Things I Love: Z

1. Zach!

Things I Love: Y

1. yarn - and almost anything made from yarn
2. yardwork - but only when the weather is nice...not too hot and not too cold! I'm definitely a fair-weather worker!

Introducing...

...Taylor Baby #3! A boy! He's beautiful and healthy and we're so thankful! And, yes, now I'm officially the mother of three boys. Isn't there a special place in heaven for mothers of all boys??? Or, maybe it's just a padded room, which could be equally as appropriate!

Now that we know it's a boy, Zach and I can finally start thinking about names. We should probably do that sooner rather than later. Fig worked fine before, but now it seems a little silly. Baby #3 seems a little cold. Yep. I think we're going to need to pick a name, and fast!

And, being as how I had just introduced you to my two sonshines, now it's three! Thank God the domain was available. I wouldn't have wanted to start from scratch!

Things I Love: X

1. ?

I'm sorry. I'm at a total loss. There may be something that starts with an x that I really do love and appreciate. However, at the moment I just can't think of one. I could desperately say x-treme something or xeric something, but I'm just not feeling it. So, I'm sorry, but today I think I'll have to pass...

Things I Love: W

1. women - I'm thankful I am one and I'm thankful for all the incredible others I have in my life.
2. worship

Things I Love: V

1. visual stimulation - but, I have to keep limits. For instance, NO Pottery Barn catalogs within about an hour of bedtime or I just can't sleep!

Things I Love: U

1. unplugging

Things I Love: T

1. traditions
2. time with Zach (when did things change so much so that now it's a luxury?)
3. thesauruses
4. tacos - Actually, Mexican food, in general. When I did "M", I missed it. When I did "L" I forgot Los Cuates (my favorite restaurant). Good grief! How did I miss listing something so incredible? Twice! I obviously wasn't thinking.

Things I Love: S

1. snuggling
2. stretching

Where have all the good stories gone?

For those (three or four) of you who read my blog regularly, you may have noticed a decided and probably disappointing lack in the ever-humorous Caleb and Owen material lately.

That's because I had a new project in the works. Like I need a new project, right? But, this one was extra important because I know, someday, it will have been well worth the effort.

So, without further ado, I'd like to introduce you to...

...My Two Son[s]shines! Happy reading!

Things I Love: R

1. recipes
2. reading

Things I Love: Q

1. quotes
2. quiet

Things I Love: P

1. pastries
2. purpose
3. peaceful moments
4. pregnancy
5. popcorn

Things I Love: O

1. opportunity
2. office (the office)
3. onion rings

Immeasurable Value

Another interesting quote from a book I'm reading:

"Keep a clear eye toward life's end. Do not forget your purpose and destiny as God's Creature. What you are in His sight is what you are and nothing more. Remember that when you leave this earth, you can take nothing you have received...but only what you have given; a full heart enriched by honest service, love, sacrifice and courage."

I think that's a great exhortation. The part that really struck me, though, was:

"What you are in His sight is what you are and nothing more."

Yes, there are people out there who believe that they are God's specific gift to mankind, for whatever reason. However, the much more common human response, I've found, is that we continually sell ourselves short of the value that He placed on us. Regardless of whatever specific and individual things He sees when He looks at each of us, He sees someone that's worth an immeasurable price.

Which leads me to another quote I really enjoy:

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same." -Marianne Williamson

It all just makes me wonder. Concerning our worth, if we really did let God be true and every man (ourselves) a liar, just what could we accomplish for His kingdom? I really think the sky is the limit.

Things I Love: N

1. noodles
2. naps (esp. w/ Zach on Sunday afternoons)
3. novels

Things I Love: M

1. music
2. motherhood
3. movies

Things I Love: L

1. limes
2. lip gloss/chapstick - I'm really not sure whether I could survive without it

Things I Love: K

1. kids - but I'm definitely partial to my own
2. kisses
3. kindred spirits - (rather, God-appointed relationships, but that doesn't start with a K!) it's such an incredible experience to be with someone and just know that you fit together!

Things I Love: J

1. justice - thank God it's ultimately in His hands and not ours!
2. juice
3. jammies

Things I Love: I

1. internet - so much information at my fingertips!
2. ice cream - Mmm...with a capital M.

Things I Love: H

1. holidays
2. helping mommies (before and during birth)

Things I Love: G

1. grace
2. grass - especially freshly mown
3. giggles - especially from my boys and especially when they turn into full-fledged belly laughs

Things I Love: F

1. family and friends
2. fuzzy blankets
3. fragrance
4. forever21.com - who knew you could find so much fun, cheap jewelry in one spot!?!

Things I Love: E

1. exotic travel destinations (islands, mountains, jungles, etc.) - I can't really say that I've ever been to any, but I can dream, right? (Some day, Zach, I promise!)
2. eating - I just can't deny it. The flavors, aromas, textures, colors... It's such a simple pleasure! (Thank you God, again, for good genes and a fast metabolism!)
3. exercise
4. early bedtimes - for the boys AND me!

Things I Love: D

1. diphenhydramine (aka Benadryl) - it really can be a mom's best friend
2. dancing
3. decorating - one of my favorite things to do!
4. days spent outside

An idea!

I'm sure that you all know me well enough to know that when I spoke of OCD in my last post, I in no way was poking fun or making light of what really can be a serious form of bondage. I actually did have some obsessive compulsive activities that I had to perform when I was little. Thank God I grew out of that! But, speaking of OCD, just to show you that I really do have those tendencies...

As soon as I published my last post, a list of three things I love, I almost had to revise the list. Why?

