1000 Gifts {Days 29, 30 & 31}

January 29: A song heard, a soft word, light seen 

10,000 Reasons For My Heart To Sing (You can see it HERE on YouTube)

"I 'wuv 'oo mom" (Sarah, age 4.5)

Medications vs. natural remedies

January 30: Three old things seen new

How much Doug and I love each other.  The past few years have had quite a few ups and downs and yet I'm still in love with him!

Every morning, I am delighted with my fresh cup of hot coffee.

Warm fuzzy blankets, especially during the past few frigid days.

January 31: A gift on a paper, in a person, in a picture

Notes from my daughter

After work hugs from my husband, especially after he's been on the road for a night or two.

I would love to one day visit the country of my grandparents.  

Both sets were immigrants from Holland and I'm proud to be 100% Dutch.

1000 Gifts {Day 28}

Three graces found in friends (two specifically for this post):

Time shared over a cup of coffee.  Sitting in various living rooms enjoying the savoury aroma and taste of coffee, listening to the kids play together and just being with each other.

The opportunity to share thoughts, opinions and views over a topic that is common to us all.  Homeschooling.

The people I can be honest with. They appreciate me for who I am and I appreciate them for everything they do.      

1000 Gifts {Day 27}

3 Gifts in the Kitchen

I look forward to my coffee every morning 

This is probably my most used small kitchen appliance.  

I really appreciate my pantry.  :)

1000 Gifts {Day 26}

January 26: A gift before dawn, after noon & after dark

My morning coffee

My sweet daughter following Grandma

After bath time

1000 Gifts {Days 23, 24 & 25}

January 23: 3 gifts found in Christ

(Loving this now)

(Needing this now)

(And this one too)

January 24: 3 things blue
The LED light that shines when I turn my sewing machine on, our vast open sky, the color of Arianna's eyes that light up every time she sees me

January 25: a grace borrowed, found, inherited
The old wooden rocking chair that I used when each of the kids was a baby.  Re-found it in the basement and it's now become mine.

1000 Gifts {Days 20, 21, 22}

January 20: Three gifts only seen close up
My husbands eyes, reading a good book,

January 21: A gift in the sky, water, memory
A sunrise full of pink and purple hues, filling my bathtub and enjoying a nice soak, camping with my family when I was younger

January 22: A gift wrinkled, smoothed, unfolded
The piles of laundry that keep me and my family clothed, the super warm sheets on my bed and still the piles of laundry that remind me to get some folding done.

1000 Gifts {Days 17, 18 & 19}

January 17: A gift bringing laughter, prayer, quiet
A late night conversation with my daughter as she shares with me the secrets of her heart.  I am so thankful that she is willing be open with me and feel safe when we talk.


January 18: 3 Gifts from God's word

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. 

Psalm 139:13

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 


John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 

January 19: 3 gifts that might never have been
My marriage... had a certain young man not offered to drive me and my best friend down to Calgary for a music competition, who knows where I 'd be today.  What a wonderful turn of events.

Arianna & Sarah.  Both of them were born following miscarriages and after much emotional pain, I've come to the place where I know that if it wasn't for the miscarriage, I wouldn't have the children that I do now.

Following my instinct to home school the kids.  I wanted to so badly when Joshua was in kindergarten but I gave in to the pressures of those who didn't think it was a good idea.  His first experience in school was a bomb and that was the last time any of my kids went to school full time.

1000 Gifts {Days 15 &16}

A gift worn, shared and given away:

My new fleece pajamas, books exchanged with my sister and the relief of free cycling a bunch of stuff this week!



Three witnessed blessings:
The free running water flowing down the street in mid January, new books that arrived in the mail today, Doug's ability to get his (forgotten) medications transferred to another pharmacy in a totally different city.

1000 Gifts {Days 12, 13 & 14}

January 12: Something above, below, beside

Above: My bedroom is above me.  A place that I can lock the door behind me and just be alone, even for a moment or two.
Below: The basement below me is getting a wall repaired from the water damage done last summer.  It will be nice not to have a hole there anymore.
Beside: a clean kitchen

January 13: 3 things about myself that I am grateful for

1. my kids feel comfortable coming to me and talking to me about pretty much anything.
2. I'm easy to get along with.
3. I have a giving heart and like to do what I can for people.

January 14: 3 startling graces of God

1. the offered help to fix up the walls in the house
2. selling some items which allowed me to take Andrea to a movie this weekend
3. the quick return to her home after my mother in law's surgery 

1000 Gifts {Day 11}

Three yellow gifts of fresh mercy...

1.  I love yellow roses.  They remind me of my mom.
2.  The sun is rising a few minutes earlier every day which means that the days are getting longer and spring is coming.
3.  Fresh lemons.  I just like them.

1000 Gifts {Day 10}

A gift sweet, sour, just right

Sweet: my morning coffee

Sour: Hmmmm... Not sure about this one yet.

Just right: the pizza treat we had for supper tonight.

1000 Gifts {Day 9}

A gift held:

Passed by: I came home last night to find the entire main floor was cleaned by Andrea.  It was as good as I would have done it.

Sat with: Doug and I spent the first hour of our day drinking coffee in the quiet of the morning.  I love times like that.

1000 Gifts {Day 8}

Dusky light: driving to see a movie with a great group of friends.
Surprising reflection: maybe not surprising, but I realized tonight that my kids need me more than I think.
Lovely shadow: the silhouette of the sleeping figures of those I love.

1000 Gifts {Days 6 & 7}

January 6: Something in your bag, fridge, heart

Bag: The keys that allow access to my van.  The privilege and ability to drive is something I take for granted.
Fridge: creamer for my coffee.  Something I look forward to each morning.
Heart: I love my family.  I can't imagine life without them.


January 7: 3 Graces from people you love

Doug filling up the van with gas when it's cold outside.
Sarah affirming that I'm the "best-ever-mom".
Support and encouragement (in so many ways) from my in-laws.

1000 Gifts {Day 5}

A gift reading, making, seeing:

Reading: Jane Eyre
Making: Life changing decisions
Seeing: Children growing right before my eyes

1000 Gifts (Day 4)

{January 4}

A gift old, new, blue

Old: My necklace with a locket from my mom and a "mom" charm from Doug's mom.  Two very special women who mean a whole lot to me.

New: A Tim Horton's mug from Andrea at Christmas time.  I love new mugs.

(Picture from HERE)

Blue: the vast expanse of sky that covers our world.  Amazing.

1000 Gifts {Days 1, 2 & 3)

I read this blog this morning ---> A Holy Experience and would like to make that my blog's focus for 2013.  Oddly, I can't write as well on paper but when I have a keyboard in front of me, the words just seem to come pouring out.

I'll do a combination of writing and photos and I'm hoping to use my good camera more than my phone this year.

So here goes!

January 1: Three gifts heard: the voices of my children, a whispered "I love you" from my husband, and the familiar text tone that is unique to my sister.

January 2: A gift outside, inside, and on a plate:  the snow glittering in the sun, fleece bedsheets and the abundant meal I shared with my in laws.

January 3: Three graces you've overheard: I am a good wife.  I am a good mom.  I am doing well at what I do.
*Grace defined as: "The Grace of God expresses itself as a combination of many attributes of God, especially mercy, goodness, compassion, and love."*

Well, there's the first nine, since I needed to get caught up from the past two days.