Thankfuls 2021

 Did I write a blog post about Brynn Gracie's birth? Nope.  But here I am for my thankful list.

I have been thinking recently about the difference between being thankful and feeling thankful. In a perfect world, I would feel thankful for the things that I am thankful for. But my heart is fickle and often I have to preach a little perspective to myself. I have also given myself the freedom to feel two seemingly opposite things at the same time and just be okay with it.  So I am thankful for the times that I can wash the dishes uninterrupted but I am also thankful that I am interrupted while washing the dishes.  Being interrupted while washing the dishes typically means I have a family and I am indescribably thankful for them.  Last disclaimer - I just get sappier and sappier the longer I am a mom.

Here we go - thankfuls 2021:

1. God

2. God's ongoing forgiveness of me. I used to think I had my life together, then I became a mom.  Now I get to ask for forgiveness every day.  Some times multiple times a day.  Some times multiple times an hour.  But He doesn't condemn me.  He doesn't accuse me.  He forgives and extends grace to me.

3. His continual, loving pursuit of me

4. Ian - my best friend, my listener, my encourager
5. Samuel, Henry, and Brynn - how did we get the privilege of getting the three cutest, best kids in the world? 
6. getting to be home with the kids every single day

7. the Holy Spirit - God in us
8. Jesus - his humbleness, gentleness, and anger.  God with us.

9. God's Word

10. when God extends his Grace so that you can listen to the most ridiculous kid's song just one more time.

11. couches made to withstand small children

    anything that withstands our children for that matter

12. Modern Appliances

    Furnace

    Air Conditioning

    Dishwasher

    Microwave

    Washing Machine

    Dryer

    Oven

    Refrigerator and freezer

    vacuum

13. Snowplows

14. Snowplow Drivers

15. Salt

16. 4 wheel drive

17. chubby toddler arms that wrap around your leg in a hug

18. a wobbly baby who likes to climb you while you load the dishwasher

19. our outdoor space

20. toys without sound or lights or batteries

21. my BSF group

22. board games

23. foot massagers

24. Paulding Progress - our local paper

25. when all three kids look and smile for a picture

26. text messaging

27. the Internet

28. Samuel learning to spell and write his name 

29. God's promise to make all things new

30. Christmas coffee cups

31. when you think the kids are fighting so you stop folding laundry to go see and they are all actually laughing

32. that my worth and identity is not found in how much I get done but in what He did for me

33. laughing so hard you cry

34. the imagination of kids

35. when Ian comes home and plays with everyone

36. toy rotations

37. donation centers

38. that God can work His perfect will through imperfect people 

39. that God asks questions - I think about that often.  He already knows the answers, yet He still interacts with his Creation by asking questions some times

40. long hot uninterrupted showers

    made possible by the boys watching tv

41. when all three kids nap at the same time

    so I can nap too

    or be productive

42. one on one time with any of the kiddos

43. date nights

44. walking around the block 15 times after the kids go to bed and listening to Ian work his sermon out 

45. when the kids ask, "what was your favorite part of the day?" without being prompted

46. a field of pristine snow

47. organizational systems that work

48. when it is finally your turn for the book that you have had on hold for weeks from the library

49. Christmas cards

50. the Fort Wayne Zoo

51. Chick fil A

52. baby video monitors

53. good phone conversation with college friends

54. that I have the capacity to grow and change

55. cheesy Christmas movies

56. breaks from social media

57. my 5 ingredients or less crockpot cook book

58. that a bad hour, day, or week doesn't have to be continued.  God can redeem.  God can change the trajectory

59. the days or weeks that no one has a (potty) accident

60. the days all the laundry gets done

61. the nights that supper tastes good

62. Brynn's dancing

63. Henry's humor

64. Samuel's steadfastness

65. the life, love, and legacy of my grandparents

66. resources that align with what my heart believes

67. the slumberpod

    black out curtains

    white noise makers

68. math 

69. Costco

70. google search

71. GPS (we named ours Gemma)

72. missionaries

73. a day (and month) to focus on gratitude

74. finding a reasonably priced used Gator for the boys

75. flights of beer (and a person to share the flight with)

