So excited!!!

25th: For crazy late nights lasering necklace orders and gifts. God is providing!

26th: For days of celebration even the bittersweet ones, that remind us that this place we call home, really isn’t home at all. Bringing us to a place of eternal glory full of an abundance of God’s grace and love. For the joy that comes after great mourning.

For little surprises we find and explore on the fly – and for the heroes of all the life-flight teams everywhere. They will always have a special place in my heart, and I may have shed a quiet tear or two that afternoon. <3

27th: For older and wiser precious people in our lives. For their wisdom, their experience, their strength and their godly guidance, and sweet love.

28th: USCIS Immigration {I-800A}received – now to wait, and this beautifully gorgeous no humidity day of summer. : )

 29th: Today Grandma had her first birthday in the presence of Jesus. It’s bittersweet. And knowing that her life was secure in Christ, brings me great joy that I can run into her arms again, someday soon! ::tears:: ::smiles::

And for things that remind us of special people in our lives. And cantaloupe is one of the things that reminds me of my Grandma S. So in honor of her first birthday in Heaven we enjoyed a big bowl of it at dinner.  <3

And for trying our hand and taste buds and more and more authentic Asian foods in our home on a regular basis. : )

 30th: For being able to walk around outdoors and find beauty throughout the exterior of our home. The Lord has blessed our labor greatly, and colors our world with beauty daily!

31st: To wake in the morning to a smiley boy, who brought the new kitten inside to sit with him quietly on the couch to cuddle. And for myself having a hard time keeping the “no pets inside” rule with his sweetest yet ornery grin on his face. ; )

Being able to finally catch our new daily friend on camera while it feasts on the sunflower seeds right outside our kitchen window. Fun for all of us to watch.

“Never
lose an opportunity for seeing anything that is beautiful; For beauty
is God’s handwriting–Welcome it in every fair face, in every fair sky,
in every fair flower, And thank God for it as a cup of His blessing.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson