Where did my "Thankfulness" go?

Every year, around Thanksgiving time, I feel very blessed.  I can easily, without much effort, rattle off a list of people, places, and things I am truly thankful for:  my sweet family, my warm cozy house, my slippers, anything flavored with pumpkin spice...

I am very blessed and very cared for...but something happens to me the minute I start reading the Black Friday ads...my thankfulness disappears and I develop a case of the wants.  I try to dress this condition of greed up by telling myself I will be shopping for others, for Christmas presents, for my sweet family I mentioned earlier, but that is not entirely true.  I like the shopping, the getting, the possessing of material things that are pretty, cool, fun, attractive to my eye.  I struggle with materialism.  I am greedy....and deep down this greed, left unchecked, has the ability to crush my thankfulness. 

My plans were to shop...to buy fun things...to spend money that was better left unspent. 

God's plans were for me to care for my sick family. 

So this year I am thankful for Strep Throat and an ear infection.  Both of these conditions forced me to avoid feeding my greed in an effort to care for my loved ones.  Nothing like illness to produce a sudden realization of the value of health.  Both my husband Jason and my littlest kiddle Joanna were sick on Thanksgiving....Joanna with the ear infection and Jason with the Strep.  Both were miserable...and both needed my care for about two and a half days....about the exact length of the amazing Black Friday Sales.

Even though things didn't go as planned, I still had the opportunity to eat delicious food at my mom and dad's, visit with my FABULOUS in-laws, spend time with my sweet little Lily, watch movies with Jason and hold my baby JoJo for extended periods of time which she normally doesn't allow now that she is a toddler.  All in all Thanksgiving was ok, and I am even more thankful now that my family is healthy again.
 

Lily's turkey hand...love this!

My hero...

Not only is my husband Jason funny, smart, hardworking, and incredibly good looking...but it turns out he is a super hero.  Like Peter Parker or Clark Kent he may look like an average everyday kinda guy, but in the event of an emergency he develops super powers and saves trapped hunters from raging river waters. 

Today, like most Saturdays, my husband got up in the wee small hours of the morning to hunt ducks on the Snake River.  This year has been especially exciting because he not only has built a duck blind on a small rock island located in the middle of the river, he also is keeping a chart to record the results of each hunting trip.  Yes, he is completely obsessed with duck hunting, and I am completely not.  From fall to winter Jason lives for Saturday morning hunting trips.  It is a scheduled weekly event, no questions asked, every Saturday you can find him on the river, shot gun and duck calls in hand.  

This Saturday he of course went hunting...he returned home around noon...he cleaned ducks...he came upstairs looking for something to eat.  Pretty routine, nothing out of the ordinary, until the phone rang.  My parents called, they live on the river, right above the rapids...my dad's question:  "Did Jason leave one of his hunting buddies behind?"  Followed by...."This guy is stranded on the rocks right above the rapids."  My parents had called 911 in the hopes that someone could help this guy out. 

About 10 minutes later my mom calls back and asks Jason to come over.  When Jason gets there about 20 emergency workers have arrived:  EMT's, QRU's, Police officers, Fish and Game, Fire Department, etc.  I should mention that when Jason left he promises me he wouldn't get in the water, no river rafting for him. 

I head over to my parents about 10 minutes later to find Jason down with the emergency workers helping develop some type of plan.  The plan ends up being Jason and an EMT will head across the river in Jason's boat, tie the boat off on the opposite shore and float the empty boat out to the stranded man.

So here we are...on my parents deck...watching Jason and an EMT float closer and closer to the rapids, they find the opposite shore...get out of the boat and begin tying it off.  No problem so far...however, somehow, the plan changed.  Next thing I know, Jason is in the boat rowing directly towards the rapids and the guy stranded on the rock.  When Jason reaches the man, who at this time has been on the rock for about two hours, the exhausted, soaking wet hunter jumps in the boat.  The boat rocks a little...my heart stops a little...the EMT, on shore, begins pulling the boat, which is tied off still up river.  For the next couple minutes my father-in-law Eric, who also came by to watch the excitement unfold, assures me over and over again that Jason will be fine, and low and behold after about three minutes of anxiety, Jason and the hunter are sitting on the shore safe and sound. Praise God!