1. Lists
2. Libraries
3. Maple donuts

The first two things start with an L and the third one doesn't. I seriously almost had to change my list, just so that it'd be consistent. Yikes. Instead, I had a better idea. (Although this also reveals even more of my anal-retentive weirdness.)

I just noticed that Thanksgiving falls on the 26th of November this year. The 26th. Wait a minute! There are 26 letters in the alphabet. I could post a small list of things I'm thankful for each day and end with Z on Thanksgiving day!!! (Okay, I know it's really not that exciting, but humor me, please!) Maybe I'd seem a little more normal if you knew that there have been a lot of alphabet goings-on in our house lately. In pre-school, Caleb's class focuses on a new letter each week. Lots of tracing. Show and tell must start with the designated letter. Etc. Also, in lieu of other more bedtime appropriate songs, Owen keeps asking me to sing him the ABCs each time I put him to bed. The impressive part is that he's getting darn good at singing them on his own. He can get all the way from A to P with only a few slip ups and then he mumbles his way to a very proud Z. His favorite part, however, is still the "sing with me" that comes at the end. Aww...

So, anyways, being as how it's already the 3rd, I'll have to play catch up today, but no biggie! Here goes...


A:
1. amazon.com - They really make it too easy to buy books, and practically everything else under the sun.
2. adirondack chairs - sooo comfy!
3. afternoon sunbeams


B:
1. bubbles
2. boys - Zach, Caleb and Owen, in particular, but my daddy and brother are both extra special, too! I've definitely learned that these guys can frustrate me, make me fume and send me into a fit of tears faster than a bolt of lightning. But, I've also learned that far more often they make me laugh to the point of tears and they can also melt my heart with a single smile. I wouldn't have it any other way.
3. being a girl - just thinking about the aforementioned boys or any others, for that matter, makes me want to shout from the rooftops: "Thank God I'm a girl!!!"


C:
1. colored pencils - I know it's probably more cool to like crayons, but they just don't have the artistic flexibility for shading like colored pencils do. They've always been my weapon of choice, and I've definitely won a few coloring contests in my time!
2. craigslist.com - I'm trying to not be addicted, but I think I may be failing.
3. communion


By the way, an attitude of gratitude is, for most of us, something that has to be cultivated. It's sad, but true. So feel free to comment and leave your own lists of things you're thankful for! It makes for a merry heart and that's even better than medicine!

An Attitude of Gratitude

'Tis the season to ponder thankfulness and, accordingly, that's what's been on my mind lately. And, in continuation of the theme of my last post, I'm becoming more and more aware that your attitude primarily depends on how you choose to look at and process the things around you.

It's that idea of choosing to see the glass-half-full. Choosing to see the world through rose-colored glasses.

Some might argue that it's a pretty naive and ignorant way to go about your business. However, I'm thinking it's more in line with doing the Father's business. After all, if you're feeling satisfied and joyful, are you not more likely to walk in love and to sow seeds of satisfaction and joy in the lives of everyone you meet?

This blog started as a way to recognize the things in my life that make it so amazing, so breathtaking. Once again, I've been surprised at just how little and seemingly trivial those things can be. I've been reading a fiction series that was recommended to me and, even though it's not quite as consuming as works by Picoult or other authors I enjoy, it is simple, uplifting and easy on the soul. What, really, could be better? One of the main characters is often asked to list things that she loves. Even though the things she lists are sometimes ordinary and mundane, the list is on the tip of her tongue. Her thankfulness is at-the-ready and she's not above finding it in the everyday. How perfect! What an example!

So, while going about my morning with Owen today, I decided I want to, from time to time, make similar lists. Here goes:

What do I love?

1. Lists! I'm sure it's something that appeals to my obsessive compulsive side, but I just can't deny it. There's something about the order and feel of a good list that just makes me happy! (One of my favorite comics shows a person explaining that they do not have OCD. They were adamant that the diagnosis was not correct. Instead, they insisted they had CDO, because OCD just didn't make sense - it was completely out of order. Ha!)

2. The library! Owen and I had a wonderful time at the library this morning. (I'm sure part of why it was wonderful was because he was well behaved the entire time, but still...) What's not to love about the library?

I let Owen be "a big boy" and walk the entire time. He compliantly held my hand every time it was necessary. First, we went to the adult fiction to get a book for me. While we were walking through the extra quiet section, he felt the need to say, "Darn it!", in his fairly loud voice. I'm not sure why he needed to say that, but he did. I reminded him with a whisper that we were supposed to use our library voices. In return, he whispered, "Oh. Darn it!" Ha!

They didn't have one of the books I wanted, but on our way to the kids' section, I saw it on an end cap. It wasn't a lending copy, but it was a used (practically new) copy that the library was selling - for $2! If it hadn't been on the end of the row, I never would have seen it. I only had a $10, but I actually found that I had over $2 in dimes, so Owen got the pleasure of dropping 20 coins into a little collection box. Fun for both of us!

There's lots of other reasons I love the library - free magazines, an almost unlimited supply of information that is free for the borrowing, it's quiet, it smells like books, it makes me want to study... I could go on. Oh. And another reason is because the boys get to practice their water fountain skills each time we go. Caleb almost has it down. He's finally understanding the push-the-button first and then approach-to-drink tactic. It's been quite some time since he's squirted himself in the face. You'd think it'd only take once to figure that out, but you'd be surprised... He's growing up! Owen, on the other hand, isn't quite strong enough to get the button pushed yet. His day is coming, though. His squirt-in-the-face day, that is. He always puts his face about an inch from the nozzle. What a fun thing to watch. Aagh... Isn't life grand?

3. Maple donuts. (No explanation needed.)