10 things for which i'm thankful

It has been TOO LONG since I have counted my blessings... You know the rules, these are in no particular order:

1. Homemade pancakes
2. Mr. BikeMan is back in the saddle and commuting...and all but one of his many doctors have released him fully, and off of the antibiotics
3. I've been a mommy for 7 years now! Mother's Day was lovely
4. Summer break is 41 days away, and Ingy will be back home!
5. The tire swing
6. Longer days, and the girls don't want to come in at night...they want to play and play and play outside
7. There are lots of girls in this neighborhood...nice girls for our girls to play with late into the evening
8. Swimming lessons begin tonight
9. Our healthy garden -- looking forward to cucumbers, beans, peas, carrots, tomatoes and peppers
10. Mr. BikeMan signed up for the men's retreat at church -- a first in our married life. We've never attended a church that held a men's retreat that he actually felt would be beneficial to attend. This is a big deal.

10 things for which i'm thankful

Haven't done one of these in too long. Rules haven't changed. They are listed in no particular order:

1. Excedrin Migraine
2. Direct flights on Alaska Airlines from the left coast to the right...see number 3
3. Mr. BikeMan is comin' home this afternoon!
4. Streaming Netflix has added The Munsters and Flipper
5. Our church
6. Starbucks Italian Roast at 0630 on a Saturday morning
7. That I can re-watch last night's Fringe epi on Fox.com -- I actually fell asleep, not because I was bored, but because I was overcome by exhaustion
8. An amazing new recipe for Dutch Babies
9. Blue and white fingernail polish on little thumbs
10. Snow days and school cancellations

Dutch Baby of my dreams...

"Look Mama, she's wearing a dress!"

10 things for which I am thankful

I haven't made one of these lists in a while. It's about time I did. In no particular order:

1. Mr. BikeMan is done with his month-long road trip. He came home last night!*
2. Christmastime is here (queue Charlie Brown music...)
3. I actually had the forethought to buy hats, mittens and scarves before the cold weather hit on Thursday.
4. My girls are happily coloring together. In the same room. From the same box of crayons and pens. Wow.
5. I have a hair appointment today -- mmmmm, the smell of an Aveda salon.
6. Ingrid actually likes math now that we have pulled her out of the Spanish immersion program.
7. Ilsa has been making her own books -- she just made her own counting book with the following pages: 1 Doctor (Who) with 1 TARDIS, 2 bad guys (a Cyberman and a Dalek) 3 ladybugs; 1 Ilsa, 2 flowers, 1 flower, the numbers 1, 2, and 3 and a Slitheen. LOL!!!!!
8. I found the Christmas version of Cadbury Mini Eggs at the PX yesterday. Screeeee!
9. When I put up the Christmas tree on Tuesday night, there was only 1 string of mysteriously dead tree lights in the box.
10. I participated in my first NaNoWriMo and actually did it! 50,282 words in 30 days. The story is totally crud, and it's mine, and no one will EVER read it but me!

*See post "Heart Attack" for the whole story

10 things for which i am thankful

In no particular order, I am thankful for...

1. Carlos, an elder at our church whose first words at each greeting to the church are "Jesus is coming BACK!" I ditto his enthusiasm... This one IS in order.
2. family-sized pizza from New York Pizza -- even if it weren't so delicious, its very size would be entertainment enough and worth the price.
3. that my girls absolutely love to color, and that Ingrid can tell the subtle differences between 10 different colors of blue in the most-ginormous Crayola crayon set.
   
4. Chad's desire to learn about a topic from all angles, inside-out.
5. Excedrin Migraine, Advil and easily-available caffeinated beverages.
6. cordless phones.
7. Ravelry's free and neat crochet patterns.
   
8. quality swimming lessons at The Y.
   
9. that I have been blessed with the ability, motivation and desire to homeschool Ingrid and Ilsa.
10. the washer and dryer, dishwasher and microwave.
    

10 things for which i'm thankful

In no particular order...