My husband, the river guide, saved the day.  Who knew that all of Jason's hunting adventures have been but training for life saving.  To the world he may seem like an average, normal everyday kinda guy, but to me he is a super hero in disguise. 

The peace of age...

At 31 sometimes I look in the mirror and fear the effects of the aging process.  Yesterday as Jason and I drove to church with the girls we discussed the signs of aging on our faces.  I pointed out the crow's feet developing around my eyes as he discussed his multiplying gray hairs.  We laughed at our vanity and promised to love each other even if...

I forgot all about our silly conversation...took the girls to Sunday school, grabbed a cup of coffee and headed into church, ten minutes late of course. 

In the middle of worship I noticed something...a woman in her golden years sitting one row in front of me and two people down worshipping God.   She was beautiful, peaceful, and joyful.  As our worship leader prayed between songs she whispered amen and nodded her head, quietly to God, focused on him.  I began to image her life...she most likely is a mother, a grandmother, a wife.  She most likely has experienced mountains and valleys, she most likely has laughed so hard her stomach ached and cried so hard her eyes had no tears left to give.  She has most likely lived at least thirty plus years more than myself, and she holds in her soul the wisdom of age.  The knowledge of experiencing heart ache and surviving it, experiencing joy and savouring it, experiencing trial and growing from it. 

As I sat there taking in this beautiful sight I remembered my silly, vain conversation with my husband and I realized that I was missing the beauty of the signs of age, the signs of wisdom, the signs of peace.

The glory of the young is their strength; the gray hair of experience is the splendor of the old.
Proverbs 20:28-30

Splendor defined means brilliant or gorgeous appearance, glory, grandeur, and great brightness.  As I witnessed God's glory in this aged woman's open devotion to him I saw splendor defined. I didn't see gray hair, wrinkles, or crow's feet.  I saw wisdom, peace, experience, strength and faith; a faith that comes from walking with God and seeing what he can do over time in one's life, a faith I look forward to having. 

My Extremely-Bad Couponing Adventure...

So is anyone else trying to jump on the couponing band wagon and missing it? 

I, a new stay-at-home-mom, had a bit of a breakdown yesterday.  After spending one hour and twenty two minutes trying to print coupons off the Target web-site, after driving the 24 miles to the big city of Twin, after spending two hours trying to locate the items on my list while deciphering the rules on each coupon, (Which, by the way, I carried in a zip lock baggy and transferred to my sweatshirt poach each time I put an item in the cart; not the most effective strategy.) ...after bribing my 18 month old with popcorn from the Target snack bar and a Fur-Real Pet she held throughout the store but had to return to it's home once we reached the register.... I saved...Are you ready for this?... $55.52. 

That sounds awesome right, really productive, and at first I was super stoked and proud of myself, but you know what they say about pride....here comes that fall.  Once I got home from my shopping adventure I took a minute to balance my check book and see what I really spent on my saving spree. 

$17.00 in gas to drive to Twin, $1.52 for popcorn, $3.79 for a Pumpkin Spice Latte that I couldn't resist, and $4.97 for a sweater I found on the 70% off rack that I should of tried on in the store because once I got it home and put it on I realized exactly why it was not the only, but one of eight identical sweaters on the 70% off rack....grand total of extra spending $27.28. 

Next, I factored in the time...1 hour 22 minutes searching for coupons, 30 minute trip to Twin times two, 2 hours entertaining 18 month old in Target while shopping, 13 minutes at the register trying to figure out why the check printing machine wouldn't work, and yes I wrote a check, an actual real live check, because my husband had my Debit card...and yes I was that lady, the one with the grumpy child who needed a nap about an hour ago, the one with 15 coupons wadded up in her sweatshirt pocket, the one writing a check when the girl behind her is just trying to buy a pack of gum and some paper towels...
Grand Total of Time Spent...4 hours and 35 minutes. 

Ok, so if my math is right, after extra expenses I saved $28.24 and lost 4 hours and 35 minutes.  Not sure if the savings was worth the investment this time.  

I want to say to all the amazing coupon gurus out there that you are my heroes; efficient, frugal, fabulous individuals. However, for me, right now, in my crazy little world, I think I will wave as the coupon band wagon rolls on by.  Maybe I will just shop the sales at the local markets, buy generic instead of name brand and have extra time to go to the park with my little girls.

