Did you ever stop and listen to creation's praise for our magnificent creator? In spring it is so much easy to hear than in winter. I love to hear the first spring peepers, watch the flowers poke their heads up for the first time as the sun beats down on them warming the soil, and feel the warmth of the sun as I clear gardens and plant seeds.

     Spring is absolutely my most favorite time of the year. It brings hope to see new growth after the long, snowy winter. It just reminds me that no matter how bad things look, there is always a seed of hope beneath the cold infertile soils of the trials and tribulations that face us daily and attempt to defeat us.

     I've had a few of those trials and tribulations over the last few months and at times have been so self absorbed that I've left God out of the picture. But through it all, He has continued to send me those seeds of hope.

Apr 1 ~ friends surprised us by bringing us dinner at home with some yummy deserts for kids
Apr 2 ~ Awana derby races, fun, first night out since being sick
Apr 3 ~ ds17 had successful week at TeenPact, elected representative, gave nice speech, celebrating my 43rd birthday, two nice emails from friends, calls from my four brothers and a very special friend
Apr 4 ~ ds17 had a successful public speaking class at the state house, celebrated with dinner out afterwards
Apr 5 ~ Family celebration of my dad's 73rd birthday, birthday call from ds20.
Apr 6 ~ one more day of rest, but finally feeling much better, able to get kitchen mostly cleaned up
Apr 7 ~ a beautiful bouquet of flowers from my sweet husband, email update and prayer requests from a special friend, caught up on some laundry, nice homeschool support group meeting, ds12 got an Amazon gift card offer for participating in homeschool language study
Apr 8 ~ my dear husband prolonging my birthday celebration yet another day with a beautiful picture frame full of pictures and a sweet card, finding out the insurance company will pay us $20 an hour for clean-up of the shop roof mess
Apr 9 ~ new leaves on my rosebush,
Apr 10 ~ sunshine, warm weather, even mud to prove that spring is finally here
Apr 11 ~ girls movie and craft night, decorating pillowcases with the dd8,
Apr 12 ~ lots cleaning done, visit from my sister-in-law
Apr 13 ~ back to church for the first time in several weeks, two new students in my class,my parents 54th wedding anniversary
Apr 14 ~ finding buds on a rose bush
Apr 15 ~ contract finalized and paychecks beginning to come in again, having money in savings to cover the deficit in the meantime
Apr 16 ~ hearing the spring peepers and knowing spring is finally here
Apr 17 ~ nice lunch with mother-in-law and ds12, nice visit at playground with mom
Apr 18 ~ ds12 got a $25 amazon gift card in the mail for participating in an online Spanish study
Apr 19 ~ family movie night,catching up on laundry, sunny day at the playground, ds5 patient while waiting almost an hour for his turn at a haircut
Apr 20 ~ preschool - 1st grade Sunday School class has doubled in size
Apr 21 ~ my dear husband sent me to the playground with the kids while he stayed home and washed dishes
Apr 22 ~ fabulous walk through the woods, unexpectedly meeting friends at the playground,
Apr 23 ~ dd9 and ds12 good time at Good News Club Rally, dd5, daddy and mommy nice picnic lunch at playground
Apr 24 ~ planting peas and onions with dd9 and ds5
Apr 25 ~ fun trip to the circus, feeding five of us two meals out for under $20
Apr 26 ~ dd's 9th birthday, family party with Nana
Apr 27 ~ forgot half ss material at home but able to improvise and still keep kids attention
Apr 28 ~ hearing from distant relative who is working on a family geneology
Apr 29 ~ calling to make appointment for routine physical and getting in the next day
Apr 30 ~ chance to work for three days to help pay down debt

      I don't know about you, but I am bursting with Thanksgiving for the return of Spring. It's been a long time coming, but 51 degrees yesterday and the appearance of snowdrops and crocuses give me hope that it is here to stay. I'm even thankful for the mud that graces our lawn. Here is my March edition of "Month of Praises." Why not get started today on your own "Month of Praises," It's a great way to look back and see how God is working and how He has so richly blessed you.

Mar 1 ~ whole family invited to dinner at friends house, first time ever
Mar 2 ~ friends, kids and my friends kids being friends with my kids
Mar 3 ~ God granting enough sales to work on plan to pay off debt quickly
Mar 4 ~ finding some great classical music cassettes on CBD for only 10 cents each
Mar 5 ~ knowing that things aren't truly important especially in the tragedy of a collapsed roof that destroyed a lot of sentimental and valuable items.
Mar 6 ~ My sweet husband takes DS12 to his coin club meeting so I can stay home
Mar 7 ~ homeschool convention, fabulous piano concert, chance to attend as family
Mar 8 ~ fabulous speaker at convention, great deal on Rosetta Stone Spanish Software kit
Mar 9 ~ great speaker from CareNet crisis pregnancy center and her inspiring personal testimony
Mar 10 ~ being able to pay extra on our debt to get it paid down sooner
Mar 11 ~ family dinner with ds20, game of Apples to Apples, watching creation science video together
Mar 12 ~ Early College for ME meeting with DS17
Mar 13 ~ DS20 up for dinner for last day of spring break,
Mar 14 ~ DS17 won a gold medal in the extemperaneous speech category at the state level
Mar 15 ~ DD8 practicing her reading alone in her bed
Mar 16 ~ peaceful day at home, chance to get kids room cleaned
Mar 17 ~ dear husbands expert basket making skills saved the day as I was unable to help dd8 make a basket kit that she got for Christmas
Mar 18 ~ finding out insurance will cover the items lost when the roof of the shop caved in
Mar 19 ~ new, faster computer, as an early birthday present
Mar 20 ~ brother with great computer knowledge to help get the kinks out of the new computer
Mar 21 ~ having enough money in savings to cover gap between cleaning contract renewals
Mar 22 ~ came down with flu, but still able to help hubby set up for Easter breakfast he is in charge of cooking
Mar 23 ~ Resurrection Sunday ~ hubby took kids to visit Nana, I slept, Easter e-card from former pastor and his wife
Mar 24 ~ still in bed with flu, but not too uncomfortable, ds5 plays quietly on the bed while I rest
Mar 25 ~ mom offers to do some laundry for us to help out
Mar 26 ~ cleaning contract renewed with a raise
Mar 27 ~ up for couple hours, but still need to rest lots
Mar 28 ~ mom does lots more laundry for me
Mar 29 ~ recovered from flu, still need lots rest
Mar 30 ~ nice long call from ds20, got antibiotics for pneumonia so will get some relief from shortness of breath
Mar 31 ~ ds17 to TeenPact, new sneakers for ds12 as a gift                                                                                                                                      

