Feathers

It took me literally five minutes to find my own blog to write this post.  I'm not even kidding.  And it is even in the bookmarks.  I'm still not speaking Mac yet.  Today I accidentally cc'd like 6 people in random emails that had nothing to do with them and realized it as I was hitting send and then had to email them to say sorry for the randomness that had nothing to do with you, I'm just computer stupid.  Which has nothing to do with what I want to say, but at the say time, seriously, how am I this lost?  I'm typing and all of a sudden the cursor is in the middle of a random paragraph or everything is deleted and I can't figure out what the heck I've done.  I need to take the computer class at the community college that all the Grandmas take to learn how to email and skype.  Or talk to my 7 yr old.  I'm sure he could set me straight in five. 

Speaking of Little Man, he lost a tooth today.  And this is a fun story.  Because I already had it in my sweet little head that he lost this tooth.  And so a few weeks ago when we went to the pumpkin patch and started eating corn and caramel apples and his tooth got all loose and started bleeding, I freaked out a little bit.  And then it kept getting looser.  And looser.  So we made an appointment with a local dentist.  A really, really nice dentist.  And we walked in the door, and they were all concerned about my boy and his loose big tooth that hadn't been through any major trauma.  And they took him back and took an xray and then the doctor came out and smiled at me and told me it was his baby tooth.  All four on top are baby teeth.  And loose.  And the two on the sides of the middles of the bottom are babies and one is loose.  Because he's only lost TWO teeth in his whole life so far.  TWO.  And I can't even keep those straight.  So instead of having a major dental crisis in his mouth, we just have another entry for the Mother-Of-The-Year Award.  Which I've already won, like, 50 times.  So there. 

So this tooth is gone.  It fell out at lunch today at school, which was the coolest thing ever for him.  He got to announce it to the whole lunch room and then go to the nurse and get this cute little tooth treasure box.  It's so cool I want to ask her for a few extra just to keep around the house.  I hope he looses all his teeth at school.  Except for the three he's already lost.  I hope those stay in.  But he comes walking out of school this afternoon and it looks like half his face is missing in the cutest way possible.  And I can't stop smiling and trying to squish his cheeks because he's just made himself cuter than Little Lady, which is really saying something. 

I've just accidentally erased three paragraphs of writing and can't figure out where they went and why undo only works for the very last command on a Mac and I'm missing how nice it was when I could hit that button 22 times on my Dell and get my typos undone.   I really thought I'd become an apple, but instead I'm just feeling old. 

But I'll try again.  My point in writing today was to update on my 1000 List.  Its getting harder for me.  Which feels funny.  Because I'm seeing and feeling the blessings and thankfulness all of the time now.  And I've stopped being so angry and bitter and sad.  And the world really is a wonderful world.  But it is harder because I keep seeing and thinking about the same things over and over.  And I can only put coffee and leaves falling from the sky and toddlers laughing on my list so many times, right?  I mean even if I am radically thankful for my dogs snoring every night, it feels silly to write it every morning when I get up.  It almost feels weird, like I shouldn't be thankful for the same things twice.  Isn't that a funny thought?  In reality, when I think about it, its amazing that I can still see the wonder of the mundane every day.  And that, is a testament to how much my vision has changed in such a short time.  I'm not taking it for granted.  I'm seeing Him every time I write leaves and coffee and snoring dogs on that list.  And I'm starting to see that all really is grace.  All really is awesome.  And even the crappy things can become marvels with this new set of lenses I'm wearing. 

Like 275.  Last night, we came home from Little Man's basketball practice.  It was late.  I was tired.  Everyone was tired.  The whole car ride home I was looking forward to walking through that door and putting the kids to bed so I could get there myself.  And we walked through the front door and the dogs ran up and one was covered in white fluff.  And I was all what is all over you, dog?  And he was all tail between the legs and I'm so glad your home, mom.  And I was all whatever, I'm tired, I'll get Little Lady into bed and then deal.  And then I looked at the hallway.  White fluff.  Everywhere.  And then I walked into Little Lady's room.  White fluff.  EVERYWHERE.  Except.  Except NOT inside her down comforter anymore.  Nope.  That damn dog who struggles with anxiety so much he has to wear a diaper when we leave the house got up on her bed and scratched it to death.  Through my favorite comforter cover.  Through the down comforter.  It was like he was trying to unleash ever feather and set it free.  And all I could think was that my day was never going to end and I will never ever be free of fluff in this house ever again.  It was EVERYWHERE.  And my insanely wild and overly tired children were happy to "help" with the clean up.  Awesome.  Completely and utterly awesome. 

But.  I was able to suck up her room fairly quickly.  And I thanked God for the vacuum.  And I was also able to go to the basement and grab another comforter and cover out of storage to put on her bed.  So I thanked God for the bounty and my linens obsession that has driven Hubs crazy since before we were married.  And then I tucked my sweet Little Lady into a warm and safe and soft bed and kissed her goodnight and walked out into the living room to tackle the feather convention taking place on my Elk rug.  It took over an hour, but I sucked those feathers up.  And it was actually kinda fun.  They would dance in the air and sneak away and then get overtaken.  Or flutter down from up high, so softly, so slowly until the heaters would turn on and toss them all around again.  It was beautiful, really.  What a gift. 

They are everywhere, these hidden gems.  Waiting and hoping to be found.  Like hide and seek with a giggly child.  They are everywhere.  In the good and in the bad and in the mundane, everyday life that we so often gloss over and don't really see.  All is a gift.  Always. 

I'm sure I still miss so many.  Like this morning when we were running late and Little Man knocked over my coffee and I couldn't see past the missing caffeine to look for one.  But I'm sure it was there, sad that I missed it.  But I'm not missing as many as I used to.  And I'm seeing more every week.  Look around and SEE.  Seek your gifts; they are there, just waiting to be found. 