76. slippers

77. Ryan - our minivan

78. the third verse of This is My Father's World

79. the way children delight in falling leaves, string cheese, or a box of new crayons

80. BSF Notes

81. BSF Lecture

82. Brynn's toothless grins

83. Henry's passion

84. Samuel's imagination

85. the third verse of The Love of God

86. Proverbs 14:4

87. the nights we have good conversation around the supper table

88. when Brynn takes a long nap but also wakes up on her own

89. Sally Clarkson

90. Shaunti Feldhaun

91. Proverbs 15:1

92. Invisalign

93. interest-free financing for Invisalign

94. Kevin Leman

95. friends who stay in touch even though you moved across the country / world

96. indoor plumbing

97. decaf coffee

98. when it gets quiet and you know the kids are making a mess but find them all sitting on the couch reading together

99. kid art supplies

100. when there is an activity that all three kids can enjoy together

Thankfuls 2020

 I have been pondering the last few weeks if I can be thankful for seemingly opposite things.  During this season of life, I am thankful when I can take a long hot uninterrupted shower.  It is glorious! The most common reason that I typical do not take long uninterrupted showers is my kids.  But I am so thankful for my kids. I would pick my kiddos over taking a long hot uninterrupted shower ever again.

All of that to say, some of the things that make the list this year may seem like opposites, but I think you can be thankful for both - long hot uninterrupted showers and short interrupted showers. 

*I feel like the longer I am a mom, the more sappy I get, so bear with me - ha!*

1. God - He saved us from a life of slavery into a family of freedom
2. Ian Michael - He listens, encourages, and continues to befriend me.  He is patient with my shortcomings and all my crazy parenting ideas.

3. Samuel Cary - you bring a smile to my heart everyday. I love playing with you and seeing your imagination and new ideas.

4. Henry Joseph - your smile is infectious, your laugh is contagious, and your snuggles are endearing (and your appetite is astounding)

5. Our Girl - next year (Lord willing) we will know you

     5.1 Baby Kicks and Squirms

     5.2 the sweet way the boys already love our little lady

6. Monroe - I didn't know I could love another like my own until there was you

   I am trying to crank this whole list out during naptime so I need to just start listing people / things or I will never finish

7. Brody

8. Jared and Hallie

9. Cary and Brandy

10. Dad and Mom /  Papa and Gaga B

11. Daddio and Mommabomma / Papa and Gaga G

12. The rest of our family - how they encourage us with facebook posts, cards in the mail, and fun group text messages

13. Our church family - what a honor and privilege to have them love us (especially our kids) and allow Ian to lead them

14. BSF

       14.1 BSF children's ministry

       14.2 my BSF leader this year - she has done the whole thing over zoom - bless her

15. Chocolate bourbon pecan pie

16. Michigan Cherry Decaf coffee from Meijer 

17. kid books that don't make me lose my mind after reading them 1000 times

18. toys with no batteries or lights or sound

19. long hot uninterrupted showers

       19.1 short interrupted showers

20. our double stroller

21. Ryan - our minivan

22. Redneck Disney

23. large water bottles

24. the magic of going outside

       24.1 having great outdoor space

25. modern appliances - washer, dryer, dishwasher, hot water heater, air conditioner, furnace, microwave, coffee maker, stove / oven, refrigerator, freezer

26. snow plows, snow plow drivers, and salt

27. dual control queen size electric blanket

28. electronic books (is that the right description?) and real books

29. age appropriate kid shows 

30. when I try a new recipe and it tastes good

31. restaurants and take out

32. disposable diapers

33. the Word - how it is living and active

34. our neighbors

35. parks, nature centers, and reservoirs

36. coffee shops and bakeries

37. Costco

38. when both kids take coordinating, longer than usual naps

39. people that I can be 100% myself around 

40. the ability to change

41. marriage experts, parenting toddler experts, baby sleep experts, feeding toddler experts, activities for toddler experts... people who are smarter or more experienced than me and share their knowledge