Feb 1 ~ ds12, ds17, and dd8 to an overnight snowcamp
Feb 2 ~ having alone time with ds5 all day, taking him out to breakfast and out to lunch
Feb 3 ~ email from friend who might be moving to the area
Feb 4 ~ ds17 filed his first tax return, great to have online filing and not have to fill out all the paperwork, getting a refund
Feb 5 ~ email from ds20 who says he's having his most creative semester yet
Feb 6 ~ 40 free homeschool samples from The Old Schoolhouse
Feb 7 ~ sledding again with the kiddoes, another great buy on an outfit for dd8 who is very hard to find clothes for
Feb 8 ~ ds17 attended first Speech and Communications class
Feb 9 ~ fabulous used booksale, got 63 books for only $29.00
Feb 10 ~ nice catered fellowship lunch at our church, fellowship time with friends
Feb 11 ~ super lunch with a very special sister in Christ, minimal damage to a car I backed into
Feb 12 ~ ds20 made Dean's list for the third semester in a row
Feb 13 ~ getting a valentine in the mail from my husband even though I see him everyday
Feb 14 ~ candlelight dinner with the family, being loved
Feb 15 ~ valentine date night with my hubby, sharing a meal instead of buying two, still having leftovers
Feb 16 ~ signed up and looking forward to our state homeschool convention which is being held in my area this year
Feb 17 ~ dad and ds12 time, got to go ice fishing caught a couple of nice pickerel, will make a great meal
Feb 18 ~ 10 pounds of shrimp for the freezer for only 3.50 per pound
Feb 19 ~ great buy on several smalled stuffed animals for Samaritan's purse Christmas shoe boxes
Feb 20 ~ ebay lowers it's media listing fees, and includes gallery pictures for free making it a little more affordable to sell
Feb 21 ~ alone time with ds5, dd8 to winter ecology camp to learn about tracking animals, identifying winter trees etc.
Feb 22 ~ ds12 and ds17 home safely from snowcamp, dd8 had great time at winter ecology camp
Feb 23 ~ having another truckload of firewood given to us, fellowship with friends
Feb 24 ~ sitting in evening service with my dear husband and hearing a great message about the holiness of God
Feb 25 ~ beautiful 40 degree sunshiny day, walk on the lake, playing snow baseball with the kids
Feb 26 ~ having federal self-employment taxes completed, e-filed and accepted by the IRS
Feb 27 ~ hearing 5, 6, and 7 year olds recite God's word at Awanas
Feb 28 ~ hearing from ds20 many times this week as we try to get college applications done
Feb 29 ~ Getting the address of a childhood friend I haven't seen in over 35 years

     It's been a stormy month for me emotionally and thus the reason for my absence on homeschoolblogger. It began with the resignation of our beloved pastor. It came as a shock and took me a few weeks to really accept and contemplate what this would mean for our church and my family.

     The culmination of the storm and what will cause the most change is the unexpected passing of my brother on October 21st. He was only 47 years old and died of a heart attack. We were all shocked and grieved and will continue to grieve for a while. One true blessing is that we have a large family and were all able to gather and share several times in the past week, as well as the knowledge that my brother is present with His Savior. For these things I am truly thankful.

Oct 1 ~ Beautiful changing leaves, long evenings, DH enjoying his Spanish class that he is taking
Oct 2 ~ DS16 does not have strep throat just a viral canker sore on his tonsil
Oct 3 ~ Hugs and nice talk with our Pastor and wife about their decision to leave our church
Oct 4 ~ Not having to go anywhere for the entire day, another truckload of firewood, DS16 invited to be assistant on a photo shoot
Oct 5 ~ A beautiful hike with the kiddos, seeing a deer
Oct 6 ~ hearing a heartfelt "you're awesome," from my husband first thing in the morning
Oct 7 ~ wonderful visit with pastor's sife after evening service, nice chance to talk and share sadness over their leaving at end of year
Oct 8 ~ A wonderful Columbus day hike and day at the ocean, beautiful, unseasonable weather
Oct 9 ~ took delivery of our new refrigerator
Oct 10 ~ getting our new refrigerator installed, not having to tear out walls, it just fit in the space that the old one was
Oct 11 ~ Amazing grace, and knowing God's grace follows us and helps us through each and every day
Oct 12 ~ getting everything prepared for our trip and being able to paint the kitchen floor so it can dry while we are gone
Oct 13 ~ getting to stay in a beautiful old farmhouse with awesome hosts, getting to meet ds20's room mates and feeling comfortable with who they are
Oct 14 ~ hike in NH with ds20, special extended visit all together as a family
Oct 15 ~ beautiful, uneventful trip home from NH, gorgeous autumn colors
Oct 16 ~ dh spent couple hours cleaning in boys room for me,
Oct 17 ~ got woodstove going, nice to feel the warmth of the woodfire
Oct 18 ~ Hearing from my brother that I have a new great nephew, and his first grandson
Oct 19 ~ Chance to work for three hours to make a little money to help with bills
Oct 20 ~ sharing a meal with special friends at church
Oct 21 ~ a large family to lean on when bad things happen
Oct 22 ~ calls and emails from friends, sacrificial offers of help
Oct 23 ~ beautiful letters delivered that ds20 and dh wrote to themselves when they were in the DR
Oct 24 ~ knowing people care, a call from ds20, a beautiful Calla lilly delivered to my door
Oct 25 ~ a caring community and the knowledge that my brother is no longer in his flawed body but perfected now in Christ
Oct 26 ~ beautiful service and friends to share our pain with, sunset walk on the beach and breakwater, a beautiful hunter's moon
Oct 27 ~ time spent with family and getting to know new family members
Oct 28 ~ the chance to just crash for a couple of hours
Oct 29 ~   a short visit with my nephew before he headed back to Washington
Oct 30 ~ getting a refund I wasn't expecting and leading from God to reorder my priorities and make room for closer relationships in my life
Oct 31 ~ fun harvest party hosted by a local church

     This has been a month of miracles and amazing blessings. The two that standout the most in my mind are the provision, free of charge, of enough firewood to get us through the long cold winter, and the provision, again free of charge, of a new refrigerator because ours quit.

     Our refrigerator has been on the blink for about a year now, bue we have always been able to give it one last push to keep it going just a little longer. We've had this regrigerator for about 15 years, maybe longer and we only paid about $25 for it second hand. So it's been a great refrigerator.

     Last week I went to get a glass of milk and it seemed warm but I didn't think too much about it. I just adjusted the temperature. The next day the same thing happened so again I adjusted the temp to a lower number. When it happened again on day three  I decided to stick a thermometer in there to see what the temp was. It was only 60 degrees so I had to throw a bunch of meat and mayonaise based products away.