1000 List
1. Cleansing rain
2. New beginnings
3. Kilz paint
4. Morning snuggles with sleepy babies
5. Doggy deep breathing at my feet
6. Professional installation. 
7. Park Time with new friends
8. Thunderstorms
9. Nap times
10. Thai food
11.  Cool evenings and family walks
12. Swim lessons
13. Tissues with lotion
14. Daddy's day off.
15. Home depot employees
16.  A Good vet
17. Losing my voice while learning to hold my tongue
18. Running water.  Clean running water.
19. Wrinkle free dress shirts
20. Turkish delight.
21. Reading together too late at night
22.  Enjoying the all night snuggle with the sick and fussy baby. 
23.  Football season and a working TV.
24. watching her hair grow and curl the same way her brothers did
25. Text from hubs with an unexpected and early leaving from work. 
26. Gummy vitamins
27. Teeny wet footprints
28. Coyote howls
29. Having a loop in the house
30. Watching them play together
31. My moms meatloaf in the oven
32.  Baby squirrels chirping and chasing
33.  Painting with toddlers. 
34. Daily new beginnings
35. Spider webs
36. Coffee.  How did I wait this long to write coffee?
37. Tissues with lotion
38. Fresh bread...even if it didn't rise right
39. Baby gates
40. Wild flowers on the side of the road. 
41.  Baby squirrels chhasing each other in the trees. 
42.  Acorns
43.  Watching my boy play four square with new friends
44.  Coffee. Did I already say that?
45.  Being married to my best friend
46.  Having a mom who always picks up the phone even when I call 7 times in one day.
47.  Garden snakes.  Yes I did just say that.
48.  Not being afraid to try drywalling.
49.  IPod music
50. When the word neighbors really means friends
51. The enchilada sauce that breaks in the new kitchen.  Yes the paint really is scrubbable.
52.  Thunder and that rain smell that gets into your brain and makes you feel like a kid with a sidewalk full of puddles and no one around to say don't.
53.  Buddies for my kids
54.  A job interview that feels more like coffee with an old Friend
55.  Football season
56. Pumpkin anything and everything.
57. When she made a sound effects while playing with planes and trucks.
58.  Footie jammies
59. Beach days
60. Pints on the deck
61. Flying kites
62. The way birds sail in the breeze
63.  Pizza by the slice
64. Salty ocean air
65.  Low heavy clouds and blue skies all at once.
66.  Waves crashing on the sandy shore. 
67.  The perfect mix of sun heat and breeze
68. Sea gull cries.
69. Driftwood
70. Watching kids chasing birds on the sand
71. Sand and barefeet
72. My sons clothing choices...camp fleece pants with a muscle shirt and Mardi gras beads...at a restaurant.  Love.
73. Bedtime.
74. Hot showers
75. The newspaper.
76. Chasing wves in the ocean
77. Being big spoon at bedtime
78. My washing machine
79. My dishwasher
80. Hand me down clothes and toys
81. Sticky notes
82. Watching promises unfold in His time
83. Wind chimes
84.  Hearing my kids singing
85. Unintentional funnies from kids
86. Hearing the birds sing while lying in bed early
87. Mops
88. the snooze button
89. Living in a tight knit community and not being an outsider
90.  Watching diggers
91.   Music.
92. Clear starry night.
93.  Bread rising on the stove.
94. Pizza night with family
95.  Laughter of my kids playing together.
96. Comfy bed.
97. Spider webs catching all the fruit flies
98. Golden leaved falling from the trees
99. Cooking for my family
100. promise of eternity
101. Cloudy days
102. Sword ferns
103. Tree swings
104. Baby grass
105. Hope
106.  Fragrant wet cedar
107. Living in America
108. Pacific time zone so I can actually stay awake to finish a game.
109. Birthday cake
110. Late night laughter with hubs
111. New babies
112. Impromptu dinner invites
113. C S Lewis.
114. Encouraging texts and emails from friends.
115. Tree climbing
116. Chaotic playgrounds
117. Slides and static electricity.
118. Clouds heavy with rain rolling in
119. Kids playing tag
120. Fiery maple leaves
121. Late start days
122. Doggies running in their sleep
123. Marshmallows
124. Pictures on my kids
125. Neighbors
126. A good cold beer after a long day
127. Answer of small prayers and seeing the gifts they are.
128. Being able to connect with family and friends so easily with technology
129. Hot showers
130. Exciting opportunities
131.  Having options
132.  Realizing that almost every problem in my life is a mere first world annoyance and what a blessing that is even when it sucks
133. Owls on a hike
134. Out of town guests
135. Vacation days
136. Seeing the wonder of everything from a childs eyes
137. Silver flashes of birch in the wind
138. Cool fall mornings
139. Restaurants with play areas
140. Sleeping baby eye lashes.
141.  Tutus
142. Mountain vistas
143. Tide pools
144. Slugs all over on a hike
145. Getting to share favorite places with favorite people. 
146. Sisters
147. Elk poop
148. Rainy beach days
149. Fig and goat cheese crepes
150. Nutella
151. Bread bowl clam chowder
152. Fancy coffee presents
153. Backing up my hard drive a week before the computer crashes
154. Working and clean smelling furnace
155. The ocean.
156.  Laughter. 
157. Yellow galoshes
158.  Watching kids splash in puddles
159. Steamy grass after a rain shower
160. Getting to Starbucks a few minutes early. 
161.  Getting to go to Starbucks at all.
162. Whipped cream.  Seriously. 
163.  Pumpkin spice latte..how is this my first time!?
164. Remembering Gods faithfulness and seeing it even in the hard times.
165. Not having to wait at an awesome restaurant
166. Dust motes in a stream of sun
167. Crisp cool fall air
168. Baby snores
169. Still getting big hugs and kisses at school drop off
170. Craig's list
171. Crisp sweet apples
172. Having a handy hubs
173. Napping in the sun on a cool day.
174. Getting to stay home with my lady
175. Wool socks
176. Playing I spy with wood floor grains
177.  Pink dress up hats
178. Snails
179. The national anthem
180. My boy.  Always.
181. Rocket inventions. 
182. daddy daughter snuggles
183. Singing babies
184.  Hallway bowling
185. Composting
186. Staying dry on super rainy weekends
187.  Finding the perfect job.
188.  Toothpaste
189. Soup in the pot
190. Finding an old friend close by!  191. Sunflowers
192. Blue skies and sun after rainy days
193. Finishing projects
194. Toddlers jumping
195. Piano lessons
196. Discovering a new good book
197. Apples and cinnamon baking
198. Rosy cheeks
199. Jammies with feet
200. Modern medicine
201. Movie days
202. Coffee with whipped cream just because
203. Exploring with kids
204. An extra bedtime kiss
205. Down comforters
206. An organized closet
207 foggy mornings
208. Dad visiting
209.  J mping for joy
210. Slides
211. Bright colors
212 funky art
213. Roadside assistance
214. Sunset on the river
215. YouTube shark videos
216. Tubby time
217. Starting a new job.
218. Pumpkins with warts
219. Caramel apples
220. Nuks
221. Misty afternoons at the playground
222. Doggy diapers.  Sigh.
223.  Flower girl dresses
224. Sibling rivalry.  I love that they bicker already.  It is so cute.
225. Toddlers saying hi.
226. Skyping with grandma
227. Pumpkin cake
228. Nutella cake.
229. Refrigeration
230.  The crunch and smell of leaves
231. Salmon
232.  Waterfalls
233. Caves
234. Provision in creative ways
235. Seeing just how much I have
236. Bedtime prayers with my boy
237. Early morning snuggles with my lady
238.  The way she says "mama"
239. Drop in visits from friends
240. Raking leaves and jumping in them
241. Saying sorry and being forgiven
242. Doggy snoring. 
243. My mom
244. Learning new things
245.  Having a real community
246. Dinner with an old friend
247. People who talk about my Jameson
248. Being married.  And in love.  To the same person.
249. Having kids.
250. Not having anymore kids.
251. Fall leaves
252. My kids playing with daddy
253. Days off
254. Open communication
255. Early bedtimes for everyone
256. Family walks
257. Fruit trees
258. Early morning snuggles
259. Pastry mornings with hubs
260.  Blue skies and golden trees
261. Benadryl
262. Purring doggies
263. Full moon
264. Coyote howls late
265. Coffee
266. Epi pens
267. Babies running down a grassy slope
268.  Being wrong about something that turns in your favor
269. Health
270. Pine needles falling like rain
271. Cupcake parties
272. Static hair on the slide
273. Kicking through leaves
274. Blustery fall days
275. The way feathers fly when vacuumed
276. Washable crayons
277.  Toddler friends
278. Seeing him all proud after making the basket. 
279. Suction cup balls thrown on the window
280. Pizza delivery
281. A new window in the smile
282. Snoring doggies

