What's Next for the Kisling Family

Wow. It's been months since I have posted on this blog! What I've discovered is that it is very difficult to write when one is in the midst of a difficult time. It's too easy to write something one shouldn't write. It's too hard to write honestly during such a time without laying completely bare one's hurts for the world to see. I'm not saying one should not be real, but some things are better left unwritten. :)

Some of you know that Reid was asked to step down as pastor of Grace Baptist Church back in June. To others, this is brand new news. For us, it has been a very hurtful situation, as is often the case when a pastor is asked to step down. We still deal almost daily with emotions ranging from sadness to anger, forgiveness to hurt, hope to impatience, and more. Never the less, God is slowly healing our hearts.

The church has very generously provided a severance package for us. As the months have gone by, we have been very grateful for the time that severance has allowed for us to work through our feelings, regain our bearings, and search out God's plan for what He would have us do next. It also allowed time for our family to go on a mission trip together to Indian Bible College (IBC) in Flagstaff, Arizona, and for Reid to travel to Haiti again, working with Pastor Riccardo. He also traveled to Romania to provide a pastor there a much needed break from ministry for about 10 days, and has a few more trips planned with missionaries our church supports. Earlier this month, he went with a group from our church up to the Yakima area and helped do wiring and plumbing on a new house for our missionaries Jeff and Val Sutton at ACTS. (Their current house has been lovingly given over to their ministry.) Next month, he will travel to IBC to  help them prepare for the accreditation process. Then in January, he will be going to Haiti with two other men  to put on a church planting workshop for church leaders there. (He has always loved missions!)

 Now we are nearing the end of this phase of provision, and it's time to solidify our plans, beginning in the new year. Part of the difficulty in searching out the right direction is that Reid is gifted in many different ways, and has broad experiences that would allow him to work well in many different contexts. (I can say this about him because this IS my blog. Forgive me for bragging on him. :) Actually, I don't need forgiveness for that. I have the RIGHT to brag on my hubby. :) ) Ah-hem. Yes. Back to the subject....
We wondered if he should look for another pastorate, look into interim pastor work, go back into higher education administration, teach at the college level, continue with higher education  consulting, or if there was something else.  Opportunities in all these areas have been presented to him in the last several months,  but for one reason or another they have not worked out.  It has been cool for us to see God very definitely close certain doors, and swing wide open others.

As we have prayed daily together, and continue to do so, some things have become clear. It is important to us if at all possible to remain where we live right now. The kids are at a stage of life that would be a difficult time for them to start over, some of them more than others. We love the area, and the school system here. We are not too far from Reach Family Institute, where we have received and continue to receive such great care for Rosalie (and Katie too!). We are close to family on both sides. Not to mention that with the housing market the way it is, selling our home could be interesting. Another thing I personally have realized over the last couple of years is how much I love working WITH my husband and being an integral part of his life work. It saddened me to think of him re-entering the college administration world, where I don't begin to understand or feel included in all that his work would entail. We understand that God is big enough to handle all these things, but know in our hearts that He also cares deeply about our children's hearts and our desires. This obviously limits our options when looking for career direction. So here's where this story gets exciting. :)

Since 2000, Reid has been a board member of an organization called ARM Ministries. It is a small missions organization that supports missionaries who have a clear vision, including a number of national (non-U.S.) church leaders. It meets a strategic need that seems to be missing in many para-church organizations. The president of that organization is a long time family friend of ours named Alan Mezger. He and his lovely wife Dianne are in their early 60's, and his daughter Leslie is one of my longest, bestest friends. We've all known each other and interacted with each other since we "kids" were in high school back in good ol' Klamath Falls. 

For the last several years, Alan has been asking Reid to come on board as a missionary with ARM to help with running the organization.  For us, that has never seemed like a viable option, as Reid has in the past been employed full time, leaving him unable to devote the time needed to help ARM Ministries to the fullest extent. Now, after seeking several other directions and having the doors quite obviously closed to us, we are ready to follow God's call to join ARM Ministries! While at a board meeting in Colorado in October, Alan once again asked Reid to consider joining ARM Ministries. After talking it over and praying about it, and with our other experiences that have led us to this direction, we have decided to take a leap of faith and join the ARM team! 

