10 Things to Savor

This week I thought I would reflect on yesterday's small thing and list off 10 things that I savor and am definitely thankful for. :)

1. Good morning snuggles.
2. Long, lingering hugs.
3. The smell of my children right after they've taken a bath.
4. A fun game of Uno or Dominoes with my son.
5. Yummy Ginger cookies that my husband made.
6. The smell of the grass and trees after a good rain.
7. Watching my kids swing as high as they can go.
8. A good tickle session.
9. The sound of laughter.
10. Tucking my children in at night, lingering for just one minute more.

Savor the moment...it quickly fades into the past. :)

Company Girl Coffee 6.5.09

Good morning! It's a little rushed here this morning so I only have time for a quick cup. I really missed coffee last week though, so I figured one little cup before I'm off and running won't hurt, right? To be honest, most mornings I don't finish my coffee without having to re-heat it. Mornings are kind of hectic around here with five small children and although we try to keep a routine, there are bound to be interruptions! This morning I am looking forward to treating myself to a latte on my way to a play date with a friend of mine. Then we can have some face to face Company Girl Coffee! :)

Actually, when I read Rachel Anne's post today, I smiled to myself because even though school is not yet out for us, it is for my friend Andrea. You might remember that I mentioned Andrea over coffee before. She's taking the opportunity this summer to do some really fun projects with her kids. She's calling it "Make it Mondays", and you can see her first project over at Life With You.

As for me, I still need to come up with a plan. We practically have our own park in the back yard now, so there will be lots of playing on the swing set. We also bought an above ground pool that we will set up after school gets out because summers here are pretty warm. There's a "water park" just down the street from us that has all kinds of sprinkler fun for the kids. I plan to frequent that quite a bit.

When the sun gets just too hot and too dangerous to bear, you will find us in the comfort of our air-conditioned home, keeping cool. I plan on making some homemade playdough (there are lots of recipes to choose from) and keeping lots of craft supplies around. There will also be lots of reading and a little story writing of their own. (My kids have taken to writing their own books lately.)

Have a great summer everyone! I look forward to sharing what your plans are over coffee later this weekend.

-Melissa

Siesta Scripture Memory 6.1.09

Check out this valuable little nugget that I am memorizing from scripture in the first half of June...

"Praise the Lord. Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who finds great delight in his commands. His children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed." -Psalm 112:1-2

Who doesn't want their children to be blessed? Lord, teach me to live an upright life so that my children will receive the blessing promised here in Your Word!

Thankfulness in Busy Times

Hi all! It's the first Tuesday of a brand new month! I've been kind of scarce lately because we've been really busy around here. Seems like there's something going on every weekend now, and the calendar looks just as full in June. Today I want to take time to stop and give thanks in the midst of it all and share a little about what's been happening here.

May 23-24th was our quick trip to Seattle with our three older kids. We got to hang out with a friend we haven't seen in years. I am so thankful that we got to reconnect, meet his wife and daughter, and just spend time with their family. They were so gracious to open their home to us and provide us with free tickets to the game on Sunday.

The game! It was so fun! What a great first baseball game experience for our kids. We walked around the stadium and enjoyed the sights. We even got Branden Morrow's autograph. When the game started, Ken Griffey Jr. hit a home run in the first inning! All in all, it was a great game, and the Mariners won. :)

Although I had a nice trip, I was glad to be home to my youngest two again on Sunday. I am so thankful for all five of my children! I couldn't imagine life without any of them. We spent Monday (Memorial Day Holiday) just hanging out as a family. I love days like that. We worked in the yard and played a little too. Good family bonding time.

Last week I worked some more on Spring cleaning. I spent time in the kitchen on my cupboards and continued to sort, organize and purge. Sometimes I wish I had more kitchen space, but I am thankful for what room I do have. It is my space and what I make of it is up to me. Sometimes all we need is a little imagination to make a space our own. :)

Friday rolled around and it was finally time for my girlfriend's retreat to Women of Faith! I had been looking forward to it for months! My friends picked me up at 8:30am and we headed down to the Arena. What an awesome first day! The speakers, the worship, the company...I am so thankful for all of it!

Another friend was able to join us for dinner and we had a BLAST! We had dinner in style. I am so thankful to my friend Michelle, who made this all possible for me. I only paid for my ticket and t-shirt. She blessed me with a whole lot more!


The evening session ended with a Steven Curtis Chapman concert! I love his music. He's one of the first Christian singers that I started listening to back in my teens. It was a treat to see him in person and I am thankful he was part of the conference.

The fun continued at our motel that night. Andrea met up with us again and the five of us played games and just hung out. It was the silliest time ever! We laughed until we cried. I am so thankful for friends that I can just let go with!

