Happy Birthday Grandma!

This is a little late, (due to some unavoidable events this week) but I wanted to say a special Happy Birthday to my 95 year old Grandma! I admire her greatly for her strength and determination. She is 95, but still going strong. She lives on her own, still cooks for herself, knits, sews, and gardens. Those are only a few of the things that I love about her. The more I learn about her, the more I want to be like her.

She's a faithful wife... She stood by my grandfather through thick and thin over the many years they were married. Right up to his death she loved him, and she continues to cherish him in her heart today.

Faithful mother/grandmother/great grandmother... She would do anything for each of her four children and her many grandchildren/great grandchildren. (Mine included) She has taught all of us how important it is that we stick together as a family and take care of one another.

Hardworking...From her days on the farm with my grandfather, to their property on the Oregon Coast, to the plot of land she lives on now, she knows the value of being a hard working woman.

If there is an example of a woman who lives life abundantly, it is my grandmother. I love you grandma! Happy Belated Birthday!

Small Things on the Go

This week, I had a very scary incident with my 7yr old daughter. On Monday night, she began throwing up and she continued well into Tuesday. When it didn't stop and she couldn't keep even a tablespoon of liquid down, I called her pediatrician. On Wednesday morning I took her in to the doctor. From there, they sent us to the ER, where they immediately put her on an IV for dehydration. They drew some blood, and when the results came back, I was told that she would be admitted to the hospital overnight.

There, I stayed with her overnight, comforting her by holding her hand, praying with her when she was afraid, and sleeping by her side on a cot. When she wanted water, I held the cup and straw to her lips. When she was finally hydrated enough that she needed to pee, I helped her by wheeling her IV along side her into the bathroom. I am so thankful for the doctors and nurses that helped get her on the road back to health.

We were able to come home yesterday, and she is resting peacefully. I wanted to take a minute to share this story because I discovered something about small things while I was caring for my daughter. They are not just something that you do at home. By Rachel Anne's definition, small things are the "simple activities" that we do to make our home a sanctuary for our family. I would take that one step farther, and say that small things include anything that we do inside or outside of the home to make our family feel loved.

Thank you, Rachel Anne, for helping me realize that sanctuary is in the small things. Now I know that sanctuary is not just something that happens at home. It exists in my heart, and it's in the small things that I do, wherever I go.

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!