1. rare days of 80 degrees, drizzle and overcast in Almost Mexico, AZ
   
2. Ilsa got into her specialist yesterday - the same day I called for an appointment; the usual wait is two to three months
   
3. those most excellent steaks at Costco...instant Father's Day dinner on the grill
4. Philosophy's Senorita Margarita 3-in-1 shampoo, shower gel and bubble bath.
5. getting to swim laps for 20 minutes at the Base pool today. Woo hoo for Mama!
6. that my bathing suit from last summer still fits so that I could swim laps for 20 minutes at the Base pool today...woo hoo for Mama again!
7. that Chad wants chocolate chip cookies for his Father's Day dessert
8. The Well-Trained Mind message boards
9. Law & Order reruns on a Saturday night
10. tomorrow is Sunday, and we still are worshiping freely here in the Good Ol' US of A...as opposed to the smackdowns occurring in Iran as this is being typed; and I'm adding an 11th today...
11. the Cake Wrecks blog at 11:00 pm on a Friday night; it was so funny that my stifled laughing woke Chad up through two closed doors.
    

puttin' the bike back in bike book bread

Cue the trumpet fanfare: after eight months of bikelessness, Chad's bike is here! Thank-you wonderful bike guys at Fair Wheel Bikes here in Almost Mexico, AZ and Gunnar Bikes in Waterford, Wiscaaahnsin. Next major savings account project is a new iMac for Mama.

10 things for which i am thankful

It's been a while...in no particular order:

1. The Lord is glorified when our lives are broken
2. Prayer is a gift from the Lord that blesses us while giving glory to the Lord
3. Nutella and graham crackers
4. Pre-paid phone cards
5. Pre-paid cell phones
6. Popsicles
7. Chad is seeing the light at the end of the "ACSC tunnel"
   
8. The color aqua
9. The Base pool is open
10. Ingrid and Ilsa love the library
    

10 things for which I am thankful - mother's day edition

In no particular order, I am thankful for...

1. Our just-right-for-us home which is comfortable and nicely decorated according to our tastes, and easy to keep clean as it is not a mansion.
2. My washing machine/dryer, dishwasher, stove, oven, microwave and hot water heater, all of which afford me more time to spend with my girls (and husband, but this is Mother's Day after all...)
3. Our reliable, safe, practical and fun-to-drive Subaru Outback wagon, so that I can safely transport our girls and buy the groceries and things we need.
   
4. Friends who are godly Moms of of whom I can bounce thoughts, questions and prayer needs.
5. My Mom. She's wonderful. She's reliable. She loves the Lord, and was and is faithful to raise me in the ways of the Lord, and consistently challenges me to walk in His ways.
6. My Mother-in-Law. She's NOT the stereotypical MIL. She's wonderful, too. She cares about me, not because I'm Chad's wife, but because she loves me, too. She too prays for our family on a consistent basis.
   
7. My husband, Chad. It's been 13 wonderful years of marriage now, 5 of which have included motherhood. He's a great husband and caring, gentle and engaged Daddy.
8. Ingrid, my firstborn...she's spirited, interesting, smart, creative, thoughtful, inquisitive, beautiful, quick to forgive and amazes me every minute.
9. Ilsa, my baby...she's gentle, sweet, kind, soft-hearted, feminine, bright, engaging, funny, and completely delightful.
10. My Lord and Savior. I could not have survived as a mommy this long without his grace and gentle guidance. Thank you Lord for allowing me to be a Mommy.

Even though the girls look MAD in the picture above, they were actually really happy and just acting silly.

10 things for which I am thankful

In no particular order:

1. Chad should be back in the saddle presently. The property portion of his bike accident claim will be settled very soon.


2. We will actually be filing our PCS move damage claim this week...only 20 months after the move. Well, I guess that's why they have a 2 year filing window. Ha!


3. Zyrtec, Sudafed, mint tea and my neti pot. I won't elaborate.


4. 150 pounds of Wheat Montana wheat berries (100 pounds of Bronze Chief and 50 pounds of Prairie Gold).


5. The Easter candy is almost gone...except for my secret Peeps stash in the closet for after-bedtime noshing.


6. Our carrots, potatoes and spring onions are poking through the warm soil.


7. My new size "J" Clover brand crochet hook


8. Pastor S.'s new year-long sermon series on being a counter-cultural Christian. Click to listen. The series is from Matthew 5 -- Jesus' Sermon on the Mount.


9. Being hated (See number 8): "...and you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved." Matthew 10:11


10. That Ingrid thanks the Lord for being "Her Strong God" everytime she prays.

10 things for which I am thankful

What a two weeks this has been. I won't go into details, but suffice it to say, I'm glad we are out of the forest and into the clearing...so it seems.

So here's my list. I am thankful for...

1. people who want my stuff on eBay
2. Tricia who brought over dinner tonight
3. 30 tomato sets as of March 23
4. cooler weather
5. Tricare; we have had 5 urgent care visits and 2 doctor's office visits, and 1 x-ray in the past 14 days
6. Ingrid, who even giggles when she feels awful
7. Ilsa, who can sense when I need a hug and a kiss
8. Chad, who didn't wake me up yesterday morning
9. my being able to go back to Bible study tomorrow morning
10. Peeps, Cadbury Mini Eggs and Reese's peanut butter eggs (they DO taste better than Cups, you know)

10 things for which i am thankful

In no particular order...

