Dear ones,
Writing this with one eye on the monitor and one eye on my granddaughter Lucia as she swings in her “bunny”. I looked cross-eyed before…imagine how I must look now!
Please pardon the topsy-turvy state of the kids’ apartment…tomorrow is moving day and they have worked so hard to get everything packed while carrying for a three month old, and both Lauren and Francisco working full-time so they have quite a hectic life right now.
I am linking up again this Monday with Shaunacey at Simply Shaunacey for her “Monday Moments of Gratitude”. Please be sure to stop by Shaunacey’s blog to read what she is thankful for this week. But before you go, allow me to share some of my thankfuls with you. I tend to call the things I am grateful for ‘my little miracles’ because so many of those blessings are Heaven-sent.
So, here we go…
I am blessed to have the kind of husband who would buy James Taylor tickets as a kind of surprise for me. He told me after he had bought them so I could enjoy looking forward to going for the weeks leading up to the concert. And that night was like returning to junior high and high school for a few hours. I felt young again. And that is always a miracle!
I particularly like the song “Shower the People”, the lyrics of which say:
Oh, father and mother, sister and brother, if it feels nice, don’t think twice,
just shower the people you love with love, show them the way that you feel.
Things are gonna work out fine if you only will do as I say, just
shower the people you love with love, show them the way you feel.
Things are gonna be much better if you only will.
~ James Taylor [source]
At this point of my life, I find that I am more interested in making memories than I am in picking up souvenirs for the life that I am living.
I am blessed to be able to be in Houston to help Lauren and Francisco with Lucia as they prepare to move. It is a crazy but exciting time in their lives. Lauren has just returned to work after maternity leave and then time off for surgery about six weeks after Lucia was born. Francisco is finishing up his residency and will be taking his medical boards in July. They are moving 1,000 miles to Albuquerque, NM via a brief stop in El Paso. PC and I are helping to drive the U-Haul and one of their cars. I am grateful that he is the kind of husband who would help my children move. So I am in Houston enjoying a few days of babysitting while the kids pack and organize and work. Even enjoyed time with my sister scrapping while Lucia looked on.
I am grateful for the blessing that is this baby girl…Lucia Carolina. Look at the trick she has learned to help us when we change her diapers.
Clever girl. And she just brings us so much joy. See that JOY on my face?
I am so thankful that she and her mommy and daddy will be living closer. Now to get Brennyn and Cady within a few hours of El Paso!
Pictures of more JOY.
Over the weekend, amidst all the chaos of packing, Francisco’s aunt and uncle invited us for a cookout at their home. It was a welcome reprieve for all of us. Lucia loved “boating” around their pool. I loved being in the pool and was thankful that the storm that threatened, soon passed with only a ten-minute shower.
I have been blessed by the new devotional I am doing, “Victorious Living: 101 Prayers and Praises” by Mary Clewley. I met Mary through the fashion challenges I did with Alison Lumbatis and we have maintained a friendship through Facebook since. This book is actually a workbook with a short assignment for each day for … yup, 101 days. Double-checked that just now by looking to see what number the last day was; it’s 101.
Each day begins with a prayer and a praise, then Bible verses to read and reflect on. Readers are asked to think about and provide three examples of difficulties related to the theme for the day. Financial troubles, overwhelming sorrow, physical limitations, disappointments. We write praises for the way God has helped us through those particular trials. And finally we write a prayer, which is something new to me. It is a wonderful, thought-provoking workbook. I am so thankful that God lead me to Mary and her devotionals. If you are interested in any of Mary’s workbooks, please visit her webpage Hope Filled Living: Cultivating an Inspired Life.
My last miracle is a little, silly kind of a thing but it made me happy. At the beginning of the “Get Your Pretty On” fashion challenges, one of the accessories we were asked to consider trying was a big watch. I found a black “leather” one with “diamonds” on its “gold” face – and that’s a lot of quotation marks. I only wore it a few times before it disappeared. I thought maybe I had left it at one of the girl’s houses or on a trip to see my mom. Well, last week when I cleaned up my closet, guess what turned up?
It was on a shelf above my clothes where I have kept an organizer for my costume jewelry. It must have gotten pushed out of the organizer and then pushed way back on the shelf out of sight. I am glad to have it back.
So many wonderful blessings, big and little.
Well, it is almost ten p.m. and we are still doing the finishing touches on the packing in the kids’ apartment. Lucia has been an absolute angel all day. We are all pretty well worn out and tomorrow will be as crazy or worse. I will probably be away from the blog for a few days but would appreciate your thoughts and prayers for us as we load up and start out tomorrow. Thank you.
Hope you are finding little miracles in your life that bring you moments of gratitude.
Hugs and kisses,
Deena
I love Lucia’s headband in those pics…what a cutie!
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Thank you, Deena. I bet your Lucia would wear those headbands well, too. I am contemplating trying one myself!
Sharon
Love this post Les! Be sure and text me along the way to EP to let me know you guys are safe and sound. XO
Leslie Roberts Clingan
So glad to be home. And our AC is fixed. Life is good.
Carrie @ Curly Crafty Mom
Ugh, I have lost jewelry before (important pieces, too!) and they always show up when I STOP looking for them! I love that your husband is so supportive in helping your kids move! What a guy! And the tickets!
Carrie
curlycraftymom.com
Lana
So many wonderful things to be grateful for. Hope the move is going well!
Shaunacey
so much joy!!
how freaking cute is Lucia?! She’s seriously just getting more adorable by the post!
How lucky your daughter and her family are to have you to help them and see Lucia grow.
Also, yay for finding lost things!
thanks for linking up
Leslie Roberts Clingan
I am so glad to have Lauren and Lucia closer. I need to behave and not run up to Albuquerque every month but that is going to be hard
to do.
Sharon
I hope you do!!!! Even if it’s just for a day or 2. They change and grow so fast! 🙂