Looking Out the Window

Its nap time.  Such a happy time for a momma.  Time to catch up on the laundry, the dishes, maybe even get a jump start on dinner.  And maybe have a few minutes to sit down, enjoy another cup of coffee and relax.  I'm in the relax part of this nap that will most likely be over for one sassy lass any minute.

The coffee is a little cold from sitting on the table waiting for what seems like minutes but has really been hours.  The mornings go so fast.  I've already microwaved it three times.  But it still tastes okay (the bar is set pretty low on days like these).

I'm sitting at the kitchen table and in front of me I have a huge picture window.  It is probably 15 feet across and four feet high.  It take up almost an entire wall in our house and it is one of the reasons I love this house.  Out the window, I see blue skies and towering pines and golden maples that look like the sun decided to up and grow into a tree.  Occasionally a bird flies by, a squirrel scampers up a tree, a dog barks somewhere up the road.  It is so beautiful.  So peaceful.  It helps make the coffee taste better.  It puts a smile on my lips and a pleasant tune in my mind.  The beauty surrounding me makes it a little easier to breath.  Full, satisfying breaths.  The kind that make you feel whole.  Looking out my window right now it is hard to imagine there are such things as pain and sadness and hate in this world.

But then I fire up the trusty old Mac and glance over the headlines at CNN.  And the whole world is turned on its head.  There is nothing but pain and sadness and hate there.  There are children killing children and people dying, and abductions and beatings and suicides and wars and it is all too much.  I look back out the window, but this time I notice the brown curling edges of the leaves, the noises of the traffic, the dirt on the glass.  The world has marred my view. 

But I'm sitting here with goosebumps, thinking how I never want my kids to leave the house again and feeling really crummy about all the world going to hell in a handbag.  It is making me mad, all this violence and hate.  How it destroys everything.  People, towns, days, years.  And I think about that poor woman in California who committed suicide on the one year anniversary of her son's suicide.  And I can't let go.  Not of her pain.  Or mine. 

And I look out the window and I'm angry and sad and shaken by this world that takes so much away.  It steals joy and wears away our souls until we are bare and worn and weak.  But there is more.  I feel it in my soul.  This world steals and beats and spreads its black wings out, but there are places it cannot touch.  I will not let it cover me and take away truth.

Because even in the darkest hour there is hope.  And even in the most broken lives there is beauty.  And for as much hate as we see everywhere, I know love abounds.  And I choose hope.  I choose beauty.  I choose love. 

Salmon

I can't sleep.  This never happens.  But here I am at 3 am wide awake, thinking about the weekend we just had and all these thoughts swirling in my head.  I tried snuggling into Hubs a little closer.  Tried dreaming.  Counted sheep.  I'm just awake.  And thankful already for the coffee that will most certainly be needed when the day really begins. 

It feels like it was a big weekend.  Hubs had the whole things off; the end of a good rotation before one that will keep him at the hospital all the time begins.  We crammed a lot in.  Movie nights with Little Man, Daddy/son dates at the rock gym, friends over for dinner, walks to the park to pick up leaves freshly fallen.  The bright oranges and golden yellows  and deep reds littered the ground.  Fall is here.  The air feels crisp and cool.  The smells are a little earthier and richer.  Another season full of gifts is upon us.

Sunday we spent the day hiking and marveling at all the wonders abounding in this great wide world.  We hiked on wide trails with great canopies full of golden leaves and the sun filtering down just enough to warm us through.  We walked alongside creeks and saw the last of the salmon spawning below tall and wild waterfalls. 

The salmon are amazing creatures, the way they fight and push up the rivers to lay their eggs.  They work so hard against the currents, jumping over rocks, splashing their way through places too shallow and swiming in the deep pools with the strong currents always against them, always pushing them back.  And after they lay their eggs in the place where they were born, they keep fighting the current, keep pressing on until they die.  It seems so exhausting, watching them fight and swim and struggle like they do.  We saw many today that were near the end and even in their weakened state they still fight on.  I watched and wondered and thought about how they choose to keep going, keep pushing against the waters and refuse to go to the deep pools and rest.  They just keep fighting and working and swimming to the end. 

Much of life feels that way to me; I am going upstream in this quest to seek and live joy.  The world pushes me down and wears me down and the waters just keep running.  But those fish, they just keep going.  They don't stop until they die.  It's amazing.  So often in my weariness I just want to give up and let the current carry me out to sea.  And yet, I keep fighting too.  And I will keep swimming against this relentless push against me to give in to the sadness and weariness of the world.  I want to be like the salmon and live and push and struggle on day after day.  There is beauty there beyond compare.  And this one wild and gorgeous life I have been given is going to count. 

Processor Failure

Posting this is slightly monumental.  Because I'm technologically challenged + I have a toddler who likes to help me type.  And my computer up and died last week.  The Dell kicked it.  When I turn it on, I get the seven beeps of death over and over and over and nothing else.  When you google the seven beeps of death, you learn it means the computer is in processor failure.  Which means it is time to upgrade to a new computer.  Except that upgrading to a new computer means buying a new computer, which is so totally not in the budget.  Groceries have a slight edge this month. 

