#31-42 Of 1000 gifts.

31. Watching the body of Christ care for their own.

32. Watching my boys learn and grow in God-given talents and in character.

33. A husband who is quick to listen and quick to forgive.

34. Crochet hook, pretty yarn, good music, rainy day.
35. Memoirs of winter and snow:)

36. Learning the slower paced life and the peace it brings.

37. Beth Moore bible studies.

38. The beauty of women who bask in delight of God as apposed to basking in the world.

39. Spilled hot chocolate all over the floor because it's only hot chocolate..

40. CAndle lit dinner with the family, talking about being thankful.

41. 2 day left-over chili means I don't have to cook.

42. The most beautiful woman I have ever seen radiant of Christ in the midst of failing flesh, a life lived to the fullest extent of the glory of God.

#26-#30.

#26. the simplicity of a shiny sticker to make a child happy.

#27. My Big boy so proud to be an Awana Sparky and his new little vest.

#.28. husband who blesses me with hugs and kisses.

#.29. Daddy's and little boys cuddling in chair.

#30. Bluberry muffins and gooy little fingers that helped.

#18-25 Teenage mutant ninja turtles......gratitude list.

#18. Teenage mutant ninja turtles.

#19. Potty training little boy and clorox wipes :)

#20. Leaving laundry in washing machine for more than 30 min. and them not being spoiled! (less humidity).

#21. Being a two car family :)

#22. toby mac's newest cd. "Tonight." Loving the dance parties we get to have in homeschool!

#23. Field trip to the beach with our homeschool families!!

#24. Star Wars Legos:)

#25. Diet Dr. Pepper

# 18 on gratitude list: headed toward 1000

#18. sweet little hands.

I was kinda bummed. Long night with the coopster, feeling trapped in my house, and feeling like I haven't talked to an adult in a week. The day before I had two children one VERY hot (fever) one laying on me for most of the day and I needed some space. Actually I needed alot of space, a break from the house and a moment to myself. And then there we were again on the couch with both children fighting for my affection all over me. Feeling a little claustrophobic I looked down to see preciousness. All I could say was thank you Lord for this moment.


This was not posed....
i had elijah get the camera for me.....it was a sweet moment.
I mean really does it get any better than this?

Check out 1000 Gifts here.

Mothers day and infertility(# 17 on the gratitude list)

I love mothers day because it reminds me of Gods grace in my life. But there was a time when mothers day was my worst nightmare. I think I may have blogged on this before but I am doing it again...

Here is our story:
Kevin and I met while at Southeastern Seminary in Raleigh, NC. We were both getting Masters degrees with the plans of heading to the mission field. We were married at the ripe old age of 26. It doesn't seem that old now...but I thought i was getting up there. We weren't sure about the whole birth control thing but we used it for the first 3 months of marriage. We "planned" it that if we got pregnant, we would both be done with our degrees by the time a baby would come. Let me back track a bit, this is pretty cool so hang in there...

During college, I lived with the Linkston family. This was truely ordained by God in so many ways. I love this family to death! They helped me grow in so many ways and prepared me for my future in the ministry and as a wife to a minister and a mommy. They were REAL people, no fakeness, just open and honest about life, God and all issues. They had two lovely little girls, Jordan and Logan when I moved in. LOVE those girls!! While i was there they adopted "my first baby." I was never really around babies that much until Ryan came along and of course I fell in love and it was all over...God knew how to get to me. Then later they adopted Evan Joy...my namesake...and again God pressed on my heart for adoption. This was HUGE. I later told Kevin that there was no way I would marry him unless he was willing to adopt because i KNEW this is what God wanted for me and my future family. He then said the same thing. He had been living in Africa and saw the needs there and was also apart of a family who had adopted a child from Africa and he knew God was calling him to the same thing.

.....We knew adoption was expensive and a long grueling process and we thought we would continue to seek out pregnancy.
.....so we graduated...no baby
......so we moved to GA for student ministry position....no baby
.....then we went to the dr. to see what was wrong.....it didn't look good for us to concieve and there was definately a loss. It seemed as though it was so easy for others to get pregnant and have babies so why not us? Then there were the options of surgeries and so forth that would highten our chances, but they cost a fortune too and nothing was certian...and we weren't willing to because we KNEW what God had given us a heart for....it was a pretty easy decision....just a REALLY hard process once we got started.

I remember mother's days during that time were aweful! I wouldn't even go to church. Baby dedications were aweful...i tried to avoid those too. Could not work in the nursery or even come close to the children's wing. I did not want to be around anyone with a baby. I remember I use to go to hospital visits with kevin and one of our friends at church had just had a baby and i just couldn't mentally go up there and see them. I sat in the car and cried. Then I saw a lady in a hospital gown walking around outside probably 8 months pregnant, smoking a cigarette and i cried some more. Mad at God. Not mad because I couldn't have a biological child, but that it seemed as though everyone was pregnant or could get pregnant and the adoption process was too long and too hard.

I remember also after church one sunday we were at some friends house and they were just ranting and raving about the new little girl and how beautiful she was and how her daddy and her were so precious, as he held her durning church. I finally let out a big ugly frustrating grunt( not even able to control myself...oops).

So i was a tad bit on the bitter side. It was ugly and I wish I had been different, but God graces were greater than I could have ever imagined. I am thankful for infertility because I got the most precious boys in the world, and i always tell Elijah and Cooper that they were our very special present from God and they are! I can't tell you how in love I am with my boys and how I love spending time with them, mesmerized by God's creation of them for our family. AMAZING!