     Friday September 28th I asked God for a refrigerator as there was no push left in this one. I knew God would provide, I just didn't know how. I fully expected my husband to come home on Saturday and say he'd found the perfect one at a yard sale for little or nothing. However, I was caught by complete surprise when a local appliance store called me up on Saturday and said that someone had bought us a refrigerator, all we had to do was come and pick out the one we want. I was completely overwhelmed and overjoyed. God is so amazing I cannot even begin to describe it.

Sep 1 ~ being able to keep in touch with friends from the Dominican Republic by using instant messatging and email.
Sep 2 ~ a morning walk before church
Sep 3 ~ summer hike at Dodge Point saw families of turtles, just a fabulous day
Sep 4 ~ Hug from a friend I haven't seen all summer, nice afternoon walk and prayer time, DS16 being offered work with a caterer off and on throughout the winter
Sep 5 ~ DS16 being trained as first ever Student Youth Leader at our church
Sep 6 ~ Successful Awana leaders meeting with lots of laughter
Sep 7 ~ Backyard cookout with campfire and smores, birthday celebration for DS5 and DS20
Sep 8 ~ DS20 had safe trip back to college
Sep 9 ~ A nice visit with my brother from North Carolina, Fellowship dinner at church
Sep 10 ~ DS20 able to live off campus for less than 1/2 what it would cost to live on campus, fabulous house with great roommates, nice beach with free use of canoe, kayak, and sailboat, also free fire wood to heat for the winter
Sep 11 ~ DS16 babysat while DH took me out to dinner; Prime Rib Dinner special for only 7.95, more than I could eat.
Sep 12 ~ 1st night of Awanas, good group of kids, my class mostly boys, Call from Dominican Republic- school children singing happy birthday to DS5.
Sep 13 ~ Unsolicited $200 check for next mission trip
Sep 14 ~ My back didn't hurt once all day
Sep 15 ~ DH took me back to the place where he kissed me for the first time, it was very romantic
Sep 16 ~ Had a wonderful birthday party for DS5 with his friends, finally found the second verse to the song "For Those Tears I Died."
Sep 17 ~ found a baby kitten outside
Sep 18 ~ got a free one month trial to Aleks.com a great math tutor. Was able to talk to Adrian and Alicia online for about an hour.
Sep 19 ~ got a second free one month trial to Aleks.com tha I can use with DS11
Sep 20 ~ Kids helped with laundry so I wouldn't have to carry it as I strained my back this week.
Sep 21 ~ My oldest turned 20 today
Sep 22 ~ DH took kids to DS11's soccer game so I could sleep in, didn't wake up until 12:30, friends delivered a fresh homemade pumpkin pie to us
Sep 23 ~ A great message at church in which we were encouraged to partner with God in our financial habits
Sep 24 ~ time in the evening to play Uno with DH and DD8
Sep 25 ~ Uncharacteristically 75 degrees today, beautiful morning walk and praise time with my God
Sep 26 ~ Beautiful evening, sat on swing with DD8 and DS5 and sang praise songs
Sep 27 ~ Grandparents who live right next door and were available to watch two younger children while I accompanined DS11 to the emergency room for a broken wrist
Sep 28 ~ Found some wonderful treasures at a library booksale including the teacher's edition to the Saxon Math book we are currently using for only 2.00.
Sep 29 ~ Call from Appliance store saying someone had bought us a refrigerator, all we have to do is pick it out.
Sep 30 ~ Our beloved Pastor has resigned, but the blessing is just knowing that God has something great planned for us and him in the future.

Aug 1 ~ nice talk with youth pastor, promise of prayer, fireworks and free admission at the Lobster Festival
Aug 2 ~ finished work at church a day early
Aug 3 ~ beautiful card with rainbow bookmark from my secret sister
Aug 4 ~ 1-1/2 hour parade, cookout and slideshow of ds19's trip to Europe
Aug 5 ~ ds11 off to camp for a week, ds16 treated us to icecream at Super Scoop
Aug 6 ~ pictures from my niece and a new family website she created for keeping in touch
Aug 7 ~ call from Alicia, unofficial adopted daughter in the Dominican Republic, news that another trip is already in the planning stages for the same area in the Dominican Republic
Aug 8 ~ very encouraging comment from bubbebobbie
Aug 9 ~ two hours to myself to clean without interruption, an unexpected offer of childcare so that I can attend the next mission trip with my husband
Aug 10 ~ an unexpected small refund check from our family physician, which will allow dh and I a date night
Aug 11 ~ community block party hosted by an area church, free food, fun and backpacks for all kids attending.
Aug 12 ~ fabulous slideshow and testimonies by mission team that went to the D.R., hymn from the D.R. sung to us on our answering machine
Aug 13 ~ 2 beautiful hours home alone with my dear husband
Aug 14 ~ dh and ds16 brought home freshly caught trout for dinner
Aug 15 ~ dh shared with me how God had already returned to him money that he felt called to give to a struggling family in need
Aug 16 ~ playdate at the park and chance to catch up with a friend
Aug 17 ~ lots paperwork done, and bills paid
Aug 18 ~ being invited to join a prayer group that meets and prays for area youth
Aug 19 ~ long walk on the beach with my husband, spending time alone with dd8
Aug 20 ~ a lilac bush (my favorite flower scent) was given to us
Aug 21 ~ hike and time alone with ds11, card and inspirational book from my dear sweet secret sister
Aug 22 ~ beautiful flowers and card from my awesome husband
Aug 23 ~ being able to talk online with friends from the DR, received word that we could plan another mission trip to the Dominican Repbulic in the near future
Aug 24 ~ beginning my sixth week of weighdown and have lost 12 pounds so far
Aug 25 ~ dh helped me washing 4 large loads of bedding at the laundromat
Aug 26 ~ long heart to heart with dh, great day alone with ds4 playing games, watching movies, reading books, resting a sore back, while dh took others to folk festival and got to hear a Dominican band
Aug 27 ~ bad back all weekend but Chiropractor fit me in first thing this morning, dh did lots of dishes so I could rest
Aug 28 ~ time with dh and 3dc's at the playground
Aug 29 ~ two truckloads of wood given to us and the promise of more, back is much better, call of concern from sister in Christ
Aug 30 ~ having electric appliances when the gas runs out of propane and can't be replaced for a week
Aug 31 ~ received nice matters award for second time, found Light and the Glory for .25, no snow in my freezer this morning

     I can't believe it's been a whole year since I started my month of praises posts. I started in August of 2006 when Sheri from blogspot created a "What makes you Happy" post. The idea being that each day of the month you post something that makes you happy. I decided that instead of posting something that makes me happy, I would look for all the ways God has blessed me and begin keeping track of His blessings on a daily basis, so that when I was in a desert place in my spiritual life, or if I felt like He wasn't listening, I could look back and see all the many ways in which he has truly  blessed and answered prayers. Now I have 365 days of blessings from God to look back on and here, besides sharing in detail the blessings from July, I want to share some of the monthly highlights. If you want to read more about my month of praises posts just click on the Month of Praises category in my sidebar.

