In no particular order (because, let’s face it, I’m coming up with all of these right now!)
Day 6: Homeschooling. This is shaping up to be such a nice year for our homeschool. The kids are loving choir. I am enjoying rereading some old favorite books to a fresh new set of little ears. Pippa is so independent and motivated. Trevor is home just enough to make everything fit. I feel like my kids are all getting more of me than they have for a while somehow, even the ones who go to school.
A friend hosted a wool-felting workshop in her home last week that we were able to enjoy. I just love the freedom we have being home together all day.
Day 7: School-schooling. I am so very happy with how all three of our schoolies are doing. I love their teachers. I love all the things they are experiencing that they wouldn’t have at home. I even love being a school mom and getting to have this different role in their education. I feel as though our whole family is getting the best of both worlds this year.
Also, this boy is just absolutely rocking it.
Day 8: Three-year-olds. Well, okay. This one in particular. She is spicy and funny and wants to be big so badly, but is still so adorably not big. Annis-Banannis is one of the chief suppliers of much-needed comic relief in our family.
Day 9: My mom. My mom makes up a good 75% of my support network, and she’s a busy lady herself. Whether I need someone to drop everything and come watch my gang for a few hours or just let me have a good cry on the phone, my mom is always there. She is my greatest cheerleader and an unchanging constant in my life. Her latest feat of motherly superhero-ness was hosting a slumber party for four of our girls and three friends (plus me!) at her house, so that Pippa could finally have a proper 13th birthday celebration. It was such a great night. And I didn’t even have to clean.
Day 10: Names. I realize this is frivolous, but I am actually super thankful for names. I enjoy them so much that when I have a week like last week when I discover two new-to-me names that are not only beautiful, but full of history and substance, it actually makes me a little bit giddy.
Oh, what? You want to know what they were? Well, okay. Since you asked. Some friends gave their daughter the middle name Idelette after John Calvin’s wife, and we watched a documentary on the life of Richard Wurmbrand, whose wife’s name was Sabina. I’m thinking wives of heroes of the Christian faith must be an untapped treasure trove of fabulous names!
Day 11: Our church family. This has been a difficult year in the life of our church, and it had also been increasingly challenging for me to get everyone to church by myself as Trevor has been stuck working Sundays for a number of months. But each time I flop my frazzled self into the pew and think, “That’s it. I’m not doing this without Trevor again,” God shows me that I am exactly where I need to be. Friends come and sit behind me to help keep the kids settled during worship. Others have stepped up to help in children’s church so that I can stay in the service and be fed. Our small group continues to find a way to accommodate our unwieldy gang each week for dinner and Bible study. We are so very blessed.
Day 12: The Bible. I have started copying out verses, just a few a night, into a little notebook. I hope it becomes a lifelong habit. I am always amazed at how God’s Word, no matter how familiar, always yields surprises and fresh insights. Wasn’t God so gracious to reveal Himself to His creation in such a thorough and personal way?
Day 13: My big girls. Yes, this is the best recent picture I have of them.
These girls stay up late way too often, but that’s because they have reached the delightful stage of actually being enjoyable and easy to be around. They are smart and funny and best friends (still!). They have, each in their own way, learned to do things that I didn’t teach them and don’t know how to do. They amaze me every day.
Day 14: Cool weather. I think my six years in Scotland ruined me forever for hot weather. I am thankful for every single day that I am not sweaty.
Day 15: Laughter. Life in our family has been pretty intense lately (did you know we have added one new child per calendar year for seven straight years?!), but I think we are all relearning how to relax together and just have fun. Our kids are characters. Every one of them has a side to them that makes us laugh (even Teddy, who ends most evenings with a lengthy imprecatory prayer about Niko: “Chico, bad! No, Chico! Bad. Owwy! No, Chico, no!”)
And now, on Day 16, I am very thankful that I have finished catching up my list so that I can go to bed! Good night, friends 🙂