September 29th: "Three Gifts Shelved"

Author's Note:  As part of Jack's weekend, we spent A Day Out With Thomas....so memorable for my train-loving boy.  

#788  Jack's Thomas from home, shelved on the windowsill of the passenger car, along for the ride.....

#789  Thomas Legos and all the other memorabilia...

#790  Jack's Toby, thanks to Uncle Gary...no longer shelved.

September 28th: "Three Gifts Shy"

Author's Note:  On this day, five years ago, my sweet twins were born.  The entire first year is a blur, but every year since then, they have grown as they should and abounded in grace for their parents  We celebrate them---each one----as who God made them to be.  Thankful....

#785  Two Five-year-olds, pretending to be shy

(Also, We are celebrating the big #5 with trips with each of the twins, this was Jack's weekend.)

#786  A brother shy a couple of sisters....

#787  Determined to swim, discovering the water being a few degrees shy of warmth....

September 27th: "A Gift Unexpected, Uneven, Unpopular"

#782  Unexpected:  Trip to the store for milk to bake the twins' birthday cake, thankful for time and fuel.

#783  Uneven:  Lettering on the finished birthday cake, thankful they don't care.

#784  Unpopular:  The closing of a family landmark, where 14 years ago, Joel & I, together with our families had our rehearsal dinner; and where many Friday lunches were spent with kids in tow and Dad on lunch break....thankful for our memories there and hopeful for the former employees.....

September 26th: "Three Gifts Flourishing"

Author's Note:  While all three of my children seem to be flourishing at the present time, since I spent Monday on The Boy, I wanted to focus a little on the other Near-5-year-old, The Littlest....

#779  Lucy's love....always has a hug at the ready

(Photo Credit:  Lucy Edwards)

#780  Lucy's stature....growing up and only occasionally does it occur to me just how much

(Photos Credit:  Lucy Edwards)

#781  Lucy's Creativity....all her own and all from Her Creator

September 25th: "Three Gifts Finished"

(Happy Birthday to my Mother-In-Love....so thankful for you and your life intertwined with ours....)

#776  Twins' birthday plans

#777  Dinner, at noon

#778  The Clean Bathroom

September 24th: "Three Gifts Funny"

Author's Note:  While all three of my children and many circumstances that have nothing to do with any of them are quite funny, today's gifts centered around the Only Boy.  Funny makes me smile, and I love it.

#773  Cars at "attention" to hear instruction from their Dad. 

#774  Happenings in Lego World, one involving a giraffe getting a trophy and bringing it home to share with his family

#775  The captive gecko.

September 23rd: "Three Gifts Quiet"

#770  Ella's Sunday School classroom

#771  The Sanctuary

#772  An Empty Van

September 20th: " A Gift Rattling, Receding, Reclaiming"

 

Author's Note:  The bulk of the day was spent at our city's Cultural Arts Fest, held annually, in which participants get to create for FREE.  It's the best thing about September around here (except for the twins' birthday), and we look forward to the whole day spent exercising the creative muscles that the Creator himself made in us.....

#762  Rattling:  Paintbrushes busy, easels knocking

#763  Receding:  Unformed, untapped clay....what will they make next?

#764  Reclaiming:  Their own space to paint

September 21st: "Three Gifts in Information"

What better place for information than the museum?

#759  Science  and the joys of water

#761  Social Studies 

#761  History

September 20th: "Three Gifts in Salvation"

#756  Fulfillment of God's promise

My eyes long for your salvation

and for the fulfillment of your righteous promise. 

(Psalm 119:123 ESV)

#757  Purpose of faith

Though you have not seen him, you love him. 

Though you do not now see him, you believe in him 

and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 

obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 

(1 Peter 1:8, 9 ESV)

#758 Sharing Community

Sing to the Lord, all the earth!

Tell of his salvation from day to day.

Declare his glory among the nations,

his marvelous works among all the peoples!

For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, 

and he is to be held in awe above all gods. 

(1 Chronicles 16:23-25 ESV) 

September 19th: "Three Gifts in Conversation"

Kids overheard playing together at Papa's house....

#753  Shared Creativity:  "Minty is fun to color."

#754  Shared Imagination:  "The fire says it needs more acorns!"

#755  Shared Dreams:  "He made it to the airshow!"

September 18th: "A Gift Fixed, Folded, Freckled"

#751  Fixed:  Egg sandwich made with love by That Man of Mine

(really sorry I didn't get a shot of the actual sandwich...it wasn't around long....)

#752 Folded:  Clean towels

#753  Freckled:  The Eldest

September 17th: "Three Gifts Ugly-Beautiful"

#748  Gray skies

#749  Muddy toys

#750  Corn meal okra

September 16th: "Three Gifts Shared"

A rainy Sunday around here....perfection, in my book.  Didn't grab any images today, so please enjoy these from the archives....

(DaySpring's Bell Tower)

#745  Amos with my Sunday School class

(Petit Jean, Arkansas)

#746  "This is My Father's World" sung out with my church

"This is my Father's world;

I rest me in the thought

of rocks and trees, of skies and seas;

his hands the wonders wrought."

(Entry to DaySpring)

#747  All praises to Him who is Love and Grace

September 15th: "Three Gifts Paired"

#742  The Hall Family Women

#743  Mom + Dad = 46 years and going strong

#744  Green & Gold

September 14th: "Three Gifts Drawn"

#739  Ella's sketch of Pastor Eric last Sunday

#740  Lucy's drawing of "our tree"

#741  Keith Carter's doodle

September 13th: "A Gift Scented, Scrawled, Started"

#736  Scented:  Fresh Coffee

#737  Scrawled:  Lucy's Eucharisteo

#738  Started:  A new project