grateful for the gifts.

• caroline came home!
• nick and eli had a great time!
• gorgeous weather!
• holy moments - celebrating emma k. 

• the paint is pretty much cleaned up 
• peach rings. so good. 
• schedules and meeting work out even when i have my days all mixed up
• fun valley rescue mission finds

• finding the right shoes for emma at plato's closet
• very visible reminders that God has plans that are better than mine!
• lunch at shane's with nick...hearing a song from college days
• tulips from nick!

• listening to "annie and eddie keep talking"
• folks saying yes to camp empower!
• knowing good books are on the way
• getting to hold stuff with/for people i love

always more.

• significant conversations/sharing/connections at Jeeah's Hope's Breathe event 
• how Christal leads with excellence and simplicity - she's intentional without making it complicated
• 2 of my favorite friends contributing to breathe in significant ways: 

• 1-on-1 waffle friday
• doughnuts and coffee (always thankful!)
• sweet suzanne jones...and scout! 

• more vegetable soup
• "i give myself to Your love and mean to keep giving myself to Your love - rejecting neither the hard things or the pleasant things You have arranged for me...everything You have planned is good.  It is all love." -Thomas Merton
• gabi's kindness to give zoe a rose

• mr. wright's humble help (and kindness at the lemonade stand!)
• finally finishing up 30 days to resilience (took me about 60!) AND ruthless elimination of hurry (so good)
• good questions

• connecting with tiffany (and her bringing over extra homeschool curriculum that she doesn't need)
• good walk with a good friend
• zoe's lemonade stand!

• how very incredible calvary's production of "newsies" was!
• "live simply, in humble contemplation" (quiet life)
• emma and the lukes!

so much to be thankful for.

• the rain/mist stopped in time for a delightful walk with EG
• Ann Marie sent "the good & beautiful life"
• good reminders from the Pour Over:

• that wynnbrook came up in the conversation sunday afternoon...otherwise i would have totally forgotten what i had said i would do on monday
• sweet time celebrating grace's birthday (spontaneous shirley temple included)
• another "just so zoe" situation - tiara, lei, "loafer" slippers, unicorn dress, "throne" (the laundry hamper) - all orchestrated completely by zoe. 

• the ease of sending postcards
• zoe happily stayed outside by herself for a few minutes 
• Elliot's recital.  this photo is pathetic compared to the experience.  goodness.  what talent. 

• laughing about slippers (and being reminded of how little most people actually notice)
• putting labels on boxes of office supplies.  so satisfying.
• mr. jerry's kindness at frank's collision center...aren't many like that any more.  
• a big brother sitting by the littlest sister at the volleyball game

• emma's sweetness...
• going to bed/sleeping 
• got to walk around outside between matches
• #3 on the court, #1 in our hearts (so fun to get to see her play so much!)

• chicken salad chick points
• the best cherry coke lately (from the nastiest gas station lately)
• "the better you are, the better you'll be (for/to everyone around you)" 
• nick playing frisbee with zoe, sarah & annabeth

• the way nick intentionally gathers and fosters community (iceskating...cookout...)
• making a list for the "ultimate wedding shower" (and that frisbee and hotdogs is just the kind of shower i want to help make happen!)
• getting to share with Amy's class.  the kind and quiet "God bless you" from the student as he left...
• looking through the deployment journal and finding such reminders of God's faithfulness. here are 3 (of many)....

• caroline has had a restful and good spring break
• a whole box of twix (twixes?! twixs?!).  
• vegetable soup! and that soup isn't as intimidating to make as i thought.
• ALLL the deer in amy's backyard!

• cali n' titos and cookie cake with my family! 
• zoe's enjoyment of her little toy bunnies
• when friends visit church and people are really welcoming (hey hey...i haven't met you yet!)
• celebrating these 2 awesome men

• the ease of placing the panera order 
• pictures and frames that came together just right
• simple phone consultation for emma's wisdom teeth removal
• "you're just not as tired." true! hallelujah!

good week. good gifts.

• having 4 cash kids at the table friday night 
• pretty pretty cello song
  
• celebrating david, karina and soon-to-be here Baby Tex

• sausage biscuit secretly slipped into my hands
• hearing zoe singing the books of the bible song (and ain't no grave....that was something else!)
• saturday soccer with friends

• threats against the christians in india were "called off" (hallelujah!!)
• time at barbara's with MIC friends
• just right time in the yard saturday afternoon

• pink boxes of doughnuts! (a "leerssen dozen" is something special!)
• nick's back on staff at cityscape! 
• beth's beautiful artwork (and finding downloads that i missed!)