       41.1 Focus on the Family

42. sunshine-y days

43. how excited the kids are when Dad comes home from work every day

44. when the kids dance

45. when the kids play well together

46. Christmas music

47. healthcare professionals, health insurance, urgent care, and hospitals

48. friends from college, Korea, and Colorado that stay in touch

49. simple things that bring my kids joy - bubbles, outdoor Christmas decorations, chocolate covered pretzels

50. when you find a good deal on something you have wanted

51. Samuel seems to like preschool

52. board games that both Ian and I like

53. how accurately they can predict the weather

54. vacation and times of rest

55. Daniel Tiger and his bajillion little jingles that resonate with my kids

56. Seeds Family Worship

57. space heaters

58. when you think one kid is going to be mean to his sibling and then he does something surprisingly sweet

59. date nights

60. going on walks

      60.1 the hope of running again

61. HOPE

62. peg doll nativities and resurrection sets

63. soaps and candles that smell good

64. crockpots

65. when you get something fun in the mail

66. online grocery order and pickup

67. indoor plumbing

68. the knowledge that I am not the only one who has ever faced __________ (don't believe me?  google it - it is on a parenting forum or blog post somewhere on the internet)

69. Peanut Butter M&Ms

70. instagram

71. comfy maternity clothes

72. good pictures of my kids (shoot even decent pictures of my kids ha!)

73. fun memories

      73.1 good travel adventures

74. friendly dogs and patient cats

75. pretty fall foliage

76. spellcheck

77. traveling

78. when I have control of the thermostat (submitted about me by my amazing husband)

79. things that boost or strengthen our immune systems

80. when your kid wakes up too early from a nap but then goes back to sleep

81. when Ian feels good about his sermon for the week

82. Hobs and Little Bunny (our kids' stuffed animals that are basically family members)

83. our coffee mug collection

84. Chickfila

       84.1 Chickfila ice

85. things that make you belly laugh (or make your kids belly laugh)

86. indestructible toys

87. electricity, natural gas, and gas for cars

88. hand me downs

89. the unchanging attributes of God

90. lists

91. when you successfully kill the fly or insect inside your house or vehicle

92. facial tissue with the lotion in it

93. when a light burns out and you have the right size replacement bulb

94. garbage trucks

95. music (submitted by Ian)

96. cheese (submitted by Ian)

97. pickles (submitted by Henry - just kidding - if he could, he would submit it)

98. the smell of a campfire

99. being done with a project

100. Grandpa Schaudt - I bet he read this list all the way to the end

20 Weeks with Baby #3

17 weeks 2 days

We are over halfway there with pregnancy #3!  This pregnancy has been unique.  With Samuel and Henry it was first trimester = death, second trimester  = forgot I was pregnant because I felt so good, and third trimester = big, a little achy, a little heartburn, not much to complain about.

The five of us on vacation!

This go around my first trimester was okay.  It was not fun.  It was not easy.  But I didn't feel like death all day every day can barely get off the couch, can't function.  I was able to make supper!  Some nights it was peanut butter oatmeal or eggs.  Some nights I didn't eat.  But at least I was functional enough to cook (that was not the case with Samuel or Henry's pregnancies).  This was the first first trimester that I did not throw up.  It was the second second trimester that I have thrown up (I think it was food poisoning.)