I'm not sure I can explain our feelings about this. There is peace. There is excitement. There is joy in knowing we will be serving the Lord together here, and perhaps all over the world through short term mission trips. It just feels right. It just ..... happened. And guess what? I will have responsibilities, too! I'm going to help keep track of records and accounts.

See how well it fits? Reid will be in ministry, in a role that fits and uses all of his gifts, while enjoying missions. We get to remain here in Dundee. And I get to work side by side with my husband. In addition to working for ARM, Reid will continue consulting with AACRAO, a national higher education organization; teaching some courses at Multnomah Bible College and perhaps George Fox; and anything else God puts in his/our path. Currently, he is even doing some plumbing/electrical/remodeling work with our friend Kim Halstead from church. God provides. Yes, He does. :) 

I read something in a novel recently that exactly fit our situation. It said "It may be that God has allowed this thing in order to give you a greater commission than one you might have assumed for yourself." Perhaps God called Reid out of college administration into pastoral ministry, and then allowed all that happened with that position, to prepare us to be ready to accept and follow His call to this new adventure.... missionaries with ARM Ministries.

Interviews with the kids

So my friends Jeana and Becky interviewed their children and got some pretty cute answers. I decided to copy them, right down to using the same questions. I think it originated as a Mother's day interview - all about Mom. I interviewed all four of my kids at different times, so these answers are not "group think" answers. :)
1.What is something your mom always says to you?

Cameron (age 15): "Hey, Bud!" 

Katie (age 13): "I love you." 

Rosalie (age 11): "I love you." 

Natalie (age 9): "I love you." 

(OK, forget the quotes. And forget full names...) 

2. What makes your mom happy? 

C: Being with her family. 

K: When you bring her flowers, do chores and help out with dinner. 

R: Flowers. 

N: Flowers. 

 3. What makes your mom sad? 

C: When Daddy's gone. 

K: When someone else is sad, when someone dies. 

R: When we disobey. 

N: When Nana dies. 

 4. How does your mom make you laugh?

 C: By singing funny songs in a silly voice. 

K: She says funny stuff and tickles me. 

R: By doing crazy things. 

N: By tickling me. 

5. What was your mom like as a child? 

C: Friendly. 

K: No idea. 

R: Liked to read and play outside and read the Bible 

N: Pretty. 6. 

How old is your mom? 

 C: 40 

K: 40 

R: 40 

N: 40 

Shoot - no fooling them! 

 7. How tall is your mom? 

 C: 5'9" 

K: 5'9" 

R: I don't know 

N: 6'2" 

8. What is her favorite thing to do? 

 C: Be with friends and family. 

K: Be a mom. 

R: Shopping going to the beach, being with her kids. 

N: Read the Bible. 

9. What does your mom do when you're not around? 

C: Runs errands, takes care of my sisters. 

K: Laundry, dishes, chores, go to Bible Study, clean Grampa and Grandma's house. 

R: Sometimes she cleans Grampa and Grandma's house, read 

N: Clean people's houses and put away the clean dishes, clean up the house, get ready to have people over. 

 10. If your mom becomes famous what will it be for? 

C: Her cooking 

K: Her cooking 

R: Being the best mom. 

N: Being a missionary. 

11. What is your mom really good at? 

C: Being a mom. 

K: Cooking and being a mom. 

R: Being a mom. 

N: Being a mom. 

12. What is your mom not very good at? 

 C: Swimming. 

K: I don't know. 

R: I don't know. 

N: Painting (like art) 

13. What does your mom do for a job? 

C: Takes care of our family. 

K: She's a stay-at-home mom. 

R: Nothing - well, you don't work anywhere. 

N: Clean people's houses. 

14. What is your mom's favorite food? 

 C: PF Chang's (restaurant), sesame chicken and broccoli. 

K: ice cream? 

R: Pineapple 

N: Mango 

15. What makes you proud of your mom? 

C: She's not embarrassed to act weird in front of my friends. 

K: That she's a good mom. 

R: That you're our mom. 

N: For you being a mom. 

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be? 

 C: (Haven't got an answer yet.) 