So I'm using Hubs old MacBook from med school.  I haven't used an Apple since junior high and they're a little different now.  Just trying to figure out which fingers to move which way on the mouse pad is killing me...I should have Little Man teach me...it is like kids are programed at birth to just know the technology of their generation.  The things he figures out astound me sometimes. But blogging is a little trickier here since the MacBook's memory is full and I can't upload pics to put on here.  I'll have to be descriptive, which could get funny. 

For instance, I really wanted to post a picture of my sneakers on here.  I'm really aging myself today -admitting I can't use a Mac, using words like sneakers....  Anywho, Little Man's school had this fantastic celebration this morning for Walk and Bike to School Day.  They had the Timbers Mascot here and Doc Broc, another picture I wish I could post.  I digress, but Doc Broc, come on!  It's an insane amount of cheese and awesomeness crammed into a man wearing a broccoli floret costume with a white coat.  Fun all the way down to the monster shamrock (or broccoli!) green converse shoes.  Awesomeness all around.  I took a picture this morning on my smarter-than-me phone and sent it to Hubs and told him I wished he were this cool of a Doc.  And that I wish our last name were Broc.  That would have motivated me to go to medical school.  Doc Broc.  My cheese radar cannot handle it. 

But back to the sneakers.  At this Walk and Bike to School party, they were giving out free shoe laces.  Nice, bright, glow-in-the-darkish yellow shoe laces.  Hideous shoe laces, but great for walking outside!  Well, it just so happens that my shoe laces in my hiking shoes are all mangled and falling apart.  Being ever so thrifty, I thought to myself, this is a great way to replace them, using these neon yellow laces.  My shoes are a stony beige hiking shoe.  And the laces I took out were a really dark brown.  And now I've got these dark beigey sneakers with these neon yellow laces in them.  Sigh.  I wish I could show you a picture, its just so....lovely.  Ahem.  Right. 

One of these days I will figure out how to add pictures on here from my phone.  Then you'll be able to see the monster pile of clean, unfolded and wrinklier-by-the-day laundry in my bedroom.  It's overtaken four baskets and growing!  And I'll put up Doc Broc and the sneakers, too.  And some food.  Like the pumpkin cake I made yesterday afternoon that is already half gone.  Because eating pumpkin cake for breakfast counts as getting in veggies.  I wonder what Doc Broc would say about that logic.  Ah, he was so cool! 

Alas, I must go and tame the mountain of laundry before Hub's scrubs get too wrinkled.  Can't have him looking more disheveled than produce in a white coat.  I really can't help it.  Doc Broc! 

Happy Hump Day!  (Speaking of that, have you all seen the Geico commercial turned song on YouTube? Almost as fun as Doc Broc!) 