August 2006

 My son's sense of humor even after just having surgery, having someone you've never met before tell you they've been praying for you everyday, watching the schoolbuses go by and knowing God has called me to keep my children home.

September 2006

 My car brokedown in driveway before going on a day trip, instead of in the middle of the trip, being able to attend the convocation ceremony as my first son begins his first year at college, going to the beach in the middle of a schoolday and meeting some new homeschool families, an essay written about home as a college writing assignment, having a contract renewed that we were told was being cancelled.

October 2006

 Watching a praying mantis devour it's dinner, God's awesome creation, free firewood, having clean laudry in the car when my daughter got sick, having the money to attend family weekend at my sons college, an unexpected scholarship and financial gift to help with sons college expenses, getting a property tax refun large enough to pay current taxes due.

November 2006

 Being able to attend a womens retreat for a night with my mom, a silly welcome home from my husband, my four year old asking me to look at him and smile and say good morning, delivery of more free firewood, opportunity to talk to school officials about starting a Good News Club in the public school, finding rosebuds on my rosebush in the middle of November.

December 2006

 Getting an extra check just in time for Christmas, brand new air purifier given to us to help dh and dd's allergies, promise of funding to help with Good News Club expenses, free movie showing at a local theatre, Good News Club started, waking up and finding my 11 year old reading his Bible.

January 2007

 Unexpected check in the mail, exuberant phonecall from 7 year old friend, promise of raise and extra hours for hubby, scholarship money available for ds16 to attend TeenPact in April, holding a prayer meeting in a public school, discovery of the neti pot and finally being able to breathe freely after a lifetime of decongestants, dh's step of faith and decision to attend a mission trip with two oldest sons.

February 2007

 Spontaneous praise from a six year old in Sunday School class, our 23 year old monitor heater is still running and heating our home, ds4 did not get sick from salmonella tainted peanut butter, dh's unexpectedly calm reaction to a very stressful situation, new bedroom set given to us including much needed twin bed for ddd8 who was still sleeping in toddler bed.

 March 2007

 Free plowing done by a kind neighbor who saw me trying to shovel the driveway, outdoor winter picnic and hike on the lake, able to pay off almost half of our personal credit card debt, another unexpected check in the mail to help cover expenses,  being able to attend a marriage conference at the request of my husband, having my husband take my hand and ask me to pray with him.

April 2007

 Tulips from a dear friend, surprise dinner cooked by my 16 year old, having one of my Sunday School students say "I Love You," ds16 nominated to National Honor Society, finally had money to buy a new tent for camping, being given a clean bill of health from my doctor.

May 2007

 Hearing 16 year old give Godly challenges to other teens, hearing memebers from another church tell me they have been praying for me, ds19 given an all expense paid trip to Europe, dd8 raised $770.00 for crisis pregnancy center, unsolicited check to go towards mission trip, came from uncle who claimed to be atheist.

June 2007

 Night time fieldtrip and discovering new frogs in pond, having friends to trade curriculum with to save on expenses,  ds19 made the Dean's list for his entire first year at school, anonymous donor financing remainder of D.R. trip,

July 2007

July 1 ~ day off from teaching, music in the park, afternoon nap
July 2 ~ veggies look like they doubled their growth overnight, nice afternoon showers to water everything, a rainbow
July 3 ~ Finally found some blogging time, got to sleep in late, ds4 dry two mornings in a row, got to watch Facing the Giants for the first time, new favorite movie
July 4 ~ parades, picnics, horseshoes, strawberry pie and family
July 5 ~ passports came in the mail
July 6 ~ found Wordsmith craftsman for 25 cents at a book sale
July 7 ~ major thunderstorms held off just long enough for us to finish selling our berries
July 8 ~ able to hear my husbands testimony about why he chose to go on mission trip
July 9 ~ first day of Camp Cornerstone for dd8 and ds11, spent day alone with ds4
July 10 ~ nice heart to heart talk with ds19,
July 11 ~ last minute shopping done for DR trip
July 12 ~ tea party with ds4, job offer to make up some of money lost while husband is away, going away dinner
July 13 ~ trip to airport and home without any problem
July 14 ~ card from my secret sister letting me know she's praying for me daily
July 15 ~ great VBS closing program and picnic, fellowship with some ladies I grew up in church with, but no longer attend same church with, everyone to bed early
July 16 ~ time at the park with dd8 and ds4, dd8 wrist is completely healed
July 17 ~ fun package from my secret sister, great night on the island with dd8 and ds4 and some good friends
July 18 ~ card from my secret sister, delicious supper cooked by my mom,
July 19 ~ card from my secret sister, call from my husband, reassurance that the DR trip is gong well, treated to lunch by mother in law
July 20 ~ portfolio done, turned in and returned, complete set McGuffy readers for $20.00
July 21 ~ ds11 home from camp, had a great week,
July 22 ~ DR team, hubby and two boys arrived home well, and excited about missions
July 23 ~ two calls from friends made in the DR great encouragement to hubby and sons
July 24 ~ lady helping with some of hubby's work, refused payment, no lost money because of trip, praise God! ds19 came up with a 6 or 7 pound bass he caught, very excited, five hours alone with hubby, stroll on the beach, dinner
July 25 ~ got to watch a Bard owl in the woods out back, beautiful bird
July 26 ~ feelings of falling in love all over again after 23 wonderful years of marriage
July 27 ~ beginnings of open and honest communication with my dear hubby
July 28 ~ got to visit with my sister, her daughter and grandson from New York, as well as other family members
July 29 ~ got to hear wonderful testimonies from the mission team, relaxing day at the beach, find over 100 hermit crabs
July 30 ~ beginnings of a renewed relationship with my husband
July 31 ~ encouraging email from mission team guides