K: Bugs Bunny, cuz he is smart. 

R: I don't know 

N: The little girl in Inspector Gadget - Penny. 

 17. What do you and your mom do together? 

 C: make silly jokes, talk. 

K: Go shopping, cook, garden 

R: Go shopping, read together. 

N: Read a book together, clean the house, play. 

18. How are you and your mom alike? 

C: We look similar, we have the same sense of humor. 

K: We look alike, we have some of the same interests, we both love our family.

R: We both like to go shopping, we both like Tiger (the cat). 

N: We like the same foods. 

19. How are you and your mom different? 

C: She's more mature than I am - age-wise and brain-wise. 

K: We're different ages, I do water polo and she's a mom. 

R: I like different foods - You like foods I don't like. 

N: We like different kinds of gum. 

20. How do you know your mom loves you? 

 C: By hugging me and making silly jokes with me. 

K: She says she loves me, she disciplines us to make us good people. 

R: She disciplines me because she cares about me, she tells me. 

N: Because she tells it to me all the time. 

21. What does your mom like most about your dad? 

C: His love of Jesus. 

K: That he's a good, strong Christian. 

R: He's a good dad. 

N: He's a Christian. 

22. Where is your mom's favorite place to go? 

C: Home, Bible Study, church. 

K: Crescent Lake. 

R: The beach and clothes shopping. 

N: The beach. 

23. What do you think of your mom? 

C: She's a good Christian, she loves us and she's cool. 

K: She's a good mom and a good Christian and she loves us. 

R: A good mom, we can trust her, she loves us, she's a Christian. 

N: She's a good person, trustworthy and loyal. 

 So, that was fun. I especially like how Rosalie's answers many times involved shopping - HER favorite thing to do. :) I was a bit surprised that none of them know my favorite food. Then again, maybe I don't either.... And I like that Cameron thinks I'm cool. :) And I don't know why he doesn't think I'm very good at swimming.... just because I don't play water polo doesn't mean I can't swim. Just sayin'.

Pain and Projects

It seems that times of pain are good times for big projects around this house. When Mom died, I spent weeks researching types of chickens, types of chicken coops, how to raise chickens, what to buy, etc. And my talented husband built an amazing chicken hotel and we bought eight little chicks and we nurtured them, and loved them and learned how to care for them. It was great to have something fun and new and adventurous to focus on. And to this day I love our chickens and the pretty, extra healthy, colored eggs they lay.





This time the pain is different, maybe even more difficult, if that makes any sense. (Probably not to some of you.) This time my wonderful husband has been asked to resign his position as senior pastor of Grace Baptist Church. It is not what we would choose. Yet it is Reid's decision to submit to the church board in this. It is a long, yucky, messy story that I cannot share, except to say that Reid's integrity and character are not at all in question. (Thank you, Jesus!) For us, it has been painful beyond our previous experience, difficult to understand. We have cried, vented angry feelings, prayed up many a storm, and talked it over for hours and hours. We don't know why God has allowed this to happen, but we trust that He is good, that He is in control and that He has a better plan for us and for our church family.

So. You're wondering. The project? Knock out the fireplace in the living room; replace the old, worn out carpet with beautiful, new, tax return payed for, laminate wood flooring; repaint the walls a warm, cheery, yellow/orange; and put new molding around all the windows, doors and floor. Oh yeah, and while we're at it, replace the old, worn out carpet in the playroom, too.

Life Lessons.... From a Rooster

Lesson #1:

In September of last year, we purchased two new little chicks to add to our small flock of chickens. And like with the proverbial box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get. So as these two adorable little chicks began to grow, it became more and more clear that we may have a rooster on our hands. This is a problem because we are not allowed to have roosters within the city limits. As time went on, we thought for sure he was a rooster, even though he wasn't crowing yet. We wondered what to do once he started crowing. Now the obvious answer to most would be to have a bit of rooster stew, right? But, oh no. Not in this family. A certain daughter of ours loves her chickens and decided that if we were to eat "Jazz Man" (name changed from Jasmine for obvious reasons) she would never eat chicken again. A little dramatic, I know, but you get the idea.

