Thank you Rachel for this award...You are so sweet! Rachel is a good friend from my church family, Grace Fellowship, mother of two and one on the way, and an amazing home-schooling inspiration!

The rules to follow for those receiving the Stylish Blogger Award are:

1. Thank and link back to the person who awarded you.
2. Share 7 things about yourself.
3. Award 15 recently discovered great bloggers.
4. Contact these bloggers and tell them about the award.

Seven things about myself...Hmmm....
1. I love wearing hats, and my mom has said for as long as I can remember that I look good in them.
2. I've always been tempted to cut my hair really short, but thus far have been too chicken due to the dreaded "grow out" stage
3. Getting outside and working in the yard, for me, is what I imagine a drug "high" to feel like... I just love working with my hands...
4. I still feel like I'm 22, and sometimes can't believe I'm married with two kids! =)
5. A pet peeve of mine is when people do personal grooming things (cutting/filing nails especially) in public.
6. I am sometimes so ADD/abstract/random in my daily life I drive myself crazy, but also have a very linear/anal side to me too.
7. Right now the Lord is helping me to understand the hope of heaven more and more and how that affects how I live right now...

Okay, now for the fun of giving awards out! =)

Early Valentine's Day Edition

of 1000 Gifts...

166. Lobster 

167. The color RED

168. Watching a "how to crack a lobster open the right way" video with Todd before sharing that experience

169. Discovering that Keeley LOVES lobster, but dipping anything in butter even more!

170. Both girls love asparagus

171. Mood lighting 

172. The chemistry lab type conversations/object lessons that happen when there are candles on the table

173. Going around the table saying what we love about each other

174. Moments when it so like a wonderful movie I'm just waiting for the background music to surge in...

175. Knowing that the Lord was smiling at our little family tonight at dinner

176. Having Sarah ask for more "wine" (cran-apple juice)

177. Keeley asking for "wine"

178. Having Sarah know, define, and call me "exquisite"

179. 14 Hands Red Blend

180. Finding out that Sarah has an admirer at preschool

181. Joyful tears

182. Sarah's four year old enthusiasm 

183. My handsome husband with a beard

184. My handsome husband without a beard

185. Scrunchy smiles

186. Using the china I grew up with to make a "special" dinner

187. Fancy glasses

188. Valentine's Day Cards

189. Flowers

190. Kisses!

One Thousand Gifts...

Last week about this time all was well, we had just got back from the Super Bowl Party and the girls were down. Little did I know that 5pm on Monday, the stomach bug would invade our home... Hence, one of the reasons why I'm a week late!

141. The way God designed our bodies to recover after getting sick

142. Reading a novel for hours even though it was because I was stuck in bed sick

143. An AMAZING husband who could stay home from work and take care of his three sick girls

144. God's capital "T" Truth that stands forever

145. Having good friends over for dinner 

146. Getting to talk to said friends because the kids were doing so playing together

147. All of Sarah's bazillion questions

148. Valentine's Day

149. Raspberry drizzle

150. The good feeling of moving just one piece of furniture and having the room come together

151. Resting in Him

152. Knowing that as much as I love living, this earth is not my home...

153. New ideas

154. Sweet childhood crushes

155. Times to just do crafty stuff

156. Teaming up with Todd to do a project

157. Looking forward to a couples get away...

158. Parents who joyfully sacrifice and go the extra mile (or weekend of watching the girls...)

159. When a corrupt ruler falls and the people get to have a real say...

160. Giving myself grace

161. Waking up a bit early and realizing I have more time to sleep

162. Hearing Keeley say "O-tay" when she understands what I say to her

163. Being okay with seeing myself get older

164. Finding just the right maze book for Sarah

165. Watching quirky movies with Todd

 

Just a lil' song that definitely hits home at certain times in my life... Makes me smile. Love her voice....

"Keeley Bug"

 21 Months

 

1.  You are trying out coming down stairs forward - be still my beating heart! 
2.  Words and phrases are coming so fast! "Stop it!" "Mine!" "Kitty tat" "Ceweal!" "No Sweepy"
3.  You love helping sweep, put things away, dump things out, put wash into the dryer
4.  Painting is your new found fun activity
5.  Learning colors, but "Ye-whoa" is still your fav
6.  My dear, you still get up way too early for my preference..., but you are always so happy!
7.  Scrunchy smiles are fewer now, but they still melt my heart!
8.  We're waiting on one more cuspid to break through and then you'll have 16 teeth.