18 weeks 4 days

I did take unisom and vitamin B6 during the first trimester this go around.  I felt like I had to be functional enough to get off the couch.  When I was pregnant with Henry, Samuel was so good about just reading books on the couch with me (for hours every day).  Sweet Henry was not that way and Samuel was equally good about understanding that I didn't feel good and equally a three year old about finding ways to occupy himself that were not the best ideas (and Henry would follow right along).  The unisom helped with the nausea and vomiting but it messed with my sleep and gave me weird dreams.  I finally stopped taking it because I would rather be nauseated than feel dependent on medicine to be able to sleep (within 2 weeks of stopping unisom, I was back to normal).

17 weeks

So far this second trimester has been harder than the others as I am still getting bouts of nausea and already have heartburn.  I think some of the nausea is diet induced, so I am trying to be a bit more thoughtful about what I eat.  I have just started to workout in the last week.  I have been horrible about napping when the boys nap.  It messes with my night sleep and throws everything off track. But I also like to relax while the boys nap so I have enough energy to make it through the rest of the day.  If I relax too much, I fall asleep.  And then I am not tired at night, so I don't sleep well, so I take a nap the next day, so then I don't get great night sleep (I know my life is sounding really hard right now ha!) I recenlty listened to a focus on the family podcast about marriage and they brought up two questions: What gives you life?  What gives you rest?  I thought these were insightful questions as I have usually lumped the two into the same category.  I would guess reading fiction gives me rest, but I usually end up falling asleep so I don't read that much.  My pre mom self would say that running brings life to me but I keep getting injured when I try to get back into running shape so I am not sure what that looks like right now.  

19 weeks 3 days (feeling nausated, haven't showered in a few days, but still livin' the dream)

I feel pretty confident that I have an anterior placenta this time.  I had one with Samuel and I rarely felt him move.  I have felt a few wiggles and kicks here and there but not too much.  We will find out next week for sure, but I am sad as feeling the baby move is one of my favorite parts of pregnancy.  

12 weeks 5 days

I also feel pretty confident that we are having a girl since this pregnancy is so different.  Samuel wants a girl.  Ian and I want a boy.  Ian said he would guess that we are having a boy since I am team girl, but we shall see.  Just a few more days!  

Thankfuls April 2020

I am currently an expert at starting blog posts and not finishing them.  I am publishing this one today, even if I don't get it "finished".

We are currently experiencing the 2020 Covid Pandemic.  I thought it would be fun to make a thankful list now.  Maybe it will become an Easter tradition?

Things I am Thankful:

1. Jesus paid our debt in full!
2. Ian has been taking Saturdays off
3. long hot uninterrupted showers
4. Ian's insight and bringing something new to the Easter story (for me)
5. My kiddos matching Easter outfits!
6. how well Samuel has adjusted to staying home 24/7
7. family walks
8. the Black Swamp Nature Center
9. our baby backpack / hike pack
10. Zoom
11. kindle books
12. at home date nights and our Eight Dates book
13. board games
14. grocery stores
15. essential workers
16. text messaging
17. BSF
18. our Easter Nativity set
19. Emmanuel - God with Us
20. Up from the Grave He Arose
21. all of our fun outdoor toys - bubbles, chalk, strollers, toy tractors
22. daffodils
23. a self-imposed "clean out the freezer" challenge
24. grills
25. Amazon packages
26. cards and packages from friends and family
27. rebel ice cream and red wine
28. and gum
29. decaf coffee
30. growing healthy boys
31. how Henry says, "mmmmwah" at the end of prayers
32. how Samuel likes to hold his hands up in the air while we pray
33. the Superman prayer
34. Samuel's imagination
35. Henry's smile
36. finding what I want at the grocery store
37. soap
38. hot water
39. towels
40. towels fresh from the dryer
41. sunshine
42. regardless of what life brings, we have HOPE (Living Hope)
43. people that follow the stay at home guidelines and social distancing rules
44. when Ian makes pancakes on Saturday mornings and I drink a cup of coffee while it is still hot without microwaving it 5 times
45. how necessity can be the mother of invention (and creativity)
46. how well our community checks on each other and cares for each other
47. green grass
48. not having to bundle everyone up in 13 layers to go outside and trying to keep mittens on the one year old
49. not having to take the kids' coats off to buckle them into their carseats
50. when Ian explains things I don't understand again and again
51. timers
52. RightNow Media
53. a working refrigerator
54. videos to help remember this stage of life
55. how much of life can be accomplished via technology
56. but it isn't the same and people miss people

And I am out of time.  56 it is.  If I am really motivated, I will try to finish it out to 100 after the kids are in bed, but I am never motivated to do anything besides read after the kids are in bed.

