Mother’s Day 09

I had such a good Mother’s day this year, I’m still soaking in it.

Not only did they pick out the best cards ever, give me the best gifts ever, but they let me help plan the weekend to be sure I felt blessed.  They helped me.  Hands on.  I got to be with both Moms, have them for lunch, and have my own dinner out.  It was the bomb.  Which is a good thing, in case you don’t know the slang!

I didn’t feel the best, but they made me feel the best.  I love my family…

There will never be a photo of my son I treasure more, I can assure you.  I had hesitations about posting it, it meant so much to me, how proud he was to take my present into the restaurant to surprise me.

All the kids could not wait for me to get my presents this year…it was so cool.

(If you read my blog, realize is precious to me, so I’m sharing with you out of the sweet places in my life to share with you…don’t mention it to the kids, okay?)

“Flash” saw me take a photo and ran back for his own present to carry…gotta love that!

Boy wonder took my picture for me while we ordered food.  The waitress thought we were a hoot, I’m sure.  It was so pretty I hated to open it!  There is just something special about store-wrapped gifts, isn’t there?  I wish I could wrap that well!

Still ordering food.  What a crazy kid!

So, the polka dot box had in it a new set of wind chimes.  Mine bit the dust about three years ago, my good ones…I’d gotten a needle to work the string back through the clanker about ten times.  I love them!

The bag had in it…a replacement of my iPod Nano I left at the hotel in Nashville over spring break.  You all, I nearly cried.  The minute I opened it, my daughter slapped her hand over my mouth, literally.  She said, “I knew you were going to scream, so I was prepared.”  I was totally speechless to be honest.  It was an extravagant gift I never asked for in the beginning, I could have lived with out it…just something he knew I’d enjoy…a wonderful and lavish gift to begin with, a very great mercy to replace it.  I still get all mushy thinking about it.  What a great guy…

Reading the Men’s Blog Again

And man, did this entry today hit the spot.

I’ll be glad when I can throw my hands up in the air again in some areas.  But, I guess I should be glad that I’m at least not screaming and kicking like I used to be about getting on some of the rides of life that I dreaded at that time.

I’m in line.  I’m doin’ the thing.

But, this blog entry makes me want even more to anticipate that sense of joy and excitement and anticipation–even relaxation as trust and experience prevails in new areas.

Yes!  It’s all part of the journey toward freedom and real life.  Even those days when things don’t “look” the way I want it to.

“He came that they might have life and have it to the full”, they said of Jesus.

Life and to the full…hands in the air next time around…who’s with me?  (Read the full entry today/) by Steve

Also, another guy blog great for today: Quotes (from Chris)

Moments

When I saw this scene today, I thought to myself, “I’m so glad God knows how to ‘crop’ a photo.”

To this…

Or this…ignoring all the mess, seeing the beauty. Do we?

Daisy got into my tomatoes today. Instead of getting onto her too much, I let her explore it, and I took some photos.

Do you ever do that with your kids?

She didn’t know the difference. She thought it a tasty red ball.

and she was just enjoying living

And I miss the moments.

The Moments

The Moments of Together.

Just Being. Traveling.

Enjoying Fruit I Didn’t Plant

Even the Bad days when I learn that bottled water has probably given my daughter too numerous dental problems to count (Give your kids added ACT fluoride if they don’t drink a lot of tap water. How’d I miss that?)

Moments of appreciating the every day. Order. Care. Tending. (Proverbs 31)

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Your turn:  I want to hear a voice besides my own today…

Share with me recent moments you’d like to remember forever, hopefully ones today, moments where you were “present”–not stuck in the past, not worried about the future, but learning, enjoying a moment God gave you, appreciating breathing a little deeper.   Blog it, comment, or email me here: magnanimityblog@gmail.com

Today is Tuesday. It’s All Good.

These are wonderful summer days.  It’s JUST beginning to feel like summer to me!  Listening to funny things my kids have learned, wishing I could write them ALL down as they speak.  They make me laugh so much.  I so enjoy having them with me and decline many activities to just “be family” together while we can.

About the time I begin to feel insecure as a mother, when days are long…they surprise me.  I had one vacuum the same room four times yesterday the work was so sloppy.

I promised them today I would get up early (for summer) and cook them breakfast…two of them said they were hungry at bed-time last night.  Do you know they woke me up at 7AM with a tray of scrambled eggs, toast, bacon, and a card with a flower drawn on it?  They were going to pick one, but there were already bees on the bush today!  Man!  I love my kids.  I don’t deserve their mercy and grace.

Last night cooking supper, they have finally gotten old enough I can assign them jobs and responsibilities in the kitchen.  I can teach them how to do basic things and we all work together.  However, last night, I asked Boy Wonder to wipe down the table.  Since he couldn’t find a cloth, he just soaked a thick kitchen towel for the job!

They are still begging to not load the dishwasher so we can “do that thing where we wash the dishes by hand” again!  Ah!  I love the spirit!

We did find some deals at Wal*Mart today for school supplies, but they were out of the 70 page spiral notebooks.  Also, I was unsure about one child’s placement to get supplies.  Someone said it was posted at the school.

Get this:  Goldilocks THREE different sets of dividers!  (2 of them were eight tabbed, pocketed dividers!  No, Wal*Mart doesn’t carry those). She should be VERY organized!  She also had, if we bought with Wal*Mart prices, $12 in potential Post*It notes that were asked for on her list!  We stopped by the dollar store…I hope they “stick”!

The local Op Center had Dunkin’ Donuts French Vanilla bags of coffee for $2.00 a bag, and it’s pretty good…smooth.  I also bought to quarts of blackberries there for $2.50 a piece.  Beats Kroger anyway!  They are a little tart, but will make a great cobbler!