so many beautiful gifts.

• Easter!
• sunrise service
• BK breakfast
• teamwork making the dreamwork
• delicious lunch with yaya and grandaddy
• games, fun, easy
• kids not on screens
• run on the river
• in christ alone on repeat and lots of versions
• house reset

• A day at Chapelle Falls (however it's spelled)
• strawberry cake + coffee + God's timing of the lectio365 devo 4/5/21
• screened in porch + beautiful view + sound of the creek
• reading on the porch swing
• finishing "you + me forever"
• reveling in the delight of the gift of time and beauty 
• excellent questions for pondering
• stunning weather
• clear instructions
• extra salt on my peanut butter crackers
• prayers and verses for my family

• "we want to help people be pro-life...as opposed to anti-abortion." - guy quoted in the pour over
• watching Chosen with the cash crew
• popcorn!
• Ann-Marie and her AT adventure/obedience
• another sweet time with t-train
• bubbles with emma and zoe

• going back to sleep with my hoodie on after an early morning run
• birthday card from carey
• running into kim 
• time with moriah and chinedu
• standardized testing is getting d.o.n.e.
• people who ask excellent questions and are easy to be around
• Truth.

• team danger zone frisbee + picture + memories
• a dentist trip that didn't even require numbing
• time at hunter's pub with bart and victoria
• incredible steak
• walking in on the guy in the bathroom wasn't all that embarrassing
• kids committed to community
• jeremiah's ice coupon
• another little guest appearance in amy's class

 

attempting to cultivate an enormous capacity for joy

• time at chappelle falls with the community group ladies
• the sound of the creek 
• thought-provoking/challenging quote from shauna niequist

• a whole swing set full of kids
• one more bit of cold weather so that i could put on my vest and find my car key
• azalea bowls and trails and time with nick and our girls

• the pictures finally air dropped onto the computer that was cooperating
• a monday to look forward to
• such incredible generosity in the form of easter baskets from clement arts and our care team from living way

• box full of fruit from geni 
• sitting with a friend who chose to take a day off even in the midst of plenty that needs to be done
• hearing from that same friend about boundaries being kept
• impromptu wednesday morning easter egg hunts

His generosity never runs out

• unexpected chick-fil-a for breakfast and lunch tuesday (God's given me some gooood friends!)
• fun time at CC on wednesday
• Good reminders from the Lord through Christine Caine:

• driveway (mine) walk with lauren
• driveway (hers) walk with molly 
• post workout high-5's! 

• new to us stroller (and the front tire doesn't even fall off!) and a fun car tower toy that zoe has thoroughly enjoyed from team marquez
• eli's responsible texting when he arrives/departs (having a trustworthy 16 year old is INCREDIBLE!)
• numerous friends who come to mind as i read this: 

• caroline and emma's help in the cottage
• yaya kept zoe ANNNNND folded laundry.  
• delightful double date with trusted friends 

more and more

• celebrating eli and nick
• "...delighting in the ways Your glory is reflected in the unrepeatable gift of their being..." A liturgy for the marking of birthdays from Every Moment Holy

• watching "anne with an e" with emma
• Dr. G bringing the truth!

• all went well with eli getting his license
• celebrating eli and eli!  

• chicken biscuits with nick
• why is this so true?! :) 

• messaging with hannah
• sunshine after the storm

• Jesus Storybook Bible...and reading it with Zoe
• birds on the wire.  God sees them and cares for them....

 

all the more. and more. and more.

• family proverb reading and talking 
• celebrating asher's soon-to-be-here-ness with delicious treats 
• the little cottage succulent is thriving...and multiplying! 

• lots of easy cottage guests this week
• emma's helpfulness and her awesome work on her faces of history project/paper
• taking a chance on pink running shoes (and the friend who found them!)

• rest and peace and relief and refreshment
• date night: good food and great conversation and a nice walk at britt david
• the book drops are open again!  (and the fact that lauren knows how much i appreciate that)

• "hey my yaya" -  zoe 
• when the timing of things works out just as i planned for it to (no delays or unexpected situations)
• the moments that homeschooling allows (the way this big sister loves on this little sister is stunning)

• a certain little girl (and therefore this mama) slept until 9:30 monday morning (very rare and splendid treasure)
• anytime eli brings me a cherry coke from CFA
• this prayer on a lovely image

• needs that are shared and immediately met (bedside tables for Clement Care)
• social shuttling...and others willing to share in the shuttling
• getting to hang out with joshua and elliot

• hearing skip and ashley's life stories
• walking good hills and developing a new friendship
• zoe in pajamas picking tiny purple flowers

so much to be thankful for

• nice people.  paying for a service is so much easier when the people providing the service are nice.
• walks with wonderful women
• refreshing new to me news source (see mug below)
• early morning coffee (in my new the pour over mug!) and cinnamon roll and time on the window seat 

• fantastic time at the park...lots of community and connecting
• super comfy cozy socks
• kathryn means' podcast - Here's What I Know To Be True
• zoe and her doctor kit (and the way she checks heart beats...thump thump...thump thump)

• all went well with Real Life Rapunzel getting to move back to her dad's
• the prayers and love that have surrounded that little girl 
• Judge Dodgen's words of affirmation and encouragement and willingness to work with RLP's dad - what a gift to get to hear and be a part of all that
• sweet sisters sliding and smiling

• fun times in the CCC parking lot
• getting to meet a friend's special love interest :) 
• yaya's generosity in the gift of clothes and shoes and swimsuits for zoe (and hearing about the fashion show)
• a day that was full of really wonderful people and opportunities (honestly, too full...but i'm glad for it...and glad for the reminder to schedule things a little bit better!)

Good God giving good gifts.

•  Good God by Jess Ray/Mission House
• new episodes of This Is Us to watch while nick is away
• cleaning up and cleaning out...and getting 6 big bags of stuff out of the house and to valley rescue
• impromptu dinner downtown with 2 delightful friends
• sweet little three year old t-train (2 birthdays in a row with this one!)
  
  
• super amazing older three cash kids and their help cleaning up after Community Group
• Team Marquez and all the gifts they share - including reading to a lapful of little girls and bringing cake with TWO kinds of homemade icing (and angel eggs! and carrots! and friendship! and encouragement!) 
• the care team brought pizza....and while pizza is ALWAYS welcome, it came on a day when emma had specifically said "i really hope we have pizza for dinner."  
• popcorn picnic and cheers-ing in the backyard



• the shoes falling apart didn't keep me from walking (and they should be fixable with the shoe goo!)
• walking with a new friend (who didn't seem to be mind a bit that my shoes fell apart) 
• daffodils springing up everywhere
• hearing about the hopes and dreams for CityScape (Cityscape?  City Scape? cityscape?)
• a good new follow on IG...and the good stuff she shares (i love it when other people can put into words what i've been thinking/feeling):



• running around lakebottom (and seeing all the tulls multiple times!)
• yaya's willingness to keep the 2 little z's so i could have some time 
• chicken salad chick with the E2F+ team :)
• sunshine and beautiful weather...the kind when you can feel the vitamin D soaking in
• celebrating lane with windchimes!