1. The 10 pound bag full of home-grown lemons from someone in Chad's office, and my food processor with juicer attachment
2. The new magnetic alphabet letters
3. My Baking Illustrated cookbook and the best chocolate chip cookie recipe evaaah...so good that Chad calls them Satan's Cookies
4. Circular knitting needles and nice cotton yarn
5. Benadryl, Cortizone-10 and Aquaphor...and discovering I'm probably allergic to wool (hence the cotton yarn)
6. Almost Mexico, AZ weather in February -- warm, breezy, dry and outdoors-worthy
7. The big oilcloth dropcloth underneath the stools at the counter where the girls eat most of their meals
8. Mr. Clean Magic Erasers, self-cleaning ovens and Method grapefruit-scented dishwashing liquid
9. Ilsa's sweet kisses that are so soft on my cheeks, and Ingrid's sweet greeting every morning
10. That Chad pushes me to expand my mind and read books that I wouldn't pick on my own

10 things for which I am thankful

In no particular order:

1. Ingrid's budding interest in "higher things" -- allegory, literature and anything without a princess.

2. Scrambled eggs with cheddar and turkey pepperoni

3. half.com

4. Women's Bible study starts up again on Tuesday

5. My new purple (yes PURPLE! amazing -- Steph is wearing a non-neutral color!) Haiku purse

6. Puzzles

7. "All" detergent with "Stainlifters"

8. The Christmas decorations are down and snugly packed away for another year

9. Ilsa loves her new bike

10. Chad loves me, I love him, and we are committed to each other. Period.

thanksgiving 2 = 10 things for which I am thankful

Okay, I think that the real meaning of Thanksgiving was kind of driven home to me today, because my day did NOT turn out as I had wanted it to. After four days of preparation, I have to say, the dinner was just "eh". I have a rotten cold and can't really taste anything. I also felt like I had to fight with my mind all day just to focus on what I was doing, and subsequently, I let the dressing burn on top, the rolls were somewhat underdone, I put too much liquid into the mashed potatoes and had to throw some potatoes into the microwave to thicken it up (it was literally potato soup), the green beans were overcooked, and the bottom of the pumpkin pie crust burned black. I'm not complaining, just stating fact.

I felt the cold coming on yesterday when I woke up, and then this morning it was full blown. I am sure I caught it from Ilsa, who seems to be on the mend already.

Then this evening, Ingrid said she didn't feel well. Could mean a few things in Ingridese: 1) I want attention because Ilsa and Mommy don't feel well; 2) I'm tired; or 3) I don't feel well. Number 3 was the winner. You guessed it...she went to bed and threw up on the floor. Out came the steam cleaner again, just as I was finally getting ready to go to bed and just crash.

All of this to say that the Thanksgiving Feast is important, but it isn't Thanksgiving! I think everyone knows that, but I'm not upset about the dinner! I think in years past I would have been, but not now. So here's my list:

1. I had my husband sitting at the dinner table with me tonight. His bike accident could have just been so much worse, and this could have been a very different Thanksgiving.


2. I have two wonderful girls. Six years ago, they weren't a part of our lives, but the Lord saw fit to entrust them to us. May we be worthy of this task!


3. We have a warm, comfortable, beautiful home. Even on our street, there is one home that has been repo'd. I never take Chad's paycheck for granted. Ever.


4. We had an abundant feast on our table, even if the dressing was burned on top. We have food in our pantry, and refrigerator, and don't have to think twice when we need to go to the store for milk, eggs or butter.


5. Chad and I both have parents alive and still married to each other. Chad's have been married nearly 45 years, and mine, 52 this coming June. Wow. What great examples of devotion.


6. I have Godly friends in my life who love me enough to call me onto the carpet when I need to be straightened out, can laugh with me when I just want to be goofy, and encourage me when I am down.


7. I live in a country that boasts, even in extremely tough economic times, more stability and access to medical care, food, financial assistance, and safety than most people in the world can claim.


8. My family and I have affordable quality healthcare.


9. My church preaches the Word of God, and I'm growing, learning and being stretched weekly. As Pastor I. said recently, when I leave a sermon, I should feel "mad, sad or glad" (I think it was a quote from Martin Luther). I always feel one of those three things. My feelings are never neutral.


