With Gratitude

When I learned the "Virtue of the Month" in church on Sunday for Kids' Church, I could hardly wait for 10 Things Tuesday. This month my kids will be learning about Gratitude. Their memory verse for week one is "Give thanks to the Lord, because He is good. His faithful love continues forever." 1 Chronicles 16:34 (NirV) I look forward to talking with my children about the many ways we can express gratitude. Today I will focus on some of the things I am thankful for as a citizen of the United States.

1. I am grateful for the privilege to vote. Women haven't always been given that right, and although I am only one vote, I take that responsibility seriously, knowing that even one vote can make a difference.
2. I am thankful that no matter what the outcome of the election today, ultimately, God is in control. Proverbs 16:33 "The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD."
3. I am thankful for generations past that are responsible for our freedom today.
4. I am thankful for the dedicated men and women that lead this nation today. I may not always be on the same page as them, or have the same beliefs as them, but they are willing to work hard to ensure that our freedom as Americans stays in tact.
5. I am thankful that we, here in America, still have the right to worship in public. There are some countries that do not allow it.
6. My gratitude goes out to the many volunteers in our Church that make Kids' Church happen. It is an honor to team up with them in teaching my children about God.
7. I am grateful for the freedom and opportunity to talk with my kids about gratitude this month. Deut. 11:18-19 "Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up."
8. I am thankful for good teachers that work hard to ensure that my children get a proper education, and for the public school system that is still free.
9. I am grateful that even in hard economic times, we still have a roof over our heads, food on our table, and clothes on our backs.
10. I am thankful that not only do I have freedom as a citizen of the United states, but I will always have freedom in Christ here on earth and forever in heaven. John 8:36 "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed."

God Sings

I am encouraged by this verse today.

Zephania 3:17

"The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."

Fall Leaves and Hot Cider

Good morning! Welcome to Company Girl Coffee! This week I will be sharing over hot apple cider instead! It's a beautiful fall day here on this last day of October. Last year we had snow on Halloween, but I'm happy to report that it won't be snowing today. It's cloudy, but not cold enough for snow. Yes, I think fall is going to linger a little longer. The last of the leaves are clinging to the branches waiting to join the collage of colors blanketing our back yard. The ones that have fallen have been raked into piles, jumped into, and thrown in the air only to repeat the process over and over again. My kids have lingered until dark playing in them and then begged to stay outside just a little while longer. Finally, when it's just too cold and too dark to stay outside any longer, everyone barrels inside for a cup of hot cider.

Winter and snowball fights are just around the corner but for now, grab your own cup of hot cider and enjoy a few fun pictures of our family.

Ten Things Tuesday

Is is Tuesday again already? I don't know where my Monday went, but I'm glad that Tuesday is here. We have had sick kids all weekend and yesterday I took one to the doctor to make sure he didn't have strep. Luckily, the answer is no, but he's still home today with a whisper of a voice.

The thing I love about 10 Things Tuesday is that I start my day right, with Thankfulness. Although I am making my list a little late today, I am taking this short break to reflect on things in a positive light.

1. I am thankful for a second cup of coffee this morning! It's warm, it's smooth, and it keeps me going on these cold mornings. : )
2. As I look at the mask on my mug this morning, I am thankful, once again, for the incredible blessing of being able to go see Phantom of the Opera with my mom, sister and husband. It was great! You can never see it too many times.
3. I am thankful for the lunch date I got to have with my husband on Saturday.
4. I am thankful for the brother in law who loves his nieces and nephews so much that he watched them so that we could go out to lunch!
5. I am thankful for Kleenex! I sure have been using a lot of it lately.
6. I am thankful that I am feeling a lot better after two weeks of yuck.
7. I am thankful that we have insurance so that I can take my kids to the doctor when I need to and not have to worry about how I'm going to pay for it. And I am thankful JS doesn't have strep.
8. I am thankful that when my kids are sick I don't have to worry about getting the day off because I am blessed to be a SAHM.
9. I am thankful that my internet and phone seem to be working today.
10. I met another mom of 5 on Facebook yesterday. I am thankful to have a new friend to talk to that can relate to having 5 kids so close together.

Losing My Keys, Or Losing My Mind?

It's Friday, and that means Company time! Company Girl Coffee, that is. I don't have much time today so I thought I would just post a funny story about something that happened to me last week. I tried to forget about it, but today's small thing about keys brought a smile to my face.

Last Friday I dropped off my kids to school, dropped off our dog at the vet, and went to do my usual weekly grocery shopping trip. It was nice to come home to both my husband and my brother-in-law to help carry in groceries for a change. (Usually no-one is home but me so I haul them all in myself.) When the last bag was in hand, my husband asked me if I had the keys. I told him yes, knowing for sure that I had put them on the dining room table with the first bags I brought in. You can see where this is going....