206

1000 List
1. Cleansing rain
2. New beginnings
3. Kilz paint
4. Morning snuggles with sleepy babies
5. Doggy deep breathing at my feet
6. Professional installation. 
7. Park Time with new friends
8. Thunderstorms
9. Nap times
10. Thai food
11.  Cool evenings and family walks
12. Swim lessons
13. Tissues with lotion
14. Daddy's day off.
15. Home depot employees
16.  A Good vet
17. Losing my voice while learning to hold my tongue
18. Running water.  Clean running water.
19. Wrinkle free dress shirts
20. Turkish delight.
21. Reading together too late at night
22.  Enjoying the all night snuggle with the sick and fussy baby. 
23.  Football season and a working TV.
24. watching her hair grow and curl the same way her brothers did
25. Text from hubs with an unexpected and early leaving from work. 
26. Gummy vitamins
27. Teeny wet footprints
28. Coyote howls
29. Having a loop in the house
30. Watching them play together
31. My moms meatloaf in the oven
32.  Baby squirrels chirping and chasing
33.  Painting with toddlers. 
34. Daily new beginnings
35. Spider webs
36. Coffee.  How did I wait this long to write coffee?
37. Tissues with lotion
38. Fresh bread...even if it didn't rise right
39. Baby gates
40. Wild flowers on the side of the road. 
41.  Baby squirrels chasing each other in the trees. 
42.  Acorns
43.  Watching my boy play four square with new friends
44.  Coffee. Did I already say that?
45.  Being married to my best friend
46.  Having a mom who always picks up the phone even when I call 7 times in one day.
47.  Garden snakes.  Yes I did just say that.
48.  Not being afraid to try drywalling.
49.  IPod music
50. When the word neighbors really means friends
51. The enchilada sauce that breaks in the new kitchen.  Yes the paint really is scrubbable.
52.  Thunder and that rain smell that gets into your brain and makes you feel like a kid with a sidewalk full of puddles and no one around to say don't.
53.  Buddies for my kids
54.  A job interview that feels more like coffee with an old Friend
55.  Football season
56. Pumpkin anything and everything.
57. When she made a sound effects while playing with planes and trucks.
58.  Footie jammies
59. Beach days
60. Pints on the deck
61. Flying kites
62. The way birds sail in the breeze
63.  Pizza by the slice
64. Salty ocean air
65.  Low heavy clouds and blue skies all at once.
66.  Waves crashing on the sandy shore. 
67.  The perfect mix of sun heat and breeze
68. Sea gull cries.
69. Driftwood
70. Watching kids chasing birds on the sand
71. Sand and barefeet
72. My sons clothing choices...camp fleece pants with a muscle shirt and Mardi gras beads...at a restaurant.  Love.
73. Bedtime.
74. Hot showers
75. The newspaper.
76. Chasing wves in the ocean
77. Being big spoon at bedtime
78. My washing machine
79. My dishwasher
80. Hand me down clothes and toys
81. Sticky notes
82. Watching promises unfold in His time
83. Wind chimes
84.  Hearing my kids singing
85. Unintentional funnies from kids
86. Hearing the birds sing while lying in bed early
87. Mops
88. the snooze button
89. Living in a tight knit community and not being an outsider
90.  Watching diggers
91.   Music.
92. Clear starry night.
93.  Bread rising on the stove.
94. Pizza night with family
95.  Laughter of my kids playing together.
96. Comfy bed.
97. Spider webs catching all the fruit flies
98. Golden leaved falling from the trees
99. Cooking for my family
100. promise of eternity
101. Cloudy days
102. Sword ferns
103. Tree swings
104. Baby grass
105. Hope
106.  Fragrant wet cedar
107. Living in America
108. Pacific time zone so I can actually stay awake to finish a game.
109. Birthday cake
110. Late night laughter with hubs
111. New babies
112. Impromptu dinner invites
113. C S Lewis.
114. Encouraging texts and emails from friends.
115. Tree climbing
116. Chaotic playgrounds
117. Slides and static electricity.
118. Clouds heavy with rain rolling in
119. Kids playing tag
120. Fiery maple leaves
121. Late start days
122. Doggies running in their sleep
123. Marshmallows
124. Pictures on my kids
125. Neighbors
126. A good cold beer after a long day
127. Answer of small prayers and seeing the gifts they are.
128. Being able to connect with family and friends so easily with technology
129. Hot showers
130. Exciting opportunities
131.  Having options
132.  Realizing that almost every problem in my life is a mere first world annoyance and what a blessing that is even when it sucks
133. Owls on a hike
134. Out of town guests
135. Vacation days
136. Seeing the wonder of everything from a childs eyes
137. Silver flashes of birch in the wind
138. Cool fall mornings
139. Restaurants with play areas
140. Sleeping baby eye lashes.
141.  Tutus
142. Mountain vistas
143. Tide pools
144. Slugs all over on a hike
145. Getting to share favorite places with favorite people. 
146. Sisters
147. Elk poop
148. Rainy beach days
149. Fig and goat cheese crepes
150. Nutella
151. Bread bowl clam chowder
152. Fancy coffee presents
153. Backing up my hard drive a week before the computer crashes
154. Working and clean smelling furnace
155. The ocean.
156.  Laughter. 
157. Yellow galoshes
158.  Watching kids splash in puddles
159. Steamy grass after a rain shower
160. Getting to Starbucks a few minutes early. 
161.  Getting to go to Starbucks at all.
162. Whipped cream.  Seriously. 
163.  Pumpkin spice latte..how is this my first time!?
164. Remembering Gods faithfulness and seeing it even in the hard times.
165. Not having to wait at an awesome restaurant
166. Dust motes in a stream of sun
167. Crisp cool fall air
168. Baby snores
169. Still getting big hugs and kisses at school drop off
170. Craig's list
171. Crisp sweet apples
172. Having a handy hubs
173. Napping in the sun on a cool day.
174. Getting to stay home with my lady
175. Wool socks
176. Playing I spy with wood floor grains
177.  Pink dress up hats
178. Snails
179. The national anthem
180. My boy.  Always.
181. Rocket inventions. 
182. daddy daughter snuggles
183. Singing babies
184.  Hallway bowling
185. Composting
186. Staying dry on super rainy weekends
187.  Finding the perfect job.
188.  Toothpaste
189. Soup in the pot
190. Finding an old friend close by!
191. Sunflowers
192. Blue skies and sun after rainy days
193. Finishing projects
194. Toddlers jumping
195. Piano lessons
196. Discovering a new good book
197. Apples and cinnamon baking
198. Rosy cheeks
199. Jammies with feet
200. Modern medicine
201. Movie days
202. Coffee with whipped cream just because
203. Exploring with kids
204. An extra bedtime kiss
205. Down comforters
206. An organized closet!




