72. AAA!
We haven't enrolled in AAA membership since my company paid for it during my working days before the kids were born. Yet, this past year we felt an inner prompting to enroll, and what a blessing it has been. My husband and our daughter got stranded at a campground during a Y Princess camping trip when his car would not start. AAA towed them and the car to a repair shop just in time for me to get them home before our son's birthday party began.
Then this week, after I loaded the car with lunch bags, kids, and all my PE instructor equipment and the kids' school work to head out to co-op, my car would not start. Neither my husband nor any neighbors were available to rescue me, but AAA is always there.
We've planned several trips this year, and AAA sent us guide books and maps for free the day I requested them. While shopping for travel insurance, AAA led us to the lowest rate for the best coverage. We're so glad God prompted us to choose AAA the year we would need it most.
73. Gorgeous spring like weather in early March
74. A new access point to the Greenway right beside our neighborhood
I have thoroughly enjoyed biking along this lengthy, gorgeous wooded path, which runs parallel to the river, through several counties where other bikers, pedestrians spanning four generations, horses and their riders, stand-up trikers, dogs, turtles, birds, butterflies, and Pandora praise and worship music keep me company.
75. End times conversations with the kids
The conversation began with them asking questions about the current political situation, but that led to them asking questions about end times (funny how that happens). I told the kids to think about what they hope they are doing when Jesus comes back. I asked, "Do you want Jesus to find you fighting with your sibling or loving your neighbor and sharing the gospel?"
The 6-year-old replied, "Mom, I sure hope you aren't still doing chores when He returns!"
Did my son just deliver an emancipation proclamation for Christian mothers/housewives?
76. Turbo Tax
While filing tax returns is something I dread each year, I remember when I had to complete all these forms manually. Turbo Tax makes the painful process at least less time consuming than it once was, and for that, I am truly grateful.
77. The different perspective my children offer to most any situation
When my husband wears his Mantoni wool and cashmere topcoat with a cashmere scarf over his business suits, I think he looks like a GQ model. The kids, however, recently said, "All he needs is a top hat, and he'll look just like Bob Cratchit" from Charles Dicken's A Christmas Carol.
78. Learning the "Facts of Life" from my 8-year-old
You know your little girl is growing up when every question she asks concerns her feelings, and every answer to her "why" questions is simply, "Because you are a girl." I have been encouraging her to write down her thoughts and feelings, and our little philosopher recently returned with this paper explaining the "facts of life".
- Life isn't fair!
- Life can be fun.
- Life is important.
- Life is sorrowful.
- Life is loving God!
- Life is lively.
- Life is deadly.
- Life can be great!
- Life is tricky.
- And last but not least....Life is for GOD! :-)
79. Our gospel-centered, missions-minded church family where truth is taught without compromise
Our church understands and teaches that God's vision for each of us, the church, and the world is to glorify Him, and one primary way we glorify Him is making His name known to all people. I'm thankful that our church is more interested in reaching the lost and discipling believers than in fostering self-glorification as is so prominent in our lost culture.
80. Unintentionally prophetic stories composed and handwritten by our kids
On Valentine's Day, our 6-year-old wrote this little story about a winter wonderland just two days before we received our first real snowfall in over two years with some of the largest snowflakes I have ever seen. His description of a winter wonderland was an accurate depiction of the weekend that followed....except for the penguins.
81. A tissue paper snowman crafted by our 6-year-old
82. Graphic representations to help my daughter and I understand each other better, and God's wisdom in placing her in our family to complement and breathe creative energy into our structured, boring left brained ways.
83. The way children expand our interests and bring more variety and passion into our lives
As an overly pragmatic, frumpy woman, I've never taken much interest in spa treatments and the like as I would rather do something active and outdoors. However, when my dear daughter asked for a spa themed birthday party, I was suddenly ALL about it. I had already transformed our house into a full service spa six days before the party which evoked interesting expressions from the servicemen who visited our home that week.
84. God's unique way of giving new desires that benefit us and others as well
My daughter's #1 love language is quality time, and her desire for this love language is off the charts. Quality time ranked lowest for me when I took the love language evaluation, so giving her the time she craves is a challenge for me, especially considering that we have very different interests making it a struggle find things we both enjoy doing together. I so want our time together to be fun, not just a duty to dread.
Surprisingly to me, God gave me so much enthusiasm for my daughter's spa themed party, something I would normally not care much about, that I could hardly wait for the day of the party to arrive. I put more time and energy into this party than any other, and I enjoyed myself more at this party, feeling less stressed and more relaxed than ever before. This desire is undoubtedly a gift from God.
After spending over 8 hours that day hosting and cleaning up from the party, God gave me what I would typically desire, time outside doing something active in nature. That evening after the party is when I discovered the glorious new trails behind our neighborhood where I can explore, run, walk, bike, or even ride a horse to my heart's content out in a beautiful nature setting with the sounds of birds' songs and rivers rushing to soothe my soul and remind me of God's nearness, sovereignty, and love.
