Gift #12: Leisure

In order to truly appreciate moments of leisure, I suppose one must endure hard work. The last few weeks have been labor intensive, due to a sudden change in circumstance. We are moving home (a gift in itself)! In order to sell the house, we had to fire up the hot tub - hence a few moments of leisure.

Gift #11: A Four Year Old

Sam turned four! When asked what party theme he would like, he wished only for a Titanic theme. Fearing the parents may not understand Sam's obsession, we went with a boat theme instead.

We had lots of fun, and I didn't have to explain the demise of the Titanic to the others. I'm calling it a success!

Gift #12: Easter

Amongst all the chocolate, plastic eggs, and jelly beans, we tried to keep the focus on where it should be. We watched different New Testament videos each night, picking our favorite stories of Christ. On Easter we watched the story of the crucifixion and resurrection. It was hard to explain why someone so perfect had to suffer so greatly. How thankful I am that he did all of those things for me, for my family, for all of us.

Gift #10: A Break

Although we had spring break last week, there was no break in the rain. Quite the opposite actually, it was monsoonal. We went on vacation anyway - that's what Oregonians do. Maybe they leave the state for spring break?

We went to Coos Bay with some friends, and despite the weather - we had fun! We went inside a sea lion cave - without hiking and swimming - took the elevator instead.

We went to a train museum, where the kiddies could crawl freely all over real trains, even ring the bell (I'm sure the locals love that). It was Sam's birthday and I'm pretty sure all of his little wishes were fulfilled.

We also spent some time on the boat dock (this was our one break in the rain in all four days).

I think we must return. They also have sand dunes, with buggy rides! We had to veto the buggy tour, due to rain and high winds - probably dangerous conditions for buggies.

Gift #9: Good Health

I was reminded just how grateful I am for my health this week, due to a fun upper respiratory infection. It's taken me awhile, but I think I'm on the mend! It wasn't all that serious, but I realized what a blessing it is to sleep, breathe without pain, and carry on with my duties, having all the energy I need to do so. Quite the gift indeed!

One who has not been sick (and hopefully does not become sick), is this little ballerina:

Gift #8: A Good Book

I'm not an avid reader, but when I find a good book, I do appreciate it. Right now I am reading "The Woman in White," by Wilkie Collins. Written in 1860 and considered one of the first mystery novels, the plot involves a young man, an asylum escapee, and a dark road. Not so much scary as mysterious. I highly recommend it (so far, anyway).

As for these kiddies, I happened upon them leafing through Diary of a Wimpy Kid #4 and #6.

Gift #7: Pillows and Blankets

Besides the obvious benefit involving comfort and warmth, I am also thankful for blankets and pillows because of their entertainment value. The kiddies had no school today, and I had lots of laundry to do. We were in short supply of fun, so we built a mountain/ramp/trampoline.



Chad wanted a picture of himself flying. Instead, he got mostly blurry images with his head chopped off. And many landing images.



He was not impressed with my photo skills.

Gift #6: Valentines

Honestly, it's not my favorite holiday. I suppose I'm not much of a romantic (excluding my love of all things related to Jane Asten and BBC Masterpiece Theater). I think the best way to celebrate, is to do so on an elementary level. Cards, boxes, conversation hearts - I like it simple.

These are the cards we will be sending out this year:





Nice 'staches, right?