So as the months wore on, we would joke about eating him, letting him out in the vineyard to fend for himself (he would have made a delightful supper for some coyote, I'm sure), or perhaps building him his own little cage outside our fence which happens to be the city limit. We more seriously wondered about friends who might take him. I even put him up for grabs on Face Book. All to no avail.

And then it happened. He crowed. Nice and loud. Over and over. All. Day. Long. Uh oh. So we prayed. And we asked if anyone would take him. And then I casually mentioned it to a friend from church who lives on a farm. Guess what? Her mom is the chicken whisperer. :) They have lots of chickens. They have a few roosters, too. And she breeds her chickens and sells them. They just happened to have sold a rooster and just happened to be desirous of adding a new, young rooster to their flock. And YES! They would love to take him! And they wouldn't eat him! And they wouldn't sell him - at least not anytime soon! And the kids can go and see him anytime they want! And she gave us a new hen in exchange! Her name is Jasmine. :) And of course you must realize the significance of the timing here. Had we asked them sooner, they would not have had a place for Jazz Man, and he very well could have become... gulp... rooster stew.

Isn't God great? He cares about these little seemingly silly things in our lives and in the lives of our children. He is faithful. Over and over I am blessed by how He answers the simple prayers of my children for seemingly little things. But these answered little childlike prayers are the building blocks of faith for them. When God answers their little kid prayers, they are learning to trust Him, and as they grow, they will trust Him with bigger and bigger things. And the little things too.

Laughter Is Good Medicine

Every now and then the kids beg me to pull out the binder that holds scraps of paper where I've written down funny things they said when they were little. The other night was one of those times. After dinner we all sat around the table and laughed together at the things they said, even though we've read them many times. Rosie always wonders why there aren't very many "Rosie stories". We always explain that she was a very quiet, sweet little girl who didn't have much to say, so there aren't as many stories for her. So if you wonder why there aren't as many stories for Rosalie, now you'll know. :)I wish I had done even better at recording the cute little things they said and did, but am thankful that I at least have these little scraps of paper. So here are some Kisling kid stories. Hopefully they give you a little chuckle and brighten your day. :)

Cameron:
Summer '98: Bee bee boop died. Nana's 'ouse. Membo dat? (A baby bird died at Nana's house. Remember that?)

January '01, age 3 1/2: Picking up Cam from Awana

Reid: Can you still say your verse, Cam?
Cameron: No, I talked so much I lost my breath.

February '01, almost 4:

Cam: What's a genius?
Mom: a very, very, very smart person.
Cam: I'm a genius.
Mom: Well, no, you're not.
Cam: Yes, I am.
Mom: Well, you are very smart, but you're not one of the smartest people in the world. Cam: Well, I'm practicing!

March '02, almost 5:

Cam is getting dressed for Texas Day at preschool...
Cam: I found my cowboy hat and some socks, but I can't find the antenna (bandana).

April '02, age 5:

Mom: Mmmm, you smell so nice and clean.
Cam: Yeah, I used Daddy's soap and shampoo.
Mom: You did! Wow, growin' up!
Cam: Yeah, I feel like a redult (adult) already!

Cam went through this phase of "re" words. It was great! Here are some of his "re" words:
Re-puter (computer)
Re-seum (museum)
Re-lympics (olympics)
Re-dult (adult)

August '02, after the 1st day of kindergarten:

Cam: Sigh...
Mom: Are you tired, Cam?
Cam: Yeah, this kindergarten stuff wears me out.

October '02, age 5 1/2:

Mom: You didn't complain about your ankle hurting while you were outside.
Cam: That's cuz when I'm having fun I don't have time to complain. (ain't that the truth!)

April '03, age 6:

Cam: I don't recorize (recognize) this street.

April, '03:

Cam: Oh my gosh! Dad! Look! The viruses (irises) are blooming!

Katie:

October, '01, age 2 1/2:

Katie, singing: He made da hole in da world, wif His hands

June '02, age just turned 3:

Mom drove a little too fast around a corner and Katie says "Take it easy, Mom!" (funny out of a 3 year old's mouth!)

June '02, age just turned 3:

Mom: Katie, don't pick your owie.
Katie: But Mom, you remember my other rule. Kids just can't leave their owies alone.