Here's the kicker...in the middle of the night sometime I got sick. I didn't stop throwing up until well after dawn. You know what though? Even though I missed the second day of the conference, I am so thankful for the time I got to spend with friends and I am glad they were there to pray for me and watch over me when I needed them. Andrea brought me home where I spent most of the day sleeping and recovering from what must have been a touch of the flu. Thanks for looking out for me girls!

I could not go without saying how thankful I am for my loving husband. He is, in my mind, the greatest for letting me have a special weekend while he watched the kids. Even when I came home sick early on Saturday morning, he took care of the kids all day so that I could rest. He made sure that I had peace and quiet, which is not easy in a house full of kids! I love him so much!

Well, that's my list for this week! I have so much to be thankful for and I am glad to share it with you. Have a great week!

Company Girl Coffee 5.22.09

Good Morning! First things first! Grab your cup, and we'll enjoy the sunshine on the patio this morning. :) I want to thank all of you Company Girls out there that stopped by my blog to read the extended answers to Rachel Anne's interview questions this week. I was so encouraged by all of your kind words.

I am so excited for Rachel Anne as she gets closer to publishing her first book! I've got a feeling I will be purchasing more than one copy of "Company Girl," that will be published in fall of 2009. How great of her to include us in the fun by holding a photo contest! If you haven't visited the Company Girl website yet for the contest details, I would encourage it! There are some great photos entered already!

This weekend my husband and I have the incredible opportunity to take our older three kids (7,6,&5) to a Mariner's baseball game over in Seattle. The younger two (4&2) will be staying here with their Aunt and Uncle. Our friend that lives over in Seattle managed to get us some tickets. We're staying the night at his home on Saturday and then both of our families will go to the game together on Sunday. This is a friend that we haven't seen in years, so just spending time there catching up with him and meeting his family will be wonderful. Taking our kids to their first baseball game is just a bonus!

Today I am having a friend of mine over for lunch. Her daughter is coming with her to test out the new swing set. BC and LR love it when she comes to play. The swing set is a HUGE hit with the kids! I'm so glad we bought it. It was an great investment in a lot of back yard fun! Have a great weekend all!

Two Things

Psalm 62:11-12
One thing God has spoken,
two things have I heard:
that you, O God, are strong,
and that you, O Lord, are loving.
Surely you will reward each person
according to what he has done.

Several years ago, my husband had surgery on his foot and he had to be in a full leg cast for a while. When the cast came off, that leg was noticeably smaller than his other one. The muscles had gone unused for so long that it appeared his leg had shrunk! He began physical therapy and the doctor talked to him about muscle memory. Muscle memory refers to the accelerated muscle retraining phenomenon when a muscle has been trained, detrained and then retrained again. In my husband's case, his muscles were weak because they were not being used at all. The muscle returned as he continued to do his exercises. Another example would be if you take a long break from working out you will be able to get your muscle back much quicker than someone who has never worked out before.

Memorizing Scripture is a bit like muscle memory. The more you meditate on the Word, the easier it becomes to recall it in a time of need. This year I have made a commitment to memorize 2 scripture segments a month. I have been trying really hard to stick with it. I write the verse that I am currently memorizing on a 3x5 card and put it in my kitchen window, where I read it often. There are days when I try to recall my previous verses, and I struggle through it. My ability to retain more than one verse at a time is still weak, but I am working on it!

When Paul pleaded with the Lord to remove the thorn in his flesh, the Lord said to him "my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

You, O God, are strong...

Even David, a man after God's own heart, had his moments of weakness. After his encounter with Bathsheba he wrote "Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions." (Psalm 51:1) There are times when my own shortcomings cause me to feel failure and shame.

You, O Lord, are loving...

Two Things. David heard them. Paul understood them. I believe them. Where do you stand today? Do you need to be reminded that God is both strong and loving?

Dear friend, "I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." (Ephesians 3:16-19)

10 Things Tuesday in 7 Minutes!

I have about 7 minutes before the timer for dinner goes off, so let's see how thankful I can be in 7 minutes! :)

1. The new swing set is up! The kids are loving it and having lots of fun.
2. I am thankful for all the projects that are getting done around our house and yard.
   
3. I got to spend quality time with my sister in law today on her day off. What a blessing!
   
4. I am finally caught up on laundry again! (Until tomorrow!)
5. I have a delicious dinner in the oven and it smells great!
6. I get to go to a Mariner's game this Sunday with my oldest three kids!
7. I was so honored and thankful to be interviewed for Rachel Anne's first Company Girls newsletter. How fun!
8. I love this beautiful weather we are having...even if I am sporting the "windblown" look!
   
9. I love the way that God speaks to me through His Word!
   
10. I am thankful for a husband who encourages me grow in the gifts that God has given me.

That's all I have time for! Now I'm off to eat Sausage Rice Casserole with my family. :)
-Melissa