June 1 ~ only had to make one trip to the doctors for two different children, timing was perfect
June 2 ~ sunshine and rain, a new raised bed to plant veggies in
June 3 ~ Awesome all church music night ~ I just love worshipping through music, the 99th birthday party of a friend
June 4 ~ getting to spend the whole day at home, a call from Italy from ds19
June 5 ~ dh took me out to breakfast,
June 6 ~ figured out how to add the friends page link to my blog template, visit with my older brother
June 7 ~ nighttime field trip with kiddos, located the frog that was making the high pitched vibrating sound
June 8 ~ had two large evergreen shrubs given to us, found two large patches of lady slippers
June 9 ~ Fabulous deals at a yard sale, I found 4 jumpers for next to nothing; great spaghetti dinner fundraiser, got all my bills paid
June 10 ~ Fun day at Fort Knox with kiddos, great deals on homeschooling books, sold a couple of books no longer needed
June 11 ~ great day at home, bills paid and mailed, lot of catch up on cleaning
June 12 ~ being able to trade curriculum with a friend to cut down on cost,
June 13 ~ sold some books on vegsource to help pay bills
June 14 ~ dear hubby took ds16 to and from work so I could stay home and recover from a bug
June 15 ~ awesome homeschool artshow,
June 16 ~ gardens are all finally planting and things are growing beautifully
June 17 ~ DS19 home after five weeks in Europe, all seven of us together for dinner
June 18 ~ DS19 made the Dean's List again
June 19 ~ an ooportunity to visit a small island with friends, nice peaceful time together
June 20 ~ anonymous donor offered to cover remainder of finances needed for DR trip
June 21 ~ absolutely no insects eating our vegetables seedlings
June 22 ~ received surprise $25 gift card to Amazon.com
June 23 ~ great time at parade and birthday party
June 24 ~ another $300 raised for DR trip
June 25 ~ 86 kids show up for first day of VBS
June 26 ~ VBS numbers well over one hundred including workers
June 27 ~ great family outing plus we got to observe and feed a snapping turtle in it's natural habitat
June 28 ~ a little cooler today, nice break from last two days of 90 plus degrees
June 29 ~ raised $250.00 for DR trip, great closing VBS program
June 30 ~ first official strawberry picking day kids and I picked 50 quarts and sold all

May 1 ~ dd8 second baseball practice, sunshine, time at the playground, chance to read two chapters in a book
May 2 ~ more good news from my doctor, I am in good physical health despite the tiredness and chest pressure
May 3 ~ great TeenPact graduation ceremony, awesome Godly challenges from a 16 year old and a 19 year old
May 4 ~ confirmation that my memory's not going after all, won a game having to remember 20 items at a babyshower
May 5 ~ beautiful concert by children's choir,
May 6 ~  having members from another church tell me they have been praying for me
May 7 ~ gorgeous day, chance to spend some time at the beach, ds11 and dd8 got to a program to learn about tidepools and shore life,
May 8 ~ ds19 invited ds11 to go hiking with him,
May 9 ~ Awana store night, watching my children generously give away their shares to kids who had few
May 10 ~ beautiful bouquet from ds19, cookout with my parents
May 11 ~ ds19 off for an all expense paid trip to Europe
May 12 ~ CareNet Walk for Life dd8 was highest fundraiser with $770 raised
May 13 ~ Mother's day at the park with 3 of my kiddos, ds16's team came in second in the state tourney, going to regionals
May 14 ~ visit with a fabulous person who is always an encouragement to me, email from the Cotswolds
May 15 ~ CAT test scores back for ds11, all scores were above and well above average
May 16 ~ Awana awards night, plus ds16 was inducted into the National Technical Honor Society
May 17 ~ made it through a very crazily scheduled day with help from those we love
May 18 ~ life beginning to sprout in our vegetable gardens
May 19 ~ great program at the YMCA, also found some great books, cheap, to add to my library
May 20 ~ answered prayer two times over and a call from my son in Athens, Greece.
May 21 ~ unsolicited $300 check to go towards Dominican Republic Mission Trip
May 22 ~ the laughter God gives us and the joy of raising kids and the silly things they say
May 23 ~ Got to go to prayer meeting for the first time in about a year
May 24 ~ ds16's teacher said he's completed his work and doesn't have to return for the last three weeks
May 25 ~ Cookout with friends and fellow workers of the Awana ministry
May 26 ~ Dominican fundraising lawn sale brought in almost $800
May 27 ~ immediate answers to prayer asking for clear direction for ds16 regarding his job situation
May 28 ~ ds16 brought large plate of baked stuffed haddock home from work ~ yum
May 29 ~ Good news from ds16's doctor, can be fitted with arch support to relieve pain in foot, ds 16 passed his permit test, I walked three miles today
May 30 ~ Isaiah 30:19 "He will answer you."

Apr 1 ~ wonderful small group meeting and worship
Apr 2 ~ final stage in plan to buy my parents house which is on adjoining property
Apr 3 ~ offer of babysitting so dh could take me out to lunch for my birthday
Apr 4 ~ Tulips from a dear friend, birthday call from ds19, desk finally cleaned off
Apr 5 ~ Maundy Thursday Service at Church, woke up to beautiful snowfall
Apr 6 ~ fabulous surprise dinner cooked by my 16 year old son and ds19 surprised me by taking me to a concert, money given to ds16 for drivers ed.
Apr 7 ~ another fabulous birthday dinner with parents, children, and in-laws
Apr 8 ~ Resurrection Sunday, Easter breakfast at church, enough leftovers to take home for a weeks worth of breakfast, words of I Love You from one of my Sunday School students
Apr 9 ~ birthday party for my dad and chance to visit with most of my brothers and sisters
Apr 10 ~ call from ds16's hospitality teacher wanting to nominate him for the National Technical Honor Society
Apr 11 ~ Awana leaders who carve derby cars for all the cubby and sparky members so they can have their own special race
Apr 12 ~ got to visit ds16's hopsitality class and enjoy a buffet cooked by the students
Apr 13 ~ my mom made some yummy cookies for the kids
Apr 14 ~ Kmart still had the tent my husband has been wanting for almost a year, finally had money to buy it
Apr 15 ~ five very well-behaved students in my pre-school sunday school class, all listened and participated, given a $15 gift certificate to a local restaurant by a fellow SS teacher and friend
Apr 16 ~ heartschooling day playing risk for several hours with very pleased kids
Apr 17 ~ We didn't lose power, or trees in the hurricane-like storm we had
Apr 18 ~ Good News Club rally with over 80 kids in attendance
Apr 19 ~ ds7 helped fold laundry so I didn't have to do it alone
Apr 20 ~ a 31.50 refund on a tent and table we bought that went on sale the day after we bought them
Apr 21 ~ Spring weather finally and a great walk in the woods with the kiddos
Apr 22 ~ Another great day and working outside together as a family
Apr 23 ~ Being invited by a lady from church to visit their horsefarm, less than half mile from our home
Apr 24 ~ dentists willingness to fit my daughter in to have her spacers removed
Apr 25 ~ truck brakes fixed very quickly, did not have to be without it,
Apr 26 ~ being released from the hospital with assurance that my heart is strong
Apr 27 ~ winning a picnic table from an open house at ds16's school of technology
Apr 28 ~ woods walk to enjoy the beauty of God's creation, ds11 won thrid place for design in our Awana Grand Prix
Apr 29 ~ many expressions of care as the result of my recent hospital visit, the beginning of a share your faith video series
Apr 30 ~ local camp holding homeschool Mondays, teaching kids about river life,

Posted in Month of Praises...