9.  Who knows why you all of a sudden decide you won't sit in your eating chair at meals and will cry bloody murder until you puke? But when we switch you to another seat you're just fine... Are you two already?
10.  Running circles around the house is your joy as is bobbing up and down trying to jump...
11.  You have the most passionate love for cats... (alas...) and how you nuzzle even their pictures in books makes me laugh!

12. Getting you to eat meat is a real challenge...

13. Boy do you love to dance and your Elmo cooking fridge toy gets you goin'!

14. You HATE having your teeth brushed.

15. Your squeal welcoming Daddy home has got to be one of the best sounds on earth....

16. I love how you initiate family group hugs...

17. So far you are pretty right-handed...

18. You are pretty much only in 24M - 2 or even 3T clothes now...

19. You do a great job of singing along with the Twinkle twinkly little star/ABC song, but I have yet to catch it on video. Not all the words of course, but the tune is there!

20. You're still great at getting back to sleep after you have night cries and thankfully Sarah sleeps right through them...

21. You can use your fork "sork" and "foon" spoon like a pro!

Gifts 121-140

121. North and South

122. Todd making tea for me

123. Healthy immune systems that have almost kicked the nasty crud we've had (staggered) for the past two weeks.

124. Sarah being especially flexible today

125. Smooth grocery shopping trips

126. A new clock

127. Seeing my curly platinum blonde after her nap standing up in her sleep sack

128. New games

129. The privilege of praying for a dear friend

130. Todd coming home early from Moses Lake

131. Overtime pay

132. A child's forgiveness

133. Bag clips

134. Impromptu creativity

135. Family pictures

136. The energy that working physically hard gives me - especially outside

137. Trees trimmed

138. Sarah's gleeful abandon when playing in mud

139. Friendly neighbors

140. A partner in crime for the Seattle Rock 'n' Roll

Gifts 101 - 120

101. Flip on fireplaces

102. Nyquil

103. Unexpected doubles

104. Dental hygentists

105. Clementines

106. Getaways to look forward to

107. That God promised His grace is sufficient in my weakness

108. Herbal tea

109. Super cute/cozy green gloves on screamin' sale

110. Sarah requesting squash for dinner

111. Hot 'n' ready pizzas in a pinch

112. Dot to dots

113. The "clean up song" as sung by Keeley

114. Time to run errands sans kiddos

115. Being sick so that I can remember what a blessing it is to not hurt every time I swallow when I'm healthy

116. Yummy chocolate calcium chews

117. For my mom who is always thinking of how to help others

118. Sarah's crazy passion for drawing

119. Having a wonderful "Mother in Love" who I adore

120. Globes

Gifts 60 - 100

61. Sharpies

62. Todd who is infinitely willing to support me in whatever

63. Gift Cards

64. Sex - yep, I said sex.

65. Raw cookie dough

66. Jane Austen movies

67. Black and white photography

68. Birthday wishes

69. Stand mixers

70. Brooms

71. Great kid stories on CD for the car

72. The cozy feeling on a grey day

73. Fun binders and new ways of storing stuff

74. Excell

75. Looking forward to spending time with friends

76. Fabric stores

77. Having my mom teach me to sew when I was young so I can now

78. God's protection on my girls

79. Fresh fruit

80. Online shopping

81. Getting statements back showing investments are finally turning around from the hit they took

82. Clean floors

83. Curls

84. The kindness/helpfulness of strangers

85. Strong arms

86. A good night's sleep

87. Singing in the car

88. Moments to talk about character with Sarah

89. Creative minds

90. Boxes

91. Bubble wrap

92. Being short

93. Naptimes

94. The anticipation of spring

95. Garbage day

96. Loving honesty

97. Hats

98. Dentists

99. Canned Air - can I just say how much I love office supplies in general?

100. Our "Y" membership

 A couple of posts that really have hit home with me lately on the subject of contentment...

I don't want my children to be happy - from "It's Almost Naptime!"

and

What is the "Good Life"? - from Reluctant Entertainer