And for the record, Hubs has like twice as many clothes as I do.  Throwing him under the bus...  Happy Wednesday!

Feels Like Home

Sorry I've been away for so long.  Life has a way of getting busy and crazy and then maybe even a little crazier.  But good, too.

Hubs had a week of vacation.  It was amazing.  Auntie K came out from Minnesota to play and we went to some of our favorite places.  We spent a day at the beach and ate crepes with nutella and banana and whipped cream, which is a little bit of heaven on earth.  We had chowder in bread bowls.  We went downtown and ate at some award winning restaurants.  We drank some mighty fine oktoberfests.  We hiked in the rain and stopped to smell the roses.  We hugged a few trees.  Little Lady even puckered up and smooched a few.  My kids love to hug trees and it makes my heart happy. 

After Auntie K flew home, Hubs got to work and put in our microwave and our floors!  We have real floors.  No more particle board floors that suck up every.little.spill like a sponge.  There is still a little left to do, but Lord have mercy, my house feels like a home. 

Yesterday I unpacked pictures.  We've been here for months without art.  It was awful, but I didn't realize it until I actually hung a few things up yesterday.  I can't wait to get the hammer and picture hangers in full swing again today, although I will wait because....  Drumroll, please....  I finally finished painting our bedroom closet and today is the day I unpack our clothes! 

Here is how I see it going down:  I'm going to vacuum up the dog hair in our room and lay our all the bins that will become Hub's "dresser" and then I'm going to get the mega box of hangers out of the garage and then I'm going to literally dump every article of clothing we own out onto the floor and start sorting.  Since Little Lady is such a great helper, this should be a fun all day project.  In a way, it's kinda like Christmas.  I get to unpack a whole wardrobe!  And maybe tomorrow I might put on clothes that I haven't worn every day for the past three months straight.   Ho, ho, ho. 

The chaos gets more and more fun every day.  But now I've got to get going and start the day.  These school mornings can get a little dicey with kids who want to sleep in.  This is called karma and everyone who knew me in high school should be laughing.  I was the world's crabbiest waker-upper ever.  I hated mornings so much that I would shower in the dark.  Blow dry my hair in the dark.  Curl my bangs with a hot curling iron in the dark.  I even put on my mascara in the dark.  Which may explain why I didn't date much in high school. 

Exciting things on the horizon: my Dad is coming to visit soon.  I start a nanny job for a cutie pie little guy soon.  Soup season is officially here. 

I'll check in soon with my 1000 list...I'm at 200 now!