I am not super mom. My laundry isn't all done. My kids eat too much sugar and not nearly enough vegetables.   I don't buy two carts of groceries for 3 dollars and 89 cents, and sometimes my check book isn't balanced and the bank charges me the dreaded overdraft fee. 




My breakdown:  I am just me.

My breakthrough:  Right now being just me is good enough.

Quote of the day:  "God made you special and he loves you very much."
                                                                                          -Bob the Tomato

To all the mommies in the world...

Yesterday I took my oldest girl to school for the first time.  She wore an amazingly fun outfit that she picked out.  She carried her brand new Littlest Pet Shop backpack and Scooby Doo Mystery Machine lunchbox with pride and excitement.  She had no reservations about starting school.  She woke up pumped and ready to go at 6:30. She asked to leave about fifteen times between 7:00 and 7:30.  She chose to ride with Daddy in his cool work truck because, and I am guessing here, he drives a little faster than Mommy, and yes we were those parents who both went to drop her off because even though she held zero reservations about the whole event, we were both a little nervous about leaving our little one at school for the day.  Joanna and I followed in my car praying the whole way. 

I expected to cry, to be sad, to miss my Lily...but I didn't feel any of the expected emotions.  Her excitement was infectious and all I felt was joy for her optimism and expectant hope of how amazing the next phase in her little life would be.  She is my firecracker, ready to take on the world.

The above picture is my new favorite...As all moms do, I wanted to have the morning-of-the-first-day-of-school picture, prior to recess and dust and sweaty feet that have grown accustom to running in flip flops longing to be free from the confines of hot socks and tennis-shoes.  I asked Lily to pause in her excitement for a quick snap shot.  She immediately smiled, struck the above pose, and yelled excitedly, "I can't wait to start kindergarten!"  This little boy and what I can only assume was his brother, both upper elementary aged.  Were walking by and smiled at my daughter's joyous declaration.  I love my Lily.  She is amazing and I will never forget how excited she was.

Harvest Time

Sweet moments watching my little ones pick tomatoes... 

All of our watering and weeding is paying off.  I love watching my little girls pick tomatoes and eat tomatoes.  They both bite into them like apples.  Love it.  Messy, giggling, searching, finding, loving life.  Soooo much fun.  Thank you Lord for all of your sweet creations, from tomatoes to little girls. 

Why is brushing your hair and teeth so painful when you are five?

Every morning around 8 am my five year old and I have a battle between her knotted hair and my hair brush.  She usually screams in agony as I try to, as gently as possible, remove the knots and tangles that her pillow has created.  I would like to report that this is the only daily task that reduces her to a puddle of tears, but sadly I cannot.  She usually loses it over brushing her teeth with toothpaste, which she claims is "too spicy" even though I have purchased the kid's watermelon or strawberry flavor, washing her hair and eating most vegetables.  Not sure why, but she seems to be protesting any process that produces cleanliness and health.  If it were up to my litttle lady she would leave the house unbrushed, unwashed, sporting her mismatched pj's and a pair of flip flops...stinky yet comfortable.

As I consider this current stage in her life, I look at my own walk with Christ.  I think sometimes I must sound very much like my angry five year old.  "Pray Danielle, read your Bible Danielle, wash in the daily cleansing of my word"....yet I protest.  I allow other daily tasks to take the place of the most important...connecting with God through spending time in his word and prayer.  When I start my day spending time with God, I am encouraged, filled up, ready to take on the day...when I don't, I am tangled, mismatched, frustrated easily, reduced to a puddle of tears by minor glitches in my daily routine. 

I've tried to explain to my five year old the long term effects of not brushing her teeth and not combing her hair; a toothless, tangled future.  As I negotiate yet again the morning routine, I start to consider the long term results of not developing daily time with my lord and savior.  Maybe I will have all my teeth and my hair won't be tangled, but I will not grow spiritually. I will become weak and frail, and I will miss out on the abundant life God has planned for me. 

This week's goal:  Spend time with God daily...and get my mini me to cooperate in cleanliness without too much protesting.  Pray for me.