Interview with Samuel {January 2020}

Some friends and acquaintances on Facebook have been posting interviews with their kiddos. For awhile I was hesistant to ask Samuel questions as I thought he would just say, "Yeah!" (his favorite answer) or not answer at all.  But I decided to go for it today and he did amazing! So proud of our boy and how far he has come!

I copied the questions.  We drank coffee and chatted.  Towards the end, Henry woke up and I think Samuel got tired of me asking him questions. Of course, I have commentary on all of my thoughts.

What is your name? 2

How old are you? 2

How old is Mom? 32 (He did not say 32, he held up three fingers on one hand and two on the other)

What's your favorite color? he paused and then said, "Dada"  (I seriously thought he was going to say Blue or Green.  Now that I am typing this out, I bet he thought I was going to ask about Dad's age next.)

What's your favorite food? mop (milk)

Who's your best friend? GagaB  BB (Ian's cousin's little one that we saw a few days ago)

What's your favorite song? A B Ggggg (that is, the alphabet song, and it is his favorite song right now.  We play it on Alexa or sing it 20 times a day)

What do you like to watch? BB (sometimes he calls the TV "Blippi" and he says, "blippi" as BB so I don't know - his real answer is Stinky and Dirty on Amazon Prime)

What is your favorite animal? clicked his tongue (which is how he says horse, but I think he was tempted to mooo)

What makes you happy? Blippi

Where's your favorite place to go? Sssss (Susie's Bakery)

Who loves you the most?  Gaga  Papa   GagaPapaG

What are you scared of? Spiderman mask at Papa and Gaga's church (which is an incident from months ago that the kid hasn't forgotten)

Where does money come from? nodded his head (weird question in my opinion)

Where do you live? Ooohhiiiooo

What's your favorite number? Pointed to the S in Susie's (I think he does not know the difference between numbers and letters OR maybe his favorite number is 5)

Where did you come from? Yeah

Christmas 2019

I told Ian earlier today, "This may be the best Christmas of our lives!" and it feels so true.  There were so many good memories that I wanted to capture from today.  (And just in case you are wondering - the Best Christmas Ever was the very first Christmas when God the Son took on flesh - nothing can top that)

I think the reason that this Christmas has seemed so great is that Samuel is old enough to "get it" yet he has no expectations.  It results in a lot of joy.

Leading up to Christmas, people would ask Samuel, "What do you want from Santa?" and he would just stare at them blankly.  This blessed my heart so much! My husband grew up not really believing in Santa and that has been something we have wanted to pass onto our kids. So we talk about Santa but we don't do much more than that.  Samuel also has a speech delay that sometimes impedes his communication - I am sure this played a part as well. At some point Samuel will have a whole list of things that he would like from "Santa" but to have a seemingly content two and a half year old is amazing.  

This morning when we told the boys that it was Christmas, Samuel's first reaction was to run to the other room to see the nativity scene.  My mom wrapped up each piece of the nativity to correspond with The Donkey in the Living Room when they were here over Thanksgiving.  We have been unwrapping a piece each day and trying to talk about the different parts of the Christmas story (that means - Samuel likes to unwrap the piece and then has a 5 second attention span for any reading I try to do).  Total Mom fail - I thought he would be more interested in the presents under the tree that I did not have the next piece out.

Henry hung out in Baby Jail (a toy that holds him in one spot) and Samuel opened presents.  We decided to do Read, Wear, Want gifts this year.  I am sure we will do something different each year.  Henry got some special sock / slippers that weren't supposed to come off.  (Spoiler alert: he had them pulled off in less than a minute).  I didn't wrap Henry's gift as he doesn't really understand.  And if he can see Mom or Dad, he is happy.  

Samuel got a firetruck, the Jesus Storybook Bible, and waterproof mittens from Mom and Dad.  He got a gazillion other gifts from friends and relatives (and he hasn't even gotten some of the grandparent gifts yet).  He was thrilled with his toy firetruck and carried it all over with him.  He did a great job (for a two and half year old) of taking turns with Mom and Dad for opening gifts.  As far as I know, Samuel thought that today was just any other day and then instead, Dad got to stay home and there were presents to open.  There was no countdown to Christmas Day, no "I can't sleep because tomorrow is Christmas", no "waking Mom and Dad up at 5:30 because it is Christmas and I just can't sleep" (Hank covered the wake Mom and Dad up several times during the night thing - his second front tooth on the top is sooooo close to popping through that he was up a few times).

We had waffles for breakfast and Samuel did a lot of good pretend play with his fire truck.  Henry did a lot of peekaboo and "Praise the Lord" (what we say when he puts both arms above his head).  Two happy boys.

While Henry napped, we went outside and enjoyed the gorgeous weather.  Once he woke up, Brent came by with a gazillion gifts!  Oh my goodness - Mr. Potato Head, a police car toy, the Very Hungry Caterpillar game, Bible Word books, kitchen play cooking sets, and soooo much more.

Once he left, we tried to get lunch and kiddos down for naps.  We had a gourmet lunch of "eat whatever you want" (I had a bowl of cereal and Ian had leftover pork).  We try to do some conversation questions at meal times so that we can practice good conversation and not focus so much on what different people are deciding to eat or not eat (the Internet claims that this is supposed to help). Ian asked, "What was your favorite gift from today?"  Samuel (completely unprompted) replied, "Gigi" which is how he says Jesus.  (Did I mention that today has been the best Christmas of our lives!?!)  Such a great answer!  And such a great encouragement that some of the stuff we say does sink in.  We then sang (along with our beloved Alexa) Happy Birthday to Jesus.  And Samuel kept requesting to sing it again (the love of repetition is strong in this one).

The boys (all three of them) are waking up from naps now and we are headed over to hang out with some friends from church.  What a blessing today has been! Merry Christmas!

Thankfuls 2019

Every year on Thanksgiving, I make a go of recording 100 things I am thankful for. It is a fun tradition started by my Mom during a long car ride to visit relatives when I was kid.  The past few months have held a tension of my exhaling, "Thank you Lord for Your kindness to me in xyz way" but also hearing the whispers of, "Why Lord?  Why aren't you kind to me in the way you are kind to her/ him/ them?"  So let's drown out those whispers with some gratitude. (and if you don't have time to list 100 things the best way I have found to drown out the whisper to say, "Even if the only thing God ever does for me is save me, I will be thankful to Him forever.")