So on mother's day, I hope if you are struggling with infertility that you will know God's love and plan is for your best even though you cannot understand it. And also to be compassionate with those who are single and struggling, who are struggling with infertiltiy or who have lost a child. Mother's day can be particularly hard. Will you stop and pray for them? Consider these passages as you do so.

Psalm 56:8 (New Living Translation)

8 You keep track of all my sorrows.[a]
You have collected all my tears in your bottle.
You have recorded each one in your book.

Psalm 126:5
So those who went off with heavy hearts
will come home laughing, with armloads of blessing.

MY ARMLOADS OF BLESSING!!

#14-#16 gratitude list and Chicken Stew Recipe.

14. Picking blueberries with the boys.....and the yumminess that follows.

15. My mom's chicken stew recipe.....beyond yummified! Eaten with sour cream and onion chips....our WHOLE family is in love with this and I have had a ton of people ask me for the recipe....


1 whole chicken cooked and deboned
1/2 stick to whole stick of REAL butter
1/4-1/2 cup of VERY finely chopped onion
1 gallon of whole milk(can also add heavy whipping cream for a richer flavor, I usually don't)
1-2 sticks of celerly VERY finely chopped
5 cups of rice
salt and pepper
Most important ingredient: SOUR CREAM and Onion chips as topping...kevin likes a little shredded cheese on his.

saute' onion and celery in butter. Add cooked chicken, continue to stir in. Add gallon of milk. Let the liquid heat back up, stirring often as to not scald milk( you don't want it to boil). Add cooked rice. Let heat up....salt and pepper to taste...add chips just before serving.



16. Bonhoeffer Biography with setting sun shining in....ahhh....



God is so good....His graces are EVERYWHERE you choose to stop and look!

#10 homeschooling!

I knew this was something I wanted to do a LONG time ago....but i was certianly scared....and I knew it would be challenging!
But through my first year I have found that the blessings far outweigh the challenges. I mean...I GET to teach my kids.....I get to learn with them. I get to share in their excitement of learning. I get to see first hand their progress. Best of all I get to pray with them, teach them God's Word and try to live it out in front of them. NOW that's a chalenge!!

Now I am not telling you that our days are full of harmonious laughter, singing and sitting in a cozy chair cuddled and reading a book. I HAVE TWO LITTLE BOYS for goodness sake. There is alot of loudness, running, superhero fighting bad guys, sword fights, did i say LOUDNESS? And MESSES....oh the MESSES we can make...it is truly amazing! I love it, most every moment and believe me we have our moments...sometimes days...but i am so thankful the Lord has laid this on my heart to do....I love HIM.

Some motor skill practice...Ideas i got from a montessori genius friend at church.





Always throwing in some super hero dress up...Cooper was so proud of his cape!


Sword fighting with droppers. Boys will be boys!

Schoolwork for the week and the Blue 3's for the UK game on Sat. FINAL FOUR!

School in the dark...the power was out for a couple of hours so we lit the candles(trying to keep coop from blowing them out) and worked on our U is for umbrella project.

Morning dance party.

#9. having a random dance party because we can.


So I had a rough night...cooper not sleeping well (again) and then my morning workout at the gym getting up at 430am. I came home.....showered...and really tired....sleepy...eyes heavy...wondering how i was going to make it, if my hour long work out couldn't get me going.
My beloved Keurig made my favorite "golden french toast" with tons of cream and sugar....
I knew it was time to get our school on.....and i knew i had to get over myself...
ipod plugged into to stereo...
mommy on top of chair telling the boys it was time for school...
but before school....we are going to have a DANCE PARTY!!!!!!!!!
and with a loud blair and shocked little boys...mommy was dancing on the chair.
Cooper immediatly went to his usual dance routine of the air guitar...
and Elijah threw down on the dance floor.
it was the best beginning to our day...

so i hope my boys remember this one instead of all those times i've completely lost it! Please God?

scribbles on the wall

# 6. laying on sunbeaten driveway side by side with little boys....looking at clouds...talking about God....eating animal crackers.

# 7. little boys playing in mud and the daddies that clean them up.

#8. piles of laundry, toys beneath my feet, marker drawings on wall.

Happy bday to me from iron man.....and all my special men!

Our family has such fun on bdays...first we blare and crazy dance to the Beatles song, YOU SAY ITS YOUR BDAY. But today I got another gift. While i was distracted with my grocery list....Cooper found the red stamp ink and spread it all over himself, then came up to me and said IRON MAN!!!!
After I got over figuring out what the heck was all over him...I could then laugh and thank God for my little blessings.
Love it!
#5. imagination of my little boys.

1000 Gifts

I am reading a book call One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. I hope to do a review of sorts later...only a 2 chapters to go.
The basic idea of the book is to stop and recognize God's grace in EVERY little thing. To Give Him praise for all the moments of the day. In doing this our hearts of worry, fear, apathy and tradgedy are truly change to a grateful heart full of thankfulness and trust in all HIs ways. Ann was challenged by a friend to write down 1000 gifts that she recognized in her day to day life and she started a gratitude journal, where she began to list all the beauties of God's gracious gifts........and now i am doing the same...so here goes my first post...of many.....


1. Little boy toys in my dirty mixing bowl.
2. Baby boy Cooper sleeping on couch, peaceful.
3. smell of curry filling and homemade pita all through the house.
4. Sabbath sun.