He locked the door to the van and we went inside to put away groceries. Later that afternoon, I needed to get something from the van. I went to my usual "key hook", but found no key. Uh oh. I began to retrace my steps, look in all my pockets, and the different places that the keys may have wandered off to. (I do have quite the mischievous toddler!) No keys. At this point, I'm starting to panic. I even went out to the van and peeked in the windows to see if I had mistakenly dropped them on the floor or something. Nope.

It was time to confess to my husband that I couldn't find the keys. So he and my brother-in-law joined in the search. We looked through every bag that had been thrown out and even in the fridge. We dug through the misc. keys in my junk drawer to see if we had a spare still. No luck. Finally, I had to make dinner so I reluctantly discontinued the search until after we ate.

Sometime during dinner I asked my brother-in-law what he had done with the bag that I gave him to take out to the freezer in our garage. "It's still in the freezer," he said. Huh. Away he went only to re-appear with some very cold keys!

Talk about brain freeze. Am I losing my mind, or just my keys? How did that happen? Oh well. At least they were found. Now I have an incredibly funny story to tell. Go figure.

Anyone else out there losing their mind...um...I mean, keys? I'd love to hear your story!

Have a great weekend!

Taking Care of Mom

Recently I've been chatting with a friend about the onset of another cold/flu season. For some great ideas about how to keep healthy this time of year, you can visit my friend Andrea over at My Life With You.

In this post I want to address a topic that is worth thinking about. Taking care of the caregiver. For those of you who are wondering what I am talking about, the caregiver that I am referring to is any woman out there with the loving title of "Mom."

As Moms, we all too often tend to work sacrificially and selflessly to take care of our family, without considering our own needs. I'm not talking about selfishness here. I'm just talking about learning how important it is to set boundaries and take care of your own basic needs.

A while back I got into a conversation with a friend of mine, who also happens to be blessed with the joy of being a mom. She recently started a detailed program that involves exercise, eating right, and taking care of her body. She expressed how she felt a little bit guilty because it took up so much of her time to go to the gym on a regular basis, plus work, plus managing her household, etc. After talking for a while, she finally came to the conclusion that what she was doing was important SO THAT she could take care of her family.

Since that conversation, I have done a lot of thinking about how important it is to take care of myself, so I can take care of my family. I'm still processing, but here's what I've come up with so far.

1. Fill up on Jesus each day. Gas prices may be soaring these days, but filling your love tank is free. God is the ultimate filling station. All you have to do is go to Him and ask Him to fill you with His love.
2. Take care of your body. It's the only one you have in this lifetime. That means doing a number of things. a) Get plenty of rest. Only you can gage how many hours of sleep you need. Figure it out, and then get that amount of sleep every night. b) Exercise. Even 10-15 minutes of exercise a day or every other day will help. c) Eat right. That means planning out balanced, healthy meals. This will spill over and help your family also. d) Take your vitamins. Everyone needs a certain amount of vitamins in addition to eating right. e) Drink your water. 8-10 glasses of water a day is what most grown bodies need to function properly. f) Be sure to have an annual pap smear, breast exam, and physical.
3. Not only is it important to take care of our bodies on the inside, but it's also important to take care of them on the outside. There is no need to look like a beauty queen, but it is important to take care of hygiene. Cleanliness, neat hair, and at least small amount of makeup should be a priority when taking care of one's self. Also consider clothing that is comfortable, but presentable. A lot of moms that stay at home (myself included) don't consider the benefit of taking time to fix themselves up a bit each day. You'll feel much better about yourself when you do.

This may seem like a lot. It is, really. The list could go on and on. Most days I don't do all of the above. I might remember to eat my vegetables and drink my water, but forget to change out of my sweats and into jeans. On sick days I might just barely survive by taking my vitamins and getting as much sleep as possible. The important thing is that I am trying to take care of myself. I realize that when I do that, I will have more energy, a better attitude, and be more productive throughout the day.

What do you do to take care of you? I'd love to hear from you.

Family Visit

This past weekend my mom, sister, and niece drove over the mountains to come and visit before the snow settles in for the winter. I really appreciate them coming to visit this time of year, because I know it will be several months before I see them again.

We have had this trip planned out for a while now. When I first heard that Phantom of the Opera was coming to town, I called my mom and asked if she would be interested in seeing it again. She said yes, tickets were purchased, and plans were made. My husband even went with us this time. : )

Actually, this was my 4th time seeing it. The first time I was with my mom and sister in Vancouver, B.C. They reminded me how we got lost and showed up late to the theater. I have also seen it twice in Seattle. This time it was extra special to get out of the house to share an evening of entertainment with my mom, sister, and husband at my side. Thanks again mom! I love you!