A Life of Gratitude

I honestly cannot even wrap my mind around the fact this little lady has been a part of our family for 6 months already! Seriously, half a year???? Where has the time gone? I feel like I was just in the hospital, holding her for the first time. Allison Elizabeth is the sweetest, most laid back baby ever! She is content almost all of the time. She laughs like crazy at her brothers and loves their attention! She enjoys playing with her feet and strolling through the house in her walker. Her favorite toy is her rattle but she loves to chew on any toy she's given. She rolls all over and is trying to scoot. She gives open mouth kisses too! Oh, and today she was trying to sit up on her own!  I'm not sure how 6 months have gone by so quickly (especially when the last 6 weeks of pregnancy went by soooooo slowly). However, I am having so much fun watching this little gal grow and develop. She is so much fun to be with and love on. God has truly blessed our family with th

Take a good look at this photo.... a nativity design by Tyson, my 3 year old son. This is actually one of my favorite Christmas decorations. Its a nativity made by Willow Tree. The stable was handmade by a friend but the rest of the pieces are bought in small sets. I've been collecting them over the years because they're not cheap.  I know, I know, I probably shouldn't let my 3 year old play with it but I don't ever want him to feel like the story of Jesus' birth is something he can't engage with. So, I let him play with my expensive nativity scene and ya know, I love watching him!  After dinner he was playing with the set and talking in his quiet little voice. I'm not sure what he was saying but it was something about the animals coming to see the baby Jesus. For a while the angel and Jesus were hanging out in the stable together but this is the way he left it, in a scattered mess.  The OCD part of me immediately wanted to put it back the way its &

I turn the page on this calendar everyday and most days I just read it and forget it but today, I really liked the little thought. It's something I try to do often but honestly, life is too crazy and busy to sit quietly and rest contentedly very often. Miraculously, I found some time today to just sit and truly ponder God's goodness and faithfulness. This evening we had Thanksgiving dinner at Bryan's Mom and Dad's house. I spent my first Thanksgiving at their home in 1996! I've spent EVERY Thanksgiving with Bryan's family since then! That is TWENTY-ONE years!!!! What????  For many years we traveled to Pennsylvania to see Bryan's grandparents for Thanksgiving but now, we are back to the original tradition of having Thanksgiving dinner at his Mom and Dad's house. Tonight, after dinner, our kids helped their Grandma get all of her Christmas decorations down from the attic. While they were doing that, I sat in the living room rocking Allison i

This evening, after dinner, our family read the story, "God gave us Thankful Hearts." Then we discussed all the blessings we've been given by God and shared things we are thankful for. I loved hearing the boy's responses. They even thought of some things that Allison is probably grateful for. We also made a Thanksgiving wreath. The boys wrote the things they are grateful for on the leaves. Tyson even scribbled on some. I love seeing the finished product with my boy's handwriting on it! Today I am grateful for this Thanksgiving Season. It's probably no surprise that I love this time of year. I love when folks take the time to share what they're thankful for! That's why I started this blog, A Life of Gratitude, anyway. I love making gratitude a part of my everyday life since honestly, focusing on the good in our lives truly makes everything better. I am also grateful for the chance to listen to my little ones share all the

This evening Bryan and I had the honor of dedicating our sweet baby girl to the Lord.  We are simply acknowledging that this darling girl is a gift from God and that we will pour truth and love into her. We will pray for her, teach her, and lead her to the Father. We know that He created her with a purpose and a plan and we vow to raise her for HIS glory! We were asked to pray and ask God to give us words that reveal a little about who He created Allison to be. After Bryan and I prayed separately, we shared our words and realized that God had spoken many of the same words for Allison to each of us.   Allison will be a helper, a  joy-bringer ( Proverbs 10:28,  Romans 15:13),  compassionate, a sweet aroma (2 Corinthians 2:15) a listener, a healer, kind and an encourager. How amazing is it to know these things about our little princess?! This is who she will become as we point her to her Heavenly Father. Allison Elizabeth Shaw Shaw Party of 6 I don't talk abo

This afternoon two fellow Homeschool Mommas and all our youngins' packed shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child. It was loud and wild and chaotic but it was also a lot of fun. The kids enjoyed picking the items for each box, packing the boxes, and then praying together for the kids that will receive the boxes. The whole gang....except Tyson....he refused to be in the picture     Praying for the boxes and the children that will receive them Today I am grateful for the sweet friends that God has blessed us with. Since we all homeschool, we're able to get together on a Wednesday afternoon to pack shoe boxes. Plus, its really nice to be with other homeschool moms....only other homeschool moms can truly understand the craziness of my home on a Wednesday afternoon! I am also thankful for the fun service projects that we've been able to be apart of so far this school year. Its super important to me for our kiddos to learn the importance of putting others

Today as I walked by the nursery at church I saw a sweet lady holding my Allison, standing in a circle, praying aloud with several other people. I'm just going to be honest, my heart nearly burst with gratitude in that very moment. There is just something amazing about seeing your baby girl snuggled up with a sister in Christ, hearing her pray to our Heavenly Father.  I've been thinking a lot lately about the atmosphere my children are growing up in. The word atmosphere is defined as " the pervading tone or mood of a place, situation, or work of art" by Oxford Dictionaries. So what is the pervading tone or mood that my children experience on a daily basis? Well, I hope its a peaceful one, full of joy and love. Of course with 4 kids, the atmosphere isn't always that pleasant. One thing I do know, inviting the Holy Spirit in our home changes everything. The atmosphere can be transformed in moments when we invite Him in. He's already there, of course, but ou

Do you see all of those gorgeous colors??? That right there is why Fall is my absolute FAVORITE! I love spring too, when everything is blooming and coming back to life, but there is just something about Fall!  Today was super dreary and rainy but as I drove around, I was just overwhelmed by the beauty of the trees.  The colors were vibrant! There was so much beauty. The picture above is just in the parking lot of a church. I had to pull over and take a photo because it was so pretty. The picture, honestly, doesn't do it justice. As I was looking at all these fall leaves, I was reminded that this season occurs because the leaves on these trees are dying. They must be sealed off and shed so that the tree can survive the winter. Its sort of sad really but gosh, its so pretty. It made me think that maybe all the seasons of a tree's life are beautiful. Which, in turn, makes me think.... maybe all seasons of our lives are beautiful. No matter what we're currently