85. Surprising the children
Over the past week, I have thoroughly relished the process of planning a big surprise for the kids in two weeks. It's made me happier than a punk in a pickle patch! Every day, I look forward to this surprise we have in store for them. I can hardly wait and hope I don't spill the beans before then.
86. Discovering that there is not a mouse in the house
For the past few weeks, I've been so freaked out over the scratchings and rustlings I've been hearing in our pantry that I could barely enter the pantry for fear I would find a mouse in the trap and pass out cold. After further investigation, I am happy to report that we do not have mice, but we do have birds camped out in our dryer vents. They have chewed a nice opening through the vent door and seem to really enjoy using the sauna whenever I run the dryer. It's a fire hazard, we realize, so we're hoping to soon find a ladder long enough to remedy this situation.
87. Daddy - Daughter 5K Run
Ever since plebe summer of 1991, my husband has viewed running as a form of punishment. My competitive daughter will run sprints against the boys at school, but she, too, has never wanted to run long distances, and I was afraid to push her since I wanted her to be free to find her own interests instead of having me impose my own passions onto her.
Now that I have given up running, at least for a few years, I never thought the subject of running would come up again, but praise God for Y Princesses because they are awarding patches to daddy-daughter teams who complete a 5K in May. So today, my handsome man laced up his running shoes and patiently coached and encouraged our daughter through their first training run even as she complained throughout all two miles of it. He's a great coach! Seeing them run together made my heart nearly beat out of my chest.
88. Our boy's love for the game of basketball
89. The tendency of boys to outgrow their older sisters
While helping me with the laundry, the 8-year-old pulled out her brother's shirt and said, "This is itty-bitty. It must be E's."
The 6-year-old responded, "Hey now! I'm not itty-bitty."
I intervened, "Be nice to him because one day he'll be bigger and stronger than you are."
The 8-year-old replied, "Nope. When he's grown up he'll be a weak, wimpy businessman, but I'll be a super strong gymnast who works out all the time."
I intervened again, "How can you say that? Your dad is a businessman. Do you think he's wimpy?"
Quick witted 8-year-old, "No, Daddy isn't wimpy because he was in the Navy."
I didn't realize unfair stereotyping started so early. To all my businessmen friends, next time you see my sassy daughter, please flex your muscles and maybe toss her in the air or something to prove her wrong.
90. Our daughter's love for school which translates into a willingness to help her little brother repeat the same projects she did at school.
 |
| Her WW1 diorama with a plane from the Cold War era (oops) |
 |
| His home version of a WW1 diorama with no help from anyone except his sister |
Our daughter came downstairs one evening with a Nerf dart gun aimed at us. My husband asked, "What's on the end of your gun?"
She answered, "A butter knife. It's a bayonet. We learned about them at school".
92. Flowers in unexpected places
My Bible study time this year has encouraged me to seek beauty in every aspect of life so that even those things that once annoyed me bring joy. Flies buzzing around while dining on the back deck can be annoying, but maybe the new pink floral bling on my fly swatter will bring a smile back to my face.
93. God's strength which equips us to endure the "natural" energy spikes of our offspring
After barely surviving a shopping trip with my exceedingly spastic children, I asked them, "Did you eat any food dyes, sugar, or caffeine at school to make you so hyper today?"
The girl said, "Nope. Air makes me hyper."
Then her sly brother said, "I think eating vegetables makes us hyper, Mom".
And I thought, "Nice try, boy, but you get a double helping of veggies for dinner tonight."
94. My son's willingness to openly talk with me, especially regarding heart matters and girls
I think my son and my husband share similar good looks. Just as my husband got lots of attention from the ladies during his youth, our son seems to garner much attention from girls of all ages. Our boy, who I sometimes refer to as DC, Jr. in my mind, had not really noticed the attention since he just wants to hang with the guys without caring what girls think or say. It's better for him not to think too highly or too lowly of himself because thinking too much of oneself period displaces God, and my desire is that His heart and thoughts would always be consumed with the Lord.
However, when an attractive 15-year-old at his school who helps with his art class told him not once, but twice during the same class period that she thought he was cute, he noticed. And he thought about it enough to tell me all about it. Now it's time to pray that he will stay humble like his daddy.
95. The Lost Medallion
I'm always grateful when a movie producer decides to create a film that delivers a Christian message about God's love with clean, family-friendly content that appeals to kids and adults of all ages. The message in this film for orphans regarding their purpose in life is especially significant to me.
96. Creative costumes even if they are the fruit of procrastination
My daughter retreated to her room one evening to work on a research paper. She came out later dressed like a French painter. While her garb may give the impression that she's inspired by her research, her topic was Queen Victoria, so my right-brained child was clearly procrastinating. Gotta love the costume, though. And perhaps Queen Victoria hired a French painter to paint a portrait of her.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment