#25 My husband

So I have Mastitis, not fun. But I was telling Brandon about it, and he said I should go to the doctor. So he took me in, kept Madelyn in the car while I went inside, and then took me to the pharmacy to pick up some antibiotics. Thanks hubby for taking care of me when I'm sick.

#24 Babies bounce

So yesterday, Madelyn fell off our bed... twice. Once when she woke up from her nap, and once in the middle of the night, which woke me out of a dead sleep. My heart just stops, and Madelyn cries, but she ends up being okay. I'm so thankful that babies are flexible and that Madelyn's guardian angel was there to cushion her fall.

#23 The genorosity of others

Today we had the fundraiser for Juliette. It was a long day, but so worth it. Our goal (which I will admit, I didn't think we would make even close to) was $2,000. We made a little over $3,000!!! Wow!! I can't believe it. We had so many local businesses sponsor holes, lots of people buying baked goods, 72 people sign up for the tournament, and tons of donations through raffle ticket purchases, or just some that would tell us to "keep the change". Amazing. Even the rough crowd that the disc golfers tend to be, they still donated money towards the cause. Some of them got prizes, and they did get to play in a tournament, but they didn't have to donate money. Even through the haze of cigarette smoke, the smell of alcohol, and the myriad tattooed bodies, there were hearts filled with compassion and love.

#22 Crying during a movie

We watched a movie today called "Letters to God" which was about this boy dying of brain cancer. It was a good movie, but it hit a little too close to home. With what we are going through with Juliette, it was kind of tough to watch, especially when I heard my friend's little boy mention that the boy was sick "like Juliette". That really made me tear up. But although this is going to be difficult in the coming weeks/months, and crying isn't necessarily good, it just means that I have people that I care about and love, and even if it may be tough now, Jesus is coming back to end the sorrows and pain. In the new earth this won't happen anymore...

"And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away." Revelation 21:4

Now THAT is good news. That's the greatest blessing of all.

#21 Walks on a cool evening

We took a walk to end the Sabbath, just us three (well four counting the dog). We got to watch the sun go down, and have a closing Sabbath prayer. It was peaceful, relaxing, and rejuvenating. With a few blackberries to top it off, it was a good end to the Sabbath, or any day for that matter.

#20 Days spent with just us three

Yesterday we spent the day hanging out at home, running a few errands, and going out to lunch. We ended the day with a peaceful walk to the church to welcome in the Sabbath with friends and food. It's fun to hang out with friends all day, but sometimes it's good to spend time with just our small family.

#19 The sound of my little girl's laughter

As I was upstairs getting ready for bed, I could hear Madelyn laughing up a storm. Daddy always gets her to laugh. I love hearing it. Whether it's a gut-rolling laugh or a little giggle, it just brightens up my day.

#18 Homemade hummus

After purchasing our Blendtech blender (which deserves a post of it's own, but I will just acknowledge it's awesomeness here... moment of silence please...) I've perfected the art of making hummus.

It requires:
    -2 cans of garbanzo beans
    -4 T. lemon juice
    -1 t. salt
    -1/2 C. olive oil
    -1 garlic clove

And that's it!! So simple, yet so delicious. After blending and scraping out the blender, I always lick the spatula. Is that weird?

#17 Thai food

We've just recently discovered how amazingly good Thai food is. Oh, and also Indian. And Greek. It's so good to be able to eat places besides Mexican when we go out!!

#16 Catching up with old friends

Monday I got to have breakfast and catch up with an old friend I hadn't seen in over a year. She's doing well, and it was fun for her to get to meet Madelyn. It's neat that even with the different paths our lives have taken, we can still touch bases every once in awhile.

#15 Good 'ol A/C

With the 90+ temperatures we've had the last few days, it's wonderful to be able to spend time in a cool house. Ahhhhh...

#14 Time in the Bible

Lately I've been struggling to be able to do my daily reading with Madelyn being so active. This morning, Brandon took her and played with her while I got to read and catch up, and spend some quiet time in the Bible. It was such a joy to be able to have some alone time, with just faint sounds of my baby and her daddy playing in the background.

#13 Warm jackets and fire

Even in August, it was freezing at the beach on our last camping trip. SO thankful I brought my jackets, and that we had lots of warm fire.

#12 My dad's infinite knowledge

I'm so thankful to have a dad that can do anything. Whether it's fixing my car, repairing things on our house, or asking a traffic queation, I love that he can do it all.

#11 My loving husband

So I'm not writing this just because my husband looked at my blog and saw he wasn't on it. I just hadn't gotten to him yet. I didn't say these posts were in order of importance, just as they occur. So honey, here is my post for you...

I love you. You are my best friend. I'm so thankful God brought you into my life. My entire life was changed. You are such a wonderful dad to our little girl, and I'm so thankful you can provide for our family and enable me to stay home to raise her. You're smart, you're funny, you're a man of God. I enjoy spending time with you and love when we just spend a day together hanging out. You have inspired me to grow closer to God, and I'm so glad He is a part of our marriage. I have so many wonderful memories already with you, and I can't wait to make even more. I'll love you forever.

#10 Hearing Madelyn laugh

I really got her going today playing with the hat I was wearing. It's such an awesome and happy sound, one that I really can't get enough of. I wish I could record it and listen to it whenever I'm feeling down. They should figure out some way to bottle that stuff and give it to people suffering from depression.

#9 When Madelyn sleeps in the car when we're stuck in traffic

What a blessing to not have to deal with traffic AND a crying baby.

#8 Small group bible study

I like being able to learn and talk about spiritual things with a group of women that desire a closer walk with God as much as I do. They are encouraging me and helping me to open up and grow, learning to "stop trying harder, but to get dead-er."

#7 Hanging out with my mom

I love that my mom and I have a close relationship and that I enjoy doing stuff with her. And even if we have the same walk, as pointed out again today by one of her friends, I'm glad that I have a wonderful, supportive mother that I can emulate and look up to.

#6 Trips to the zoo

I remember going to the zoo when I was a kid, and how neat it was to see all kinds of fun animals. I have discovered that I still love going to the zoo, and can't wait until Madelyn gets a little older so she can enjoy it too.

#5 The carpool lane

Enough said :)

#4 Nights when Madelyn sleeps well

Co-sleeping has been such a blessing and a lifesaver to me throughout motherhood. However, some nights are better than others. I am so thankful for nights (although rare) when she only wakes up once or twice. They are such welcome surprises when they do occur.

#3 Friends

I have an awesome and amazing group of friends. I've always had friends growing up, but never to the extent I have now. I love being able to meet every week and have girl time, and spend Sabbaths eating and having fun. We are there for each other throughout everything. If something comes up, I know I have a huge group of people that will love and support me. We are like family, and I love that.

#2 Eternal life

"Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life." John 5:24

I'm thankful that God says that I HAVE eternal life. It's not something that is in the future, it's present tense. It's not something I have to hope for. Jesus says in His own words, that I have crossed from death to life.

#1 My active baby girl

Lord I thank you for my healthy baby girl that makes getting anything done extremely difficult, even starting a blog.

The Beginning

So this will probably only be something I read, and I might not even maintain it, but oh well, here goes :) I was inspired by my friend Kessia, who is compiling a list of 1000 blessings in a year. Since "every good and perfect gift is from above" (James 1:17), I want to acknowledge Him for the many good things in my life. I will number them as I go, we'll see how far I get.