Mar 1 ~ sunshine and about 40 degrees, Spring is coming, able to catch up some on laundry
Mar 2 ~ kind neighbor plowed out at least half of our driveway
Mar 3 ~ winter picnic, being together, laughter, sledding, 45 degrees and sunshine
Mar 4 ~ hugs from a special lady, expressions of concern, worship music that spoke directly to me, encouraging blog comments, a gift of a turkey from someone at church
Mar 5 ~ beautiful bracelet from my secret sister, taxes are done, encouraging blog entry and quote by tiany
Mar 6 ~ wood heat, able to stay home on a blustery cold day, ds19 sent me another beautiful essay he wrote
Mar 7 ~ gift of an entertainment center with two corner bookshelves
Mar 8 ~ financial aid paperwork completed and lots of time this week talking to ds19
Mar 9 ~ able to pay off almost half of our personal credit card debt, won a subscription to the Old Schoolhouse Magazine
Mar 10 ~ special alone time with my four year old playing Geosafari
Mar 11 ~ knowing people at church are praying regularly for my children, dc's movie night with dad
Mar 12 ~ final phase of debt consolidation plan started
Mar 13 ~ major reorganization project started, able to move a huge cabinet in the kids room and find a new spot for it
Mar 14 ~ an email from my son who's on winter break in the Caribbean, God's awesome answers to prayer and peace once we truly release our fears to Him
Mar 15 ~ unexpected check in the mail to help cover expenses
Mar 16 ~ lots of catch up cleaning done, dh washed dishes
Mar 17 ~ unexpected call from a friend that moved last fall
Mar 18 ~ afternoon nap and early to bed, pain in elbow has greatly subsided
Mar 19 ~ postcard and call from ds19
Mar 20 ~ a whole cup of homemade maple syrup
Mar 21 ~ an offer to use a friends car while he's away and ours is broken down
Mar 22 ~ breakfast with ds16, understanding and awesome husband
Mar 23 ~ homemade whoopie pies from my mom,
Mar 24 ~ dh took me to a fabulous marriage conference with Gary Chapman ~ his idea
Mar 25 ~ dinner and extra long visit with ds19 hearing of his trip to Virgin Gorda
Mar 26 ~ dh took my hand in the morning and asked me to pray with him
Mar 27 ~ three boxes of bedding given to us
Mar 28 ~ dear friend willing to cart my kids around while my car is out of commission
Mar 29 ~  having the money to get Chinese food take-out for dinner
Mar 30 ~ special note and finding out who my secret sister is
Mar 31 ~ dinner out with dh and dd7, dd7 given free sundae at restaurant

Posted in Month of Praises...

     Tuesday, February 20th was the beginning of one of the worst weeks in recent memory for me. I spent a lot of time in tears and while I cannot go into all the details I want to share some of what hapened and how God blessed me through it.  Wednesday morning, after a night of praying and crying and praying some more, I took the kids to the play gym at our local YMCA. I sat in the corner of the room, my thoughts running wild and silently crying out to God. I told God, "I need a hug." I received no immediate answer, no one came running up to me to hug me, no friends called but in the afternoon, on the way home, ds4 said to me "Mom, thanks for this wonderful snack." That night at Awanas someone told me what a gentleman he was. To a mom, praises of her own kids and genuine thanks from their mouths are indeed hugs.

     Thursday and Friday were slightly better, though ds4 did have the stomach flu all day Friday. One of the times he threw up turned to me and said vvery sweetly,  "Thanks for holding the bucket so that I could throw up."

    Then on Saturday we received a nasty letter from one of my husbands clients. He is self-employed and does lawncare and landscaping for several different people. This particular client has decided that she is not going to pay him for the work he did. She owes him around $5000.00 and has about seven houses that he had been caretaking for. She is very wealthy and we had heard that she couldn't be trusted, but she had paid him every other time he billed her, so we didn't think this time would be any different. Boy were we wrong. So where does that leave us? If we try to take her to court it will eat up most of what she owes us in attorney fees.

     I was in bed sick all day. Not sick from the flu, but nervous sick. I was afraid to show the letter to my husband because I was afraid what his reaction might be. He had already been very stressed out all week and I was afraid this would be the "straw that breaks the camels back." He got home later that evening and I gave him the letter immediately just to get it over with. He handled it in such a surprisingly calm manner, that it could only have been God's intervention.

     Then during the following week, God  blessed us in so many ways, that we just knew He was in control, no matter howwhat the world and satan tried to defeat us. First of all, Saturday evening I went to run some errands. I turned the radio on and there was a preacher speaking about the story of Joseph and all the trials he had to go through and how God was with him every step of the way and that the trials were meant to make Joseph into the person God wanted him to be in order to accomplish His plan. I cried some more because I knew God was speaking to me to trust him.  In Jeremiah he tells us "I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you."

     On Sunday, we had a brand new freezer given to us, ours has been acting up a lot lately. On Monday, I got a surprise note in the mail from my secret sister, it said to have a "Cherry on Top" kid of day. On Tuesday we had a wicker livingroom set given to us complete with couch, loveseat and two chairs as well as four tall bar stools that will just fit at the bar my husband built. On Wednesday, meeting another tremendous need, we had a new complete bedroom set given to us. Our two youngest dd7 and ds4 are still sleeping in toddler beds. DD7 is definitely getting too big for it, she has to sleep curled up. The bedroom set included two twin beds with boxsprings and matresses, two dressers, and a nightstand. Finally, today, I was out shovelling out our mailbox, when a kind neighbor drove by and offered to plow out our driveway for free.

    My heart is full of the kindess and love of people and God's precious provision and "hugs" during very difficult times.

Feb 1 ~ encouraging note in the mail from my secret sister,
               25 degrees outside
Feb 2 ~ doll my mom made came clean, I thought it was ruined,
Feb 3 ~ full nights sleep, I didn't wake up once
Feb 4 ~ spontaneous praise from a six year old, a new sunday
               school class schedule that works, a great class
Feb 5 ~ our 23 year old monitor heater was able to be fixed and we
               have heat
Feb 6 ~ able to take warm bath without freezing when getting out
               of the tub
Feb 7 ~ caught dd7 trying to read her Awana verse by herself
               instead of saying she can't read
Feb 8 ~ immediate answered prayer
Feb 9 ~ unexpected call from a long time friend, sacrificial offer
               from another friend, card and tracts from my secret sister,
Feb 10 ~ my elbow didn't hurt all day
Feb 11 ~ came home from church and my hubby who had been up
                all night was washing the dishes for me
Feb 12 ~ time alone in which God was able to speak some wisdom
                to me that I had been seeking
Feb 13 ~ visit with maggieraye, dh had no problems driving my
                brother to Boston and coming back
Feb 14 ~ Wednesday ~ No art class, no Good News Club, No
                Youthlinks, No Awanas, NO RUNNING AROUND!
Feb 15 ~ ds19 called from school to say Hi!
Feb 16 ~ ds4 did not get sick from a lot of salmonella tainted
                peanut butter that he had
Feb 17 ~ had $90 more than I thought to pay bills, ds16 had about
                20 nice shirts given to him, I had some new shoes given to
                me
Feb 18 ~ relaxing afternoon reading books, playing games and
                 watching movies with dd7 and ds4
Feb 19 ~ having lunch alone with ds19 and a great chance to talk
                about his hopes and dreams for the future
Feb 20 ~ several hours of bookkeeping completed in preparation
                for tax season
Feb 21 ~ hugs from God, ds4 saying Thank You Mother for a
                Wonderful Snack,
Feb 22 ~ ds4 got invited to spend the afternoon with Grandma and
                his cousin Anthony, surpirse note from my secret sister
                and some beautiful stickers
Feb 23 ~ ds4 "Thanks mom for holding the bucket so I could throw
                up." How precious is that.
Feb 24 ~ new air conditioner given to us, ds16 got to hang out with
                ds19, very well-timed radio sermons, dh's unexpected
                reaction to a stressful situation
Feb 25 ~ listening ear, some good advice,
Feb 26 ~ many hours of bookkeeping done, taxes more than half
                finished ~yeah!, Another surprise note in the midst of a
                very stressful week
Feb 27 ~ wicker livingroom set given to us
Feb 28 ~ new bedroom set given to us including two twin beds for
                ds4 and dd7

     It's that time again. The time of month that I post my list of praises that I've been keeping track of for the month. I started this in August because of something I had read on another blog and have found it to be a very beneficial practice, drawing me ever closer to God, while also being able to look back on the ways He's provided and blessed us.

     When we go through trials, it's so easy to forget the blessings and benefits He's bestowed upon us. However, keeping a daily journal of what He's done and doing in my life, gives me something to look back on when I start to doubt or lose hope. He is so good all the time.

Jan 1 ~ Fresh Maine Shrimp $1.00 per pound, college son showed up for supper
               unexpectedly
Jan 2 ~ lots of learning done, no fussing, great to be "unschooling," found book on
               vegsource for less than 1/2 price
Jan 3 ~ mild winter day, feels like spring, Christmas is packed up for another year,
               sorted through and discarded unneeded Christmas items
Jan 4 ~ cordless phones - new batteries, Good News Club teachers that are faithful to
               show up and teach even when there are no kids to teach
Jan 5 ~ three small areas organized, ds15's reading score went up 200 points,
Jan 6 ~ 60 degrees midwinter, date with hubby, fabulous romantic comedy, no fights at
               home while we were out
Jan 7 ~ news of large financial gifts to two ministries CEF and CareNet
Jan 8 ~ afternoon nap despite the chaos
Jan 9 ~ little one woke up dry two nights in a row, several cluttered areas cleaned
Jan 10 ~ exuberant phone call from a young 7 year old friend, unexpected check in the
                 mail
Jan 11 ~ permission granted by Superintendent to advertise Good News Club in school
                 newsletter
Jan 12 ~ DS15 got a 96 on his final exam in hospitality for the semester and is now
                 ServeSafe certified, promise of raise and extra hours for hubby, DS19 made
                 the dean's  list at school
Jan 13 ~ birthday party for DS15, the ability for all ages including grown ups to chat
                 comfortably
Jan 14 ~ at home with ds4 and several small areas cleaned and organized
Jan 15 ~ beautiful walk in the snow with dd7, visit with ds19 before he returns to
                 school
Jan 16 ~ fabulous walk to check out a beaver dam, some good sledding with friends
Jan 17 ~ busy, busy schedule but able to stay one step ahead of the dishes
Jan 18 ~ party to send a missionary off to the Ukraine
Jan 19 ~ game night and fellowship at church
Jan 20 ~ slide show at mil's, good visit with ds19,
Jan 21 ~ cold water pipe froze but we noticed it soon enough to thaw it out in just five
                 minutes
Jan 22 ~ sisters in Christ who feel free to express their honest opinions
Jan 23 ~ scholarship money is available so ds16 can participate in Teenpact in April,
                 special gift for my husband, Charlotte's web with 3 kiddos
Jan 24 ~ chance to stay home, friend gave dd7 a ride to Good News Club,
Jan 25 ~ ds16's birthday, holding a prayer meeting in a public school
Jan 26 ~ discovery of the "neti pot", I haven't breathed this well in a long time
Jan 27 ~ three kiddos at camp for the weekend, date with hubby, special time with ds4
Jan 28 ~ husband's gift delivered - nice addition to home decor
Jan 29 ~ playground with friends, ds4 got to attend a birthday party
Jan 30 ~ ds16 and ds19 are going on a mission trip in July
Jan 31 ~ no frozen pipes, dh has decided to go on the mission trip with our two oldest boys