10. And most importantly, The Lord chose me. ME! Wretch that I am, to be His child. From before the foundations of the earth, he chose me. His Son Jesus Christ died on the cross for me! ME! He called out to me in the midst of my sin and gave me the faith to believe on Him! Thank you Lord!!!

Oh, one more thing. Tonight I was tucking Ilsa into bed, and I asked her what she was thankful for. (We talked about this a lot today, but this was the best answer yet.) She said, "I'm thankful for my sister who loves duckies."

10 things for which I am thankful

It's been a while...not in any particular order:

1. Antibiotics and analgesics
2. Cable TV with lots of kids programs on all day
3. A comfortable couch
4. Meals I had the foresight to prepare and freeze for days like today
5. The ability to tune out whining
6. Children's Benadryl
7. Children's Tylenol
8. A fast Urgent Care clinic when the Base clinic has a two week wait for an appointment
9. Saltine crackers
10. Ice cold water and an ice dispenser in my fridge door

If you didn't get the hint, I'm sick.

10 things for which I am thankful

I just found out there I'm not the only one who does a "10 things thankful" list! There's actually a site that has a whole section devoted to 10 things to be thankful about lists, on tuesdays, called "10 things tuesdays". Here's link:

1. "An inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." (1 Peter 1:4-5)
2. good news from the "tax man"
3. a working coffeemaker
4. The new Costco environmentally friendly laundry detergent that smells like a field of lavender in bloom, rippling in the wind...
5. mail-in balloting
6. band-aids as cheap entertainment
7. mouse traps
8. our library lets us check out 25 books at a time
9. "5" gum -- the pink kind
10. honeycrisp apple time!

10 things for which i'm thankful

In no particular order:

1. Quick Domino's Pizza delivery


2. Banana bread


3. Cinnamon rolls in a can


4. Moisturizer & lip balm


5. My little OXO broom and dust pan


6. http://www.blueletterbible.org/


7. The health, physical strength and joy of my children


8. My husband does what he can to maintain his health


9. Affordable groceries at the Base Commissary


10. Strawberries

10 things for which I am thankful

Not in any particular order...just stream of consciousness

1. God's special grace bestowed upon me, and His general grace bestowed upon the world. (This one IS in order!) Thanks Pastor I. for the wonderful sermon on Sunday.
2. Ladies Bible Study starts tomorrow morning! Woo hoo!
3. Ingrid and Ilsa playing "boat" in the laundry basket.
4. Dryer sheets that make the laundry smell so purty.
5. Costco sells bulk yeast.
6. Oatmeal raisin cookies.
7. Even-handed political satire (if you are very protective of your political party, don't click here. On the other hand, if you love good political satire, do click here.)
8. Chad loves biking and staying fit.
9. My 40th birthday on Friday. Yes, I am very thankful to be turning 40. I have had a wonderful life, and look forward to the years that I hope will be graciously bestowed upon me.
10. It's almost fall, and candy corn is now readily available.

10 things for which I am thankful

Not in any particular order...

1. my robust sourdough starter

2. the cooooool thunderstorm last night

3. my cawfee tawk time with Kellie A.

4. that Chad is home today and monday

5. that our beautiful mesquite didn't break when it fell over during last night's storm

7. online Bible websites

8. the cool Chewbacca Star Wars bobblehead toys from "Old McDonald's" last night (yep, this crunchy granola mom occasionally takes my girls to Mickey D's because it brings JOY to their hearts!) (CORA, ignore this one!)

9. Ingrid and Ilsa having tickle wars with Daddy

10. Cook's Illustrated online http://www.cooksillustrated.com/ and Epicurious online http://www.epicurious.com/

10 things for which I am thankful

In no particular order...but in technicolor...


1. Purple yarn
2. Rain, but no lightning and thunder
3. That my girls ask for bedtime stories from The Jesus Storybook Bible
4. Fettuccini and jarred pesto sauce from Costco = instant deliciousness
5. Keebler elf sandwich cookies
6. Paypal
7. Programmable coffee makers that have the coffee ready for me in the morning
8. Ilsa's homemade Kleenex box =====================>
9. The Olympics are done -- now I can go to sleep at a decent hour
10. Teddy, Baby Stella and Bum Bum

I'm thankful for some stuff -- here's 10 of 'em

In no particular order...

1. Kumon workbooks, scissors, crayons, markers and coloring books
2. Amazon Marketplace and Half.com
3. Lower humidity
4. My new hobby, crochet
5. Dara Torres, a new fitness inspiration
6. The new Method Enlighten Mint shower gel
7. Library books
8. Ingrid & Ilsa's Sunday School teachers
9. Dishwashers
10. Times of quietness