Gratitude Gifts Today

As this month ends, I am grateful for:

- vacations

- sun shining

- quiet, unhurried mornings



- walking through an old growth cedar forest and feeling the coolness of the forest, on an otherwise very hot day



- Silas' blossoming interest in walking and moving around

- a son-in-law intent on capturing the delight of his son and daughter



- animals that are available for little ones to connect with

- sharing moments of discovery with our grandchildren

- yummy ice cream, melting and mouth-watering



- the fearlessness of a boy, no matter his age

- traveling safely on busy roads

- chances to sit on a tractor, which makes a certain little girl so, so happy



- peaches picked from the tree

- slices of poppyseed ring

- remembering my grandparents

- quiet evenings talking with my parents as the sun goes down

- a bed and breakfast stay, up in the hills, away from the hustle and bustle and crowds of downtown

- sitting on the deck as night approaches and the light wanes

From My Window

Can you guess where we are and what we are doing??????

Quotes

"I consider myself a voice for the voiceless,
bearing testimony to the biblical truths that God has the best plan for children.
It goes without saying that if you invest in the life of a child, you touch a family.
If you touch a family, you transform the society.
If you transform the society, you change the nation.
And if you change a nation, you make the world a better place to live in."
- Paul Omondi, Compassion LDP graduate, Kenya



- picture taken at a roadside market near Lancaster, PA

Ten on Thursday

1. On Sunday, Bob, Jonathan and Clarence hiked Sparrowhawk, near Canmore.



They got up over 10,000 feet, I think - looks like the top of the world!



And you could see a very long way!

2. Have you noticed how many moths and bugs there are outside after dark these days? They're everywhere!!

3. We took Silas and Helayna to the park near their new home - and they had a ball, especially when Grampa joined in the fun.









4. The beets in my garden are doing great so today I made Beet Hummus. It's a beautiful red color and mild tasting - perfect on crackers or bread. I'll be making it again!

5. I have the most horrible cold! It started as a sinus cold yesterday but moved down to my chest overnight. I'm trying to shake it but all I want to do is curl up in bed!

6. Today at A Holy Experience, Ann shares some homeschooling online sites that she uses with her family. I looked at a couple of them - and really like Today's Pictures - The Last 24 Hours in Pictures. Great for geography and social studies!



7. I made a plum-peach-raspberry crisp for supper tonight. I love all the colors - and tastes - of summer fruit.

8. It snowed in Labrador today!! Does that mean it's coming here next?!?!?!

9. At one point today, our kitchen table was covered with paperwork. I had so many things on the go and I was feeling quite overwhelmed. Thankfully I was able to prioritize, stacked some away for tomorrow and got to the bottom of the must-do list. Does that ever happen to you??



10. These beautiful flowers are from Naomi's garden. She has so many lilies in all sorts of colors. I'm always thankful when she sends home a vase full for me :))

Grandkids

We've had some great times together with these little ones in the last few days.



Silas cleared out the whole bottom shelf of the fridge while Heather was packing everything into coolers. He was so proud of himself - with a big smile every time he pulled out another bottle!




He is such a boy! Everything with wheels fascinates him and he was quite excited to ride on his sister's little car.




Helayna is in charge of watering the flowerpots on the deck - and she does a great job too!




Swimming lessons for Meadow, who is getting so comfortable in the water, this week.



And Blake has grown so much already!

It's been a real treat to spend time with all four of them lately! And we miss you so much, Samuel!! XOXOXOX

Contests

Time to announce some winners!

First, the two pictures of famous landmarks in New York City are -



#1 - Ground Zero -

marked by cranes, a tall board fence and lots of rebuilding.




The flag waving outside of -



Tiffany's on Wall Street!

We didn't go inside but there were lots of people peering in the windows and snapping pictures outside!

Melinda was the only one who got both of them right but she has a bit of an advantage, with living there! So I randomly drew a winner, from the rest of the entries who all had at least one location right and it was:

Lisa Marie said...
Oh oh, is #1 the Twin Towers site and #2 is the Subway???? Sure looks familiar. Isn't NYC fun!

But no - it's not the subway, my dear. I didn't see anything even remotely resembling that down in the subway stations that we went through.



For the drawing on your favourite way to eat strawberries, the winner is :

Heather M. said...
I like them the same as you - brown sugar and cream! YUM!

I'll get those little treat packages ready and mail them off soon. (And Mel, watch your mailbox - just because you're a great tour guide!) Thanks for playing along with me, everyone!!

Simple Woman #56

For Today . . . August 24, 2009

Outside my window. . . the sun is just going down on a lovely summer's day - warm sunshine, cool gentle breeze, +24 degrees C today

I am thankful . . . to be able to help with the moving and house cleaning this weekend.

And I am also thankful . . . for fresh food in abundance!!

I am praying . . . for safety and protection as we drive home this evening.

I am thinking . . . about going to watch Meadow at her swimming lessons this week.

