 |
| Babies kissing babies, always makes my heart overflow. |
Last year I made a list of 30 birthday thanksgivings, in celebration of entering a new decade. As I said in that post: "Giving thanks is not just a pleasant little thing to do, it is a
necessity for me to get through each day with joyfulness and good cheer."
This is still true. In fact I made a copy of this sign to hang on my refrigerator so I would be reminded every day (thanks Pinterest):
So here is a 2nd annual birthday thanksgivings post. Because when I set out with the intent of counting all my blessings throughout the day, it turns out that I have an amazingly awesome day!
* Once again starting out a birthday morning with my husband delivering coffee to me in bed. *Much* needed and appreciated after a long week and not so much sleep recently.
* Having a birthday on a Friday. Because.... it's Friday! and we so excited...
* Enjoying said coffee with the cutest cuddle buddy ever.
* The view out my bedroom window.
(Enjoyed will sipping on coffee with the cute cuddle buddy.)
(Same view on another morning... Love it):
* Daughters who run around outside first thing in the morning, hiding things behind their backs, so they can present me with birthday treasures like wildflower bouquets, smooth pebbles and pretty leaves.
* Trying out my newly re-haired and repaired precious violin bow on some Bach & Mozart pieces. And falling in love with it again.
* Having the opportunity to educate my children and see them grow and absorb so much. To be able to witness each challenge and success along the way.
* Watching my older children happily reading to the younger children.
* Daughters who each have their their own unique hair color, faces, personalities and beauty.
* Finally teaching myself to french braid hair on all of those daughters, and then on myself! Only took me 31 years to get around to that....
* More baby snuggles!
* An eldest daughter who sweetly asks: "Mama, can I make you a birthday cake all by myself?"
And then does so. And it was the most delicious apple cake I've ever eaten.
* A husband who gets home from work and tells me to go ride a horse while he prepares supper.
* A horse who is fabulously fun and amazingly good (despite being full of spunk) after months and months of no work, waiting for me to be able to ride again. Even staying focused mid-sidepass next to the highway as a noisy semi-truck barreled by.
* A perfectly beautiful fall evening with an inviting back country road to gallop a horse down.
(...Can you tell I've been craving being on horseback again?)
* Coming back inside to find this waiting for me upstairs:
* A husband who spoils me with good gifts, even after I told him all I wanted for my birthday was a healthy baby to snuggle and a ride on my horse. I got that, and he still got me flowers. And chocolate. And pearls. And a mouth-watering steak dinner by candlelight after the kids' bedtime.
Saturday concluded with a lovely visit with my sister and her eldest, complete with introductions to Clyde.
Sunday morning found us greatly enjoying a sermon from guest pastor Ravil Kunakaev, a minister to our sister church in Russia. Russian is one of my favorite languages -- so it was not only fabulous to hear his sermon on prayer and how their church has been growing (with an english translator), I was loving just sitting back and listening to the beauty of the words themselves. The sermon audio is available online if you'd like to enjoy it too!
Followed by good church fellowship (our first time staying for our weekly church lunch since Clyde's arrival), with more horse play on a glorious fall day at home afterward. Followed by our traditional Sunday evening family movie night, this week featuring the great film Wild China.
And this week we move seamlessly from my birthday to celebrating our first born son. Stay tuned for upcoming posts!
You're amazing. Not just 'cause of your French braiding skills, but that adds to it! :) So glad you were celebrated so well and it is always so life-giving seeing your photos/family/nature around you. What a delight!
ReplyDelete