Dec 1 ~ getting an extra check just in time for Christmas, movie with ds4, dd7 and
       my mom, hug from a friend
Dec 2 ~ succesful selling week on Ebay
Dec 3 ~ wonderful day alone with hubby, ds4 didn't need stitches
Dec 4 ~ found one pair of pants to fit dd7 and two others that can be hemmed
Dec 5 ~ had an air purifier given to us, it is set up and working wonderfully
Dec 6 ~ promise of funding to help with Good News Club expenses
Dec 7 ~ cold is finally gone, yippeee!
Dec 8 ~ first snow, get to stay home all day!
Dec 9 ~ free showing of Flicka at theatre,
Dec 10 ~ homegroup meeting a special blessing
Dec 11 ~ enough money to pay necessary insurance bills, etc. Despite check being late. Dec 12 ~ email from my niece and her familly
Dec 13 ~ Confirmation from God "Take Your Candle... Go Light Your World!Discovery
                 that I can get my favorite radio station via internet
Dec 14 ~ Good News Club started! To bed early
Dec 15 ~ sick again but got to sleep in until 10:15
Dec 16 ~ Christmas play rehearsal and getting to spend the whole afternoon in bed
Dec 17 ~ having prayer supporters that I can call on for prayer when needed
Dec 18 ~ cutting down our own Christmas tree from our yard and decorating it together as
        a family
Dec 19 ~ breakfast out with ds15
Dec 20 ~ night off from Awana's
Dec 21 ~ ds19 home from school, up for a visit
Dec 22 ~ Delicious homecooked shrimp dinner and a movie with ds19
Dec 23 ~ family get together and yankee swap
Dec 24 ~ Very touching candlelight service, pizza and a movie at Nana's
Dec 25 ~ OUR SAVIOR'S BIRTH!
Dec 26 ~ date with hubby paid for by a gift certificate that was given to us, letter from
        nephew I haven't seen in over 20 years
Dec 27 ~ waking up and finding my almost 11 year old reading his Bible
Dec 28 ~ my sons 11th birthday, a bike donated to him by a local organization
Dec 29 ~ a playdate with my daughter's friend, a chance to catch up with a friend of mine
Dec 30 ~ an invitation even though it was cancelled, being able to stay home all day
        because of a snow storm
Dec 31 ~ all the hopes and dreams of a spectacular 2007! Fabulous speaker at Church.

Posted in Month of Praises

Nov 1 ~ ds15's opportunity to work on a real campaign and learn about government
                firsthand
Nov 2 ~ having my husband hold me close while I cried
Nov 3 ~ having my mom all to myself for a night away
Nov 4 ~ hearing the testimonies of about 30 women who dearly love God, a warm and
                silly welcome home from my husband
Nov 5 ~ My four year old as he lay beside me before getting up "Mom I want to see
                your face."
Nov 6 ~ My four year old asking me to look at him and smile and say good morning
Nov 7 ~ My husbands 51st birthday, a beautiful balmy day in November
Nov 8 ~ DS15 stopping in at church to see me on his way home from 8 days away
Nov 9 ~ another corner cleaned out and organized
Nov 10 ~ An opportunity to serve God and share an unforgettable lesson with my
                 children, storytelling workshop
Nov 11 ~ A family gathering to celebrate my mom's 75 birthday
Nov 12 ~ a church home group meeting and sing-a-long
Nov 13 ~ family gathering to celebrate hubby and his mom's birthdays, new recipe that
                   came out fabulous
Nov 14 ~ tropical downpour in the middle of November, yummy peanut butter pie
made by DS15, glowing report from DS15's hospitality instructor
Nov 15 ~ The beginnings of a prayer being answered to start a Good News Club in our
                   local school
Nov 16 ~ seeing God's work at hand in the life of a young person
Nov 17 ~ 3 hours to myself and a chance to earn a little Christmas money
Nov 18 ~ a fun play and ds4 sitting through it well so we could all enjoy it
Nov 19 ~ hearing a story about how God worked in one family to keep them out of a cult
Nov 20 ~ a delivery of free firewood
Nov 21 ~ opportunity to talk to school official about holding Good News Club at their
                   school
Nov 22 ~ an easy Awana night as I was sick and not feeling like being there
Nov 23 ~ chance to rest, fabulous Thanksgiving dinner with family
Nov 24 ~ ability to stay in bed until about 2:00 in the afternoon, dinner with DS19 and
                   his friend
Nov 25 ~ funeral of a dear elderly lady and knowing her suffering has ended and she is
                   with Jesus
Nov 26 ~ a chance to spend another 1/2 day in bed to get over this cold I've been fighting.
Nov 27 ~ my dad's willingness to run my son to school so I could stay home
Nov 28 ~ lots of phone calls made and Good News Club plans almost finalized
Nov 29 ~ an afternoon nap, 3 pink rosebuds on my outdoor rosebush
Nov 30 ~ a reminder that our battles are not fought in the flesh but by means of
                  spiritual intervention

Posted in Month of Praises

Oct 1 ~ getting caught up on the dishes, finding some great books at a book sale, letting
               a monarch butterfly go that we watched change from caterpillar to chrysalis to
               butterfly
Oct 2 ~ getting caught up on laundry, a visit with a dear elderly lady
Oct 3 ~ watching a praying mantis devour it's dinner, God's awesome creation
Oct 4 ~ free firewood, having clean laundry in the car when my daughter got sick on her
               way to the doctors
Oct 5 ~ my daughter's quick recovery, being given a gift of time as my son can now ride
               the bus to his hospitality class saving me about 7-1/2 hrs. per week
Oct 6 ~ a scenic trip to NH to see our son at college, no wrong turns, beautiful views
Oct 7 ~ ds4 got sick in the only spot in the hotel room that didn't have carpeting, ds15
               unselfish sacrifice to stay with him while we met teachers at college
Oct 8 ~ gorgeous hike with whole family, leaving knowing our son is happy at school, an
               uneventful trip home
Oct 9 ~ holiday, chance to rest after long trip
Oct 10 ~ ds15 help with dinner and at the dentist because of my back problems
Oct 11 ~ being able to pour my heart out to God and know He's listening
Oct 12 ~ my 15 year old being excited about writing something, my back is beginning to
                  feel better,
Oct 13 ~ phone line repaired which also sped up our internet connection by 2-1/2 times
Oct 14 ~ date night with hubby ~ dinner and a funny movie
Oct 15 ~ good friendships and knowing they won't really end even though one part
                  moves away
Oct 16 ~ an unexpected scholarship and financial gift for my son in college
Oct 17 ~ ds15 got okay to go without cast, dd7 red 12 Bob books
Oct 18 ~ Family Night at Awanas
Oct 19 ~ Got to bed early for a change
Oct 20 ~ God-given idea for preschool sunday school craft
Oct 21 ~ email from a friend, visiting with two great friends whild kids played together
                  at YMCA
Oct 22 ~ seeing a favorite high school teacher, exciting soccer tournament
Oct 23 ~ getting through one whole day without overeating, findig our missing bunny,
                  getting a bill paid just in time
Oct 24 ~ a gorgeous sunrise, getting a property tax refund large enough to pay current
                  taxes due, an invigorating morning walk
Oct 25 ~ fresh apple pie, an unsolicited refund from a credit card company, blogging
                  friend who bought me two new ABC books for my collection
Oct 26 ~ dh stayed home to help catch us up on some cleaning
Oct 27 ~ powerful speaker to start off a mission conference
Oct 28 ~ attending a mission conference seminar with dh, a fabulous harvest dinner,
                safety to and from in a wind and rain storm
Oct 29 ~ an extra hour of sleep, chocolate chip pancakes, a morning walk with my savior
Oct 30 ~ God's grace,
Oct 31 ~ finding a new website to trace my family tree