A Life of Gratitude

I just have to brag on my sweet 5 year old real quick! Every single day Tyson can not wait to start his school work. He even wants to do school on the weekends! He is a wonderful student and he loves Kindergarten! I am so proud of him! He is so smart and excited to learn anything I teach him. Counting sets and matching the correct numerals identifying word families and reading words  Phonics Blend Ladder Land, Air, and Water Habitats Tyson reading Today I am grateful for my sweet Tyson and the wonderful kindergarten year we are having together. It makes me so happy to watch him enjoying his school work. I am also thankful for the ability to homeschool my kids. I say that all the time but I never stop being incredibly grateful for the blessing of being with my children daily and watching them learn and grow. 

With COVID-19 causing chaos in our world today, I have been searching out fun ways for my kids to stay creative and spread a little hope, while also keeping them from being "bored to death" (an actual quote from one of my children. Hahaha) We've been doing what I like to call a "boredom buster" everyday. It's simply a fun, artsy, or science-y activity each day. We've also participated in Chalk the Walk, which involved people from around the country sharing encouraging words on their driveways and sidewalks. Today, we decorated our windows with hearts for A World of Hearts. I found the #worldofhearts group on Facebook and I was immediately intrigued. Families, businesses, doctors offices, and nursing homes from all over the world are decorating their windows and doorways with hearts. It's just a simple reminder to others that we're all in this together. As people walk or drive and notice hearts covering windows, maybe they'll feel a ...

This morning was rough. I mean really rough. After six days in quarantine, the kids are a little on edge. The parents are too, honestly. I woke up in a lot of pain because of my autoimmune disorder and the morning started with the kids bickering and getting on each other's nerves. Then the dog threw up four times and it was like pulling teeth to get our school work done today, too.  This afternoon, however, peace returned to our family. We ventured outside to play with sidewalk puffy paint and then decided to go fishing in the pond beside our house. It was wonderful to sit by the pond and relax with no reason to rush. I loved watching Evan catch multiple fish and then try to get Allison to touch them. It was so sweet to watch Tyson carry his little chair around and then sit beside his Dad. It was also fun to watch Dylan and Evan race their handmade boats in the pond. I enjoyed the cool breeze and the praise music playing from my phone. It was a beautiful, warm afternoon and it...

I've been thinking, what if the Coronavirus is really a blessing in disguise? Don't get me wrong, I'm not grateful for a pandemic or happy that people are getting sick. But, because I know God is in the business of using bad things for good, I can't help but look for the blessings that will come from this. As of yesterday, the entire United States seems to be out of colorox wipes, toilet paper, and bottled water. Every event, meeting, and gathering is cancelled for the next 2 weeks, even public school. The world is panicking over this virus but today, I saw the beauty in all the cancellations. The way I see it, this is the beauty God is bringing out of the chaos.  The pandemic is giving us a gift. The gift of chances.   The chance to.... relax and rest spend time with your loved ones catch up on laundry read a book in the hammock play a board game with the family take the dogs on a long walk have a family movie night read your Bible  c...

I heard a song today, for the first time, that blessed my soul tremendously. The song's name is so fitting, its called "The Blessing." Its full of the most beautiful scriptures. One verse says, "May His favor be upon you, and a thousand generations, and your family, and your children, and their children, and their children."  It's funny, but I've never really even thought much about about my children's children. Hearing that verse in the song caused something to well up within me. I suddenly had a deep concern and love for the generations that will follow me. My children, my grandchildren, my great-grandchildren...May His favor be upon them.  What a sweet prayer that is!  Today I am thankful for songs and scripture that bless my heart tremendously. I am also grateful for the desire God has placed within my heart to pray for the generations that will come after me. It's really an incredible thought, that my prayers might impact the liv...

Yesterday my mom, Allison, and I went to Mae's Vintage Kitchen for the first time. We love having "tea parties" at home. Allison even talks her big brothers into drinking pretend tea with her on a regular basis. We've visited the O'Henry in the past for their afternoon tea and its a lot of fun but, I must say, Mae's Vintage Kitchen was extra special. We all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Today I am grateful for such a lovely afternoon with my daughter and my mom. It was so truly so much fun to watch Allison with her little tea cup. She loved putting in the sugar and stirring it with a little spoon. We all enjoyed the yummy food too. Times likes these are so special to me. I am so thankful for the memories we're making. 

This evening, for the first time, Evan led our family devotions. This is a big deal because he has always hated to read. He rushes through reading his school books so he can get it over with and he never chooses to read to us. But tonight, he asked if he could read our devotion. He did so good. I was so proud of him! It was wonderful to hear his voice reading about God's willingness to always hear our prayers. He never leaves us and never ignores us.  Today I am grateful for Evan's desire to lead our family devotions. I enjoyed listening to him read out loud without rushing through it. I loved his excitement, confidence, and leadership. It's incredible to watch our kids grow and change and take on new roles. I never get tired of it!