I am celebrating . . . the excitement of a little one as Silas begins to talk ("car" is the first word we hear!) and point at things. He loves the ceiling fan and points to it when Heather asks him "Where is the fan?"

From the kitchen . . . um, not too much new today! We ate leftover pizza and fresh blueberries at lunchtime and then had supper in a restaurant :))

I am wearing . . . blue jeans, purple-pink tshirt and sport sandals.

I am reading . . . Joshua by (have to look that up)

I am hoping . . . to go for an early morning bike ride with my friend tomorrow.

I am hearing . . . "Amazing Love" on the 2007 Praise and Worship CD

I am creating . . . a layout about things I cannot do without each day.

Around the house and yard . . . the last few raspberries to pick, grass to cut (didn't get done last week), recycling to take in and suitcase to unpack.

One of my favourite things . . . watching the sun set.

A few plans for the rest of the week . . . more garden produce to pick, groceries to pick up (a great sale on this week!), visit Meadow and Blake, phone Melinda and my sister, wash some windows.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you . . . a view from Sunset Park in Brooklyn - so much to see every which way you looked in that place!

Gratitude Gifts Today

On this summer day :

- a breakfast table with 2 little ones

- fresh berries - raspberries, blueberries and blackberries today



- listening to yesterday's worship songs again

- meditating on yesterday's lesson - we all are welcomed and receive more than we can even imagine, no matter when we come or what we do - and all because of God's amazing grace

- smiles from those I love



(thanks to N for sharing this picture)

- a yard for Helayna and Silas to play in

- Silas' excitment and smiles as he watches Grampa build the fence

- flowers, especially ones growing in the yard



- mashed potatoes and gravy

- summer sunshine in the evening

Moved!!

The beds are made, the fridge is full, the trailer is empty, boxes are stacked everywhere - and they are moved!! Heather said today that this makes the 16th place they've lived in - in the past 10 years!!! It's been a hectic month for them but they have a new place to call home and are still close to friends and all the places they know and love.



And I have resolved to go home and start throwing out / giving away / purging at our house! We've lived in the same house for 32 years - I cannot imagine how long it would take to pack up if we were moving!!!

Ten on Thursday- and Last Chance!

1. It's really starting to look like the end of summer around here. The grain crops are beginning to ripen and the contrast between them and the greens of still growing grass and trees makes the landscape so beautiful. And our mayday tree is already sporting a few yellow leaves. Kind of sad to see summer ending already.

2. Helayna gives wonderful big hugs and lip-smacking kisses that make us smile so, so much!



3. Did you hear about the big storm that ripped through Central Park in New York City this week? All kinds of trees were broken off or pulled out of the ground. One of the park managers said that it's the worst storm he's seen in 30+ years of working in the park.

We've watched Point Pleasant Park in Halifax and Stanley Park in Vancouver be ravaged by vicious storms - and now Central Park! What is with these beautiful places being hit after we visit them??!?!?!

4. The packed boxes are mounting as Heather and Jonathan prepare to move this weekend.



5. Meadow, Blake and Naomi surprised us with a little afternoon visit yesterday. Meadow wanted a ride in the tractor so she came along while I cut 2 loads of silage. It was marvelous to have her hang out with me for a little while!! They are enjoying the lake this week - swimming, water skiing, fishing - lots of fun, especially if you are 3 years old!!

6. Two batches of raspberry jam this week and I have a lovely little collection of jars for my canning shelf! I decided to make the cooked jam this year (instead of freezer jam) so it would be easier to share :))



7. For a journalling and scrapbook challenge this week, visit Stacy Julian's blog and take on her Accomplish Something Everyday assignment. What are your top 5 things to do daily? What absolutely must happen for you every single day? I've been thinking about mine and have a few pictures taken to document the layout about which I'm thinking. I'm curious to know what would be on your list!

8. This little one loved this zucchini! He pulled it in and out of his mouth, humming and having a great time! He didn't actually eat any but had a good time with it.



9. If you are one of my teacher friends (or you have kids returning to school), you have 1/6th of your summer to still enjoy!!


10. It's the last chance to take a guess and enter my NYC places contest.



#1



#2

I'll draw a winner over the weekend so you have until Sunday night at 6 p.m. to post a guess here. Be brave - I know you have an idea and that you are out there reading this :))

Check This Out

If you are interested in photography and Photoshop, the MCP Actions blog and site is a great place to go to be inspired and to learn more. She is always sharing tips and ideas for unique ways to capture photos. And - this week, the givewaway is for an awesome camera accessory called a Lensbaby. It's a seriously cool gadget so go over, check it out and enter to win. Good luck!!

Alberta Skies

I spent several hours in the tractor today as we were chopping silage and as a result I had a chance to watch the big Alberta sky. It was alternately sunny and cloudy and that made for lots of changes as the day went on. It ended with the most beautiful rainbows (yes, 2 of them at the same time) and then an amazing sunset. Enjoy but it really was better in real life!!












'Being able to be outside' is at the top of my gratitude list today!