Major Catch Up #1

Wow, I did not realize how far behind I was. I was doing so well and then the vacation came up. I had great plans to keep up the blogging while on vacation. With news of the deployment I went kind of in a downward spiral. Things just got away from me as I dealt with packing and the deployment news. I have determined to get back on track. Bear with me as I catch up on my joy dares. There are quite a few so I am thinking about dividing them between several posts. I don't want to overwhelm anyone, including myself. So here is the beginning of the catch up posts. I have 22 joy dares to catch up on.

3 Gifts in the Kitchen
196. My rice cooker. I put off buying on for years thinking they were just a frivolous tool. I got one on sale for $10 at Target and I fell in love. It made my dinners so much easier because I did not have to babysit the rice. I just turned it on and went on with other things.

197. My green Correll dishes. I got them for my wedding and they have held up to eight kids and 15 years of meals. The kids have dropped them on the floor and they are fine. I love the durability of them and the kids think it is cool that I got them as a wedding present.

198. My sweet Tirzah girl and Caleb boy asking me to dance with them. I like to put on music when I am cooking or cleaning the kitchen. Caleb or Tirzah will inevitably come to me and ask to dance to the music. How can I resist there pleas. It does my heart good to twirl them around the kitchen.

3 Gifts Loud
199. Uh, my life. With 8 children and a husband it is rarely quiet. Ever. It reminds how blessed I am to have the family I have. My husband has a saying for our family. Embrace the chaos.

200. The birds as they come out in the spring. When I walk outside sometimes it is all you can hear. How wonderful it is to live in an area where we have multiple birds come to our yard.

201. The singing of the saints together on a Sunday morning. It makes me look forward to one day singing with all the saints who have gone on before and my dear Savior.

3 Gifts Carved
202. Willow Tree figurines. I love to look at the few ones that I have. They each hold a special meaning for me.

203. The birdhouses that my dad makes. It means that he is healthy enough to build them. He loves to do it and it keeps him busy. I especially like the one he built with wood from our old house in Baltimore.

204. Archers Monument in Utah. How awesome that God carved used the wind and rain to carve those beautiful archers. It was magnificent and a wonderful display of God's power and creativity.

3 Gifts in Christ
205. Life. Through his death and resurrection, we have life. That is the ultimate gift.

206. Peace. With him by our side we know that whatever trials come our way that he will use it for our good and his glory. He promises us that peace.

207. Comfort. When we are discouraged and broken he carries us and comforts us.

3 Gifts Read
208. The greatest book ever written. The Holy Bible.

209. My mother who was the one who taught me how to read. She instilled in me a love for the written word. She writes frequently and I love to read anything she has penned.

210. The letters that my sweet man wrote to me while he was deployed to Kuwait in 2004.

A Gift in Wind, Water, and in White
211. The cool breezes in Florida as we vacationed. It kept the temperatures down and the kids happy. It was great to feel it on your face.

212. The pool at the campground and hotel in Florida. The kids loved swimming in them. Riding the boats to the park was awesome.

213. The white of the Tae Kwon Do uniforms my kids and husband wear. I am so thankful that we have an opportunity to have the family participate in the program. I am thankful it is a christian based program that glorifies God.

3 Gifts Round
214. The picture I took in Epcot of the big ball with the flag flying in front of it. It reminded me of how blessed we are to be living in a country where we have the freedom to worship God, for now anyway.

215. Our trampoline. The kids have gotten so many hours of enjoyment from it. It has been such a blessing to the whole family.

216. The round pencil holder on my school desk. It reminds of the awesome job I have in educating my children. What a wonderful thing it is to homeschool.

This seems like a good place to stop for now. Tirzah is up from her nap and the kids are wanting a snack. I better go monitor that and start dinner.