One by One

Hello to my readers, after a very long break!  It has been nearly nine months since my last post. This break in posting was not intentional, but just the result of being a busy mom and living life!  As Christmas approaches, it seems a fitting time to jump back in with counting His gifts, and naming them one by one.  I have quite a backlog to get through, as I continued to count, even though I wasn't blogging.  Won't you join me for a look back at how He has blessed me this year?

1196.  His first smile without braces!

1197.  Buying him a caramel candy bar because he could eat it!

1198.  Waking them up to watch the lunar eclipse

1199.  Bundled up in blankets on the back patio

1200.  That the sky was clear that night!  (not always a given in Oregon!)

1201.  Watching the moon slowly disappear

1202.  The stillness that night brings

1203.  When someone speaks His truth directly into your life...

1204.  ...and they don't even know it

1205.  Words of wisdom scribbled on scraps of paper so they won't be forgotten

1206.  Watching the children wander down the beach together

1207.  Watching them chase the waves...

1208.  ...and the waves chase them!

1209.  Finding a new favorite beach spot

1210.  The drive to Palm Springs

1211.  Hiking on San Jacquinto mountain

1212.  The smell of a Jeffrey pine tree

1213.  Family horse ride

1214.  The different perspective you get when horseback riding

1215.  Riding through the desert...

1216.  ...and into an oasis, complete with palm trees and a stream

1217.  The coolness of shade

1218.  The gurgle of water in a dry and dusty place

1219.  Gourmet milkshakes...

1220.  ...with a mini doughnut around the straw!