I'm enjoying the unseasonably warm weather we're having lately. It sure makes it nice to take walks and be outside. I'll take it as long as I can! It's funny to see swimsuits in the store and imagine being able to skip cold weather all together. Not so.

We are getting ready to again make some changes. Although this season has been good, it hasn't been easy. I'm seeing how many loose end are held together not so well, that I really do need to spend more time taking care of some things I've let go/band-aid treated for the past few months. Plus, we miss being together as a family. So, we're making a switch in Hannah's school so we can be in OK more. We'll still be going to Branson, but will probably be going as a whole family instead of the kids and me (and the cats.) God has good things, and we look forward to when we can all be together all the time in Branson, but we'll be patient.

Today we started having PT come to our house, which will be a great blessing. There is a possibility that we can do all 3 therapies at home! Running has its benefits, but a lot of drawbacks, too. Being in one place, being able to focus on things will be great. CC will continue in Branson, and I'm very excited about all the things we'll be doing next year in our community.

One quick funny thing from Catherine, then I'm off to tackle my counters. (Pray for me!) Back in the day, your hair was all the same color, and heaven forbid your roots show. Now, with multi-colored-no-doubt-it-came-from-a-box-with-one-hair-having-mulitple-colors fashion, I guess it doesn't matter. So last night she said to me- "Mom your hair looks so nice with that color from whole foods and then your real color showing by your head!" Gotta laugh!

1000 gifts

If you're like me and the days get filled with so many needs and have to's and should do's, time goes on and I forget to notice the little things. The joys that come softly into our lives. God is faithful and good, but if we don't stop to notice, we lose somle awareness of His presence and His strength carrying us through our days. So, I was reading this blog about being thankful and looking for God's love in each day. How if we find just 3 things a day, in a year we'll have seen 1000 gifts from God to us. That's pretty significant.
Can't promise I'll do it everyday and blog it, but I'd really like to open my eyes more to His goodness around me this year. I have some catching up to do.
So, here goes...
#1- help at CC that lightened my load and enabled me to enjoy my work there many times more
#2- jelly beans that helped perk up kids during Essentials this afternoon
#3- friends for my kids to hang out with who love Jesus, too
#4-beautiful sunrises on chilly mornings
#5-sunny afternoons that lend themselves to a walk home from school (remember the 1/2 mile hilly driveway?)
#6-horses that eat apples from your hands and let 4 year olds practice giving them hugs
#7-cats that have more sense than I do- pushing themselves in front of my work, so I have to stop and pet them instead of working on something that can definitely wait
#8-soft yarn and time to knit so I can share love, wrapping around total strangers needing some hope
9#-words in season that whisper His love and faithfulness
10#sleepy snuggles

This morning, as we entered the New Year, my sweet Grandma entered eternity to be with her Jesus. I can't tell you how glad I was to hear of her peaceful passing and the hope that she is actually experiencing. To know that she's with our loved ones, the ones she knew, and all the babies of ours she hadn't yet met, is really a fabulous thing. My mom and 2 siblings were there before she passed, even though a snow storm came in as mom was driving into MN. How thankful I am that we made a trip last year, that Hannah and Caleb could meet her and make some memories.
With such a hope as heaven, what hope we can have for the year ahead.