100 Things I am thankful for (aka God's Kindness to Me)
1. God - is there anywhere else to start?  Creator, Sustainer, Emmanuel
2. Salvation - where would we be left on our own?
3. Ian - his patience and kindness towards me can be humbling
4. Samuel Cary - I had no idea how much I had to learn from a two year old or how much fun a two year old can be
          4.5 Samuel's laughter and joy
5. Henry Joseph - you are here!
          5.5 Henry Joseph's Smile
6. my family's health
7. God does not give up on me
8. God's continual patience with me
9. our church family - they are so generous to us and take good care of us, if something comes up, someone in our church family is our first call (and by call, I really mean, text)
10. God has taken such good care of us and provided for us in miraculous ways - all I have needed, Thy hand hath provided
11. those who have journeyed ahead of me in mothering and pass along rich insight 
12. those who have journeyed ahead of me in mothering and pass along timely encouragement
13. Instagram
14. snow plows
15. snow plow drivers
16. our extended families - they come see us and that is the best
17. when the boys nap at the same time
18. when both boys sleep all night
19. BSF and specifically my BSF leader and group
20. board games
21. winning board games (should I write that and put it on the internet?)
22. our cozy little Cottage - so, so, SO much better than our 1 bed room apartment that we brought Samuel home to OR that "cozy" little apartment next to the Korean Air Force Base that we lived in our first year of marriage
        22.5 our basement and attic
23. Hadley Rose and The Donkey (our cars)
24. God's continual work to sanctify me and transform / recreate me into being more Christ-like
25. Samuel is talking more and more
26. restaurants / take out for when you don't feel like cooking 
        26.5 frozen pizza
        26.75 frozen salmon from Costco
27. crock pot / instant pot
28. video monitors
29. when the weather is nice enough to play outside with the kids
30. Seeds Family Worship songs
       30.5 watching Samuel sing and do the hand motions for More than Conquerors or Colossians 1:16-17
31. HOT DECAF COFFEE
31. cream
32. stevia
33. other EPC pastors' wives
34. our coffee mug collection and all the sweet, sweet memories they represent
35. digital pictures and digital videos
36. the Bible
37. La Croix
38. ginger + honey + lemon in hot water
39. kombucha
40. RUNNING
       40.5 the hope of running like I used to
41. hand me down clothes and toys for the boys
42. fall leaves and spring flowers
43. spellcheck
44. prayer
      44.5 prayers answered the way I want them answered (should I write that and put it on the internet?!?)
       44.75 prayers answered not the way I want them answered to remind me that God is sovereign
45. Bunny (Samuel's stuffed animal / lovey)
46. videos of my kids
47. pictures of my kids (and family)
48. how ridiculously excited Samuel gets about anything to do with Papa and Gaga
49. Samuel's church friends (he calls them Ba, Ga, Gee)
50. parks
51. splashpads
52. bath time
53. online banking
54. Amazon Prime
55. meijer
56. Samuel's imagination
57. Theresa A. Lindell
58. the dishwasher
59. the washer and dryer
60. the vacuum
61. furnace
62. central air
63. garage
64. space heaters
65. pay at the pump
66. drive through pharmacies
       66.5 drive through anything 
66. Costco
67. when Samuel is snuggly during story time
68. Bible time with Samuel
69. Henry's growls
70. when Samuel pretends to be a bear under the table after supper
71. when the boys wrestle
72. uninterrupted hot showers
73. rebel "ice cream" 
74. the yard covered in pristine snow
75. a field of wheat before winter
76. disposable diapers
77. our Wednesday night Mom's group
78. Alexa will play, "Lord, I need you" at volume 8 whenever I ask her to
             78.5  Alexa also plays Christmas music anytime of the year
79. when both boys are quiet in the jogging stroller or the backseat
80. coats that are made to be safe for the carseat
81. Susie
       81.5 Susie's Bakery
82. Sara (and her sweet fam!)
        82.5 Sara's Sweets
83. pumpkin bread
      83.5 pumpkin banana bread
      83.75 chocolate chip pumpkin banana bread
84. Redneck Disneyland
85. Christmas cards
86. datenight questions
87. dual control electric blankets
88. when I try a new recipe for supper and it tastes good
89. electricity
90. that I get to stay home with the boys
91. chickfila
92. when google has an answer to my parenting question (or any question)
93. how kind God is to remind me at pivotal moments that it is not about me
        93.5 and that's it is for His glory
94. sweet little Brody
95. Spotify
96. bluetooth speakers
97. how much Samuel loves his Unc Tttt
98. how easy it is to bring joy to the boys in this stage of mothering
      98.25 bubbles
      98.5 sidewalk chalk
      98.75 big boxes
99. God's faithfulness
100. fun traditions
101. Grandpa / Great Grandpa