-The hostas blooming along the front walk. I didn’t pay them any attention, until the light shone down through the trees one morning and illuminated the little purple flowers. Then I noticed how pretty they were.
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-The new link-up with pictures started during last weekend’s Gratitude Sunday. That made me happy.
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-A walk in the yard. Treasure hunting for strawberries. Harvest baskets filled and brought inside. Treats to the chickens.
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-An inspiration for a rainy day: getting out the watercolors and painting with Bracken.
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-Jeff telling Bracken a magical bedtime story.
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-Bracken making up a game to make laundry fun by throwing the clean clothes in the laundry basket and celebrating every time he made it in.
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-Spending an entire nap time of Bracken’s drawing new magnets for Jeff to wood burn. It’s so fun and relaxing.
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-My mom being back in the United States after her trip (and back in affordable cell phone range.)
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-Making it through another learning-as-I-go parenting day.
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-Jeff being so helpful when I needed to get out the door in a timely manner.
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-Leaving early and arriving on time. Much better than being late and it made for a more peaceful morning.
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-A break in the rain so Bracken could play on the playground for awhile (like he’d been begging me to do since our last park visit.)
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-Being able to keep a secret and not telling my sister she had a package on the way. It took a lot of reserve, but I wanted her ‘Bridal Pamper Package’ (as I called it) to be a complete surprise.
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-Bracken telling me that he wanted to look out the window while we were driving and see chickens and a cat, and then seeing just that! (And a peacock to boot!)
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-Garlic scapes sauteed in all our meals. Eating salads every day for lunch with our freshly picked homegrown lettuce.
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-Falling in love with Jeff all over again, remembering how it felt when we finally found each other.
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-Vacuuming out the car! When life feels messy and chaotic, it’s amazing what a little order can bring for a sense of peace.
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-Air conditioning! We’ve had plenty of vehicles without it, and in this heat it has been absolutely wonderful!
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-How comforting it is to wake up early in the morning and have the birds already be singing in the woods.
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-Being reminded that it doesn’t take much to give to others. Simple showing up can be enough.