July '02:

Katie wouldn't eat her lunch, but said she wanted some cake. We told her to eat her sandwich and she said " But I'm tired of food - all of the food that God made."

March '03, age almost 4:
Katie: We can use a feather for a pen in the new-en days just like in the olden days!

April '03:

Katie: The toilet needs to be plumped. I'll go get the plumper!

April '03, age almost 4, Cam, just turned 6:

Katie: You're strong, Cam.
Cam: Thanks, Kaid. I ate my vegetables last night.
Kaite: Yeah, 'cept the red peppers. But you can hardly taste the red peppers, Cam.

June, '03, just turned 4:

Katie words: Star horse = Star Wars, pink on ball= ping pong ball


Rosalie:
Cute Rosie words: bag-eagle= bagel, oopstie = oopsie, scum scween = sunscreen, wope = roach, wimmie poot = swim suit

Rosalie, age 3, comes out of her and Natalie's bedroom, sleepy eyed, in footy pj's carrying "Mimi" the lamb: Mommy, baby slept two hours late!


Natalie:

Cute Natalie words: cupboards= covers, mudge = fudge, sleeping cutie = sleeping beauty, corn plates = corn flakes, bikini bread = zucchini bread, floss = lip gloss, mistake = steak, What do I smell like? = What do I smell?

March '06, age just turned 3:

Natalie : Can you do da bangs? (Meaning, can you brush my top teeth?)

May '06, age 3:

At Dairy Queen one day Nattie looks at a man and says : Mommy, look who's here.
Mom: Yeah, who is that?
Natalie: I don't know!

May '06, age 3:

Dad, scolding Natalie: Did you call Rosie a potato?
Natalie: No, a tomato!

June '06, age 3:

Right after I cut Reid's hair...
Natalie: Daddy's hair cut looks pretty.
Rosalie: It's not pretty Nattie. (Meaning that for boys, pretty is not the right word.)
Natalie: If it's not pretty, what is it?
Rosalie: It's cool!

June '06, age 3:
Natalie: Posie's fish died with his eyes open.
Rosalie: Nattie, that's because fish don't have blinkers.
Natalie: (blinking) Yeah, they don't blink... like this. (Winking) And they can't wink either, like this.

April '07, age 4:

Natalie, while making her bed, to the tune of "it's a Small World After All":

"It's a two girl leotar (leotard)" (whole song thru)
vs. 2 "It's a 4 year old leotar"
vs. 3 "It has sparkles on it."

April '07, age 4:

Natalie makes a list of things she needs to do today, including puppy training, coloring and going to the store. She colors (because it's on her list) and says "This is colored by Natalie the Kisling Louise.

How I wish I hadn't stopped, and had been able to record even more, but I do love having these little snippets of each child's early years. :)Hope they brought a smile to your day! :)

On Being Sick.... and other stuff

I don't get sick very often at all. The last time I was sick was right after my mom died two years ago. I caught a nasty cold. But I was actually thankful for it. It was a reminder to me that the whole year my mom suffered from leukemia, I never once got sick. She couldn't be around anyone with even a slight cold, since her immune system was so weak because of the chemo. So even when my kids and Reid got the dreaded swine flu for two weeks, I stayed well and was able to spend time with mom. Had I not caught that cold, I'm not sure I would have recognized God's gift of wellness when it really counted.

Well, it was my turn to get sick again. I got sick on December 10. Nice timing. :) I had planned on doing all the Christmas shopping that last week of school and instead all I did was sit on the couch and watch movies, and take lots of naps. I finally went shopping on December 23rd with Reid, though he did most of the shopping. It's now January 17th, and I am on my second round of antibiotics still trying to get well, and not having been completely well since December 10th. I also have a cracked rib (from coughing so hard) to deal with this last week. (At least I think that's why my rib hurts worse than anything I've ever felt before. The doctor I saw didn't give that thought the time of day, but that's another story. My doctor brother said that's probably what it is.)