• sacred time at the mexican restaurant in opelika
• getting the details for this month's breathe figured out 
• sweet moments and shenanigans on the riverwalk

• samara got to go home!  she's all better! 
• eli's having a great week in new york
• a day with 2 playgrounds AND icecream (AND success getting our business license renewed)(no tears this year!!!!)

• successful surgeries for jacob and tasha
• talking with ann marie sunday afternoon. so refreshing. so grateful for ongoing friendship with ship friends.
• zoe's cozy spot

• remembering how much i enjoy vivaldi's "spring"
• putting mail in the mailbox
• our chalk project

• song of the week: My Father Has It
• feels like finding treasure anytime we go to the library
• good stuff in the soul space IG account

• moving at His pace and in His rhythms
• conversation with nick at carrabbas
• double date with the kaos

thanking God for the goodness evident in my reality this week

• celebrating cityscape's 3rd anniversary
• lauren's help getting the cake! 
• the way soooo many people served so willingly

• pumpkin scones in february (and the precious hands that prepared them and shared them!)
• "unfetter me from thinking too much about what i'm not by showing me more of You and who i am in You." - from a prayer for more freedom
• pretty chalk on a pretty day with a pretty girl

• sweet trip to macon to see laura lane's basketball game - good for my soul to have time with my dad and brother and niece
• wonderful conversation/time with emma on the way home
• all the things in this picture that make zoe zoe - glittery shoes, unicorn pants & dress, scarf "hair", puppy dog strapped to the front of the bike, joyful heart happily riding her bike in the driveway

• so much soccer with zoe
• beautiful weather
• most delightful sunset on a most delightful porch at AWF

• delicious food, meaningful time at the table 2 nights in a row
• "lucky crunch snack mix" from aldi
• found some shoes at VRM! (and getting a copy of jesus calling for free -- "jesus is free...you don't have to pay for jesus!")

• sleeping in past 10 on a wednesday
• eli's excellent emails 
• special night at Breathe

• a surgery that went well 
• dylan was able to walk away untouched/unhurt
• good stuff in the bottom of the 3rd building

• caroline came home for a few hours!
• ALL of emma's help this week with zoe and chores around the house
• "equip me to live for the glory and praise of God alone." - lectio

folks all over the place...gifts everywhere.

• ballet magnificat friday night.  SO God honoring. 
• Eli + Logan had a great weekend with friends in Greenville

• SUCH a sweet saturday for me. 
• Nick + Zoe had a great weekend in Florida...got to see Caroline in her 1st 1/2 Marathon!

• celebrating rhonda the honda's milestone saturday night with melissa
• Caroline had a great time at the beach with friends (and zoe! and nick!)

• the pilot and trailer made it back (way to go lexi!!!)
• Emma had a great time on the CityScape youth retreat in Tennessee

• "fill me afresh and help me draw from your deep well of love." - lectio365
• getting creative with the sight words...gotta work for that ipad time. 

• mercy med's worship night...how marvelous, how wonderful is my savior's love for me! 
• super proud of my sister moment

• Joshua & Taylor's wedding.  so sweet and lovely and enjoyable.
• carpooling with team marquez. 5 star uber experience. 
• baby's breath for emma 

• thank you note (essay) is in the mail
• fresh pressed fruit juice from ride on bikes
• funny things:

• the best chocolate box contents - lemon pepper boneless wings!
• the best valentine EVER. he's so wonderful. 
• daffodils!

grace upon grace...gift upon gift....

• taking slippers on vacation (why did it take me so long to figure that one out?!)
• the little bit of arabic i learned 20+ years ago is still there! (fun to get to use it)
• message saying emma's brain is normal!

• pour over news source (and realizing in my willingness to share it/refer it to others how very much i enjoy it/believe in it)
• an absolutely incredible husband. specifically thankful for his willingness to take care of all the things (including cooking dinner for friends and cleaning the cottage and schooling zoe) so that i could spend the day at CHOA
• something about the bricks is beautiful

• conversation starters for melissa 
• seeing the folkers and hearing all the Lord is up to in their lives. #shipfriends
• snapple top facts ("screeched" is one of the longest one syllable words)

• some people are called across the world or country or street...some people are called across the hall or the bed...
• emma kump's enthusiasm and enjoyment of all the things
• just right afternoon tea party 

• date night carraba's and doughnuts
• getting to hold stuff with folks. it's a gift and an honor. 
• waffle friday crew all together

• ballet magnifcat ticket 
• continuous conversation with christal (over chicken wings)
• daffodils in my window sill...and in the  yard...and about to bloom....

• the pour over sweatshirt is coming!
• pre-ordering tanner's book
• the ache and longing for all to be well...no more tears...no more sorrow...no more brokeness.  when we all get to heaven...what a day of rejoicing that will be.