MM: December 28

Towards the end of this week, I started writing in my journal at bedtime, as I lay and ponder the day’s events and activities before falling asleep.  It’s helpful for me to remember the blessings that happen each day in this way, except that after I’ve closed my journal and turned out the flashlight and gotten settled for bed I think of “just one more.”  So I sit back up and turn on the flashlight and pick up my journal again to add the one or two more things that come to mind. . . then get settled back down again.  Not terribly efficient, is it?

161~Remembering a short, tall man, who is greatly missed, on his birthday–the shortest day of the year
162~A quick run to town by myself
163~Catalina coupons
164~A new surprise CD in the mail
165~A potato dish for dinner that actually cooked well and tasted good
166~Winter solstice: sunrise just after 10 am, sunset just before 4 pm; tomorrow we start to gain minutes of daylight  🙂
167~37 degrees at 5:30 pm: warmer than we’d expect right now, and warmer than last month’s below zero temps
168~Looking deeply into his eyes and seeing that he loves me, despite my teasing him
169~Deep, even breathing of sleeping boys
170~Hyland’s C + cold tablets, Sambucol, and Emergen-C
171~Triscuit sun-dried tomato and olive oil crackers
172~A simple lunch of canned salmon mixed with cream cheese spread on crackers
173~. . . which was received very well by my picky eater
174~Not being the last one to get to bed for once; very unusual!
175~September paperwork finished
176~September bank statement reconciled
177~Realizing that this little “gratitude journal” truly a journal–a recording of the days.  And I am not merely re-telling events or gossip or trivial details of our lives or mindless, thoughtless comings and goings; but intentional remembrances all of the little, wonderful ways that my LORD makes His presence known in my life
178~Plans for Christmas dinner and guests
179~Plans for a playdate with a friend and her children, whom we’ve not seen for over a year
180~Ibuprofen for a boy whose throat hurts and whose coughing sounds like a seal’s bark
181~Boys who are excited for Christmas “only two more days!”
182~October bank statement reconciled, after much travail
183~New glasses! arrived already!
184~Coupons for cream cheese
185~massage . . . aaahhhh. . . .
186~A night in the Holy Land . . . “if only in my dreams”
187~Warm-ish temperatures for this location, for an outside activity
188~A surprise visit with a young girl who has moved away and yet is on my heart often
189~Finishing the wrapping before the children are in bed
190~A new Christmas movie
191~New sheets for Christmas, put on beds when the boys are occupied with Saint Nicholas
192~”The stockings were hung by the chimney with care. . .”
193~Preparing wonderful surprises for the children
194~The children’s joyful anticipation
195~Breezing through November paperwork and bank statement
196~Donuts mixed and cut before the children awake
197~The first look at the tree——
198~Surprise, The Bull brought in a tree!
199~Loaded stockings
200~Breakfast together
201~Presents and phone calls
202~Wishbone, from pen to brine to pan to table
203~Not getting to witness Wishbone’s transition from pen to brine  😀
204~Working together to tidy the house before the guests arrive
205~Boys trying out their new sleds from Grandma
206~The guests
207~Good, encouraging conversation
208~A heart-t0-heart talk with my man, with tears and kleenex
209~Beth Moore’s good news
210~A clean kitchen
211~A few hours of fellowship with friends
212~Discount holiday plates, to be saved for next year
213~Hubby overseeing the children’s baths
214~Turkey left overs
215~Pictures found and emailed, as requested
216~Receiving photos in the mail
217~Mostly free lotion
218~December paperwork coming together
219~Road killed moose = meat on the table
220~Kitchen cleaned afterwards–and not by me
221~The nearly full moon in the nearly cloudless sky
222~A kind email from a friend from another time and place; my first friend who miscarried back before I understood miscarriage
223~A seven-year-old boy “kitty cat” resting his meowy head on my lap
224~Ice melt (the stuff you put on the ice so that it’s not slippery and you don’t fall down)
225~Kleenex
226~Calf #3’s new Glo Worm doll
227~Flannel sheets
228~Teddy bears
229~Legos scattered all over the floor, which means that the boys are using their imaginations
230~An easy menu for the week
231~Kind comments about a photo
232~Health care reimbursement: a lot of work, quite a pain, but still a blessing
233~Spontaneous hugs from the children
234~”Thank you Mama” from Calf #3, five or six times at each meal
235~Calf #1 eating three helpings of turkey pot pie . . .
236~and then saying “I want turkey pie for dessert for my birthday”
237~The Bull cleaning up the kitchen after dinner
238~Moonlit shadows of the trees on the snow in the yard

Does this sound like a good idea to you? Want to join us?