It is quiet now. I have just tucked the girls into bed and have come out to the living room. There is a pile of laundry that needs to be folded, and I wish I could say that the house is all picked up and ready for another day tomorrow, but I would be misleading you. That hasn't been happening too often around here. I am still recovering from our big trip to Pennsylvania.
The above sign, my sister made for me while I was in. It is a quote that I borrowed from Ann Voskamp. She wrote the book, "One Thousand Gifts" and if you haven't read it, I would highly recommend it. All is Grace. Even the toys strewn about, the markers and crayons on the table, the pile of laundry staring you down, the dirty dishes in the sink, that sticky spot on the floor that no matter how many times you've wiped it, it doesn't go away, yet you don't have time or energy to mop the floor. Yes, even those are grace-filled moments. Are you looking for them? Do you take the time to notice? I struggle with it. All.the.time. Especially when I am feeling overwhelmed.
But it is quiet now. A good time to process thoughts. To write things down. To pray. To listen.  And here are more graces to add to my list.....

181. canning pears
182. puddles
183. rain dripping off the roof
184. naps on a rainy afternoon
185. all afternoon rain
186. parched desert turning green
187. renewal
188. rebirth
189. hope
190. change
191. crickets
192. dry breeze
193. brisk mornings
194. butterflies
195. little girl trying to catch butterflies
196. unexpected, yet exciting news
197. children playing at the kitchen table
198. little girls listening to Little Women on tape
199. peaceful Saturday morning
200. ironing jeans for my hardworking farmer
201. fall evenings
202. baby boy who stands and rubs his belly
203. change of seasons
204. boy splashing in dog's water dish
205. anticipating harvest
206. lazy day
207. frisky kitten
208. setting sun casting shadows on the mountains
209. fresh, cut grass smell
210. hearing a pivot running in the stillness of the evening


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