I know that sounds really whiny up there, but I have a purpose, I promise. And it's not to whine! :) It's to record the blessings I have experienced during this time of sickness and pain. The first two weeks, when I was either asleep or on the couch, Reid was A-MAZE-ING He did all the running around of kids, the grocery shopping, the meal planning and cooking, the lunch making for the kids, and ALL the laundry from start to finish. He also let me sleep in and go to bed early. And he still went to work every day and put in a full day's work. What a man! I was so blessed by his care for me.

Another blessing was the time I got to spend with Miss Natalie. She was sick that last week of school before Christmas too, and we had fun watching movies together, and hanging out.

My parents brought us dinner, friends offered their assistance with kids and grocery runs, and others checked in by phone.

Since I did whatever I did to my rib a week ago Monday, I pretty much have had to sit in my chair and try not to move much. It's getting a little better day by day, and now I can sit and type this blog without too much bothersomeness. But boy I tell ya, I learned that I am not good at dealing with pain! What a wimp and a whiner I am! No wonder God has not until now allowed me to break anything or deal with serious injury or difficult pregnancy stuff. He knew I'd drive my poor family insane! And talk about grumpy! Phew! Poor Reid! Poor kids! BUT! They have been wonderful helpers and very sympathetic. And what I have been blessed with is a new gratitude for my usually healthy and working body. And a deep empathy and admiration for those who live with chronic pain and/or illness. And also, a rich time of just hanging around with the fam instead of always being at the dishes or the laundry or the cleaning or the... you get the idea. Instead we've played lots of card games, worked on homework together, and really just enjoyed each others' company. It's been special, eye opening, and I hope even life changing.

On to the other stuff....
We went to REACH yesterday, down in Medford. It was a great time of encouragement, and affirmation and just blessed gratitude for the changes we have seen in Rosalie over the last few years, and Katie too over the last year and a half. You can read about Rosalie's story here: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3. Sorry - I know it's long, but it's good. :) I should update it sometime...

On the way home from Klamath Falls today (we always stay with Reid's parents in KFalls when we go to REACH), it snowed and snowed. It was beautiful and peaceful. And while we were down there, the skies were blue and the air was crisp and cheery. A lovely reprieve from our usually gray winter skies up north.

So you see, my heart is full of gratitude and blessedness today. And I like that it is in writing now, so that when I feel discouraged, I can remember to pick through the big things going on to find the little gifts and every day blessings.

Now if I can just get rid of this cough, and hurting rib...... :)

A Season

There is a season where life seems to be rushing at breakneck speed. Where boys begin to shave, and girls awaken to the emotional drama of being an almost teenager. Where little sisters graciously follow and participate in the activities of their older siblings. Where laundry just doesn't get done and the house is a mess and there's hardly time to breathe. Where husbands face hard challenges, and kids need help on their homework, and new ideas for meals are hard to come by. Where the leaves on the trees have all of a sudden turned brilliant orange, yellow, and red, and the little birds fly like pepper in the sky. Where Thanksgiving is a week away, but really seems like it should be a few weeks away.

It's a full season. Full of joy. Full of emotion. Full of fun. Full of frustration. Full of wondering. Full of questions that hopefully have wise answers. Full of hope. Full of driving. Full calendars. Full hearts.

And in between, there's not much time for writing, for processing these things that are all happening whether I try to stop them or not, so I just hold on for dear life and ride this kite tail called life and hope that I am taking it all in; loving, laughing, growing, sharing, building. Making good choices and decisions by the grace of God and in the best ways I know how. Being and becoming the woman God created me to be.

And in the midst of it all, finding those little things and big things to be thankful for. It keeps me going. Keeps my perspective where it should be - most of the time. So here is the list of gifts #201 - 300. It's been a while, and I haven't kept up with this list the way I'd like, so it starts back in early September.


201. A day at the beach
202. Warm sand between my toes.
203. Kids splashing in the waves.
204. Cloudless blue sky and warm temperatures at the Oregon Coast!
205. Running down big sand dunes.
206. Happy dog being buried in the sand.
207. Relaxed Daddy.
208. Popping in at Aunt Pam's beach cabin to spend time with cousins and Pam.
209. A sand bed made specially by Katie to fit my body.
210. Yummy fajitas.
211. The color red.
212. Purple!!
213. The little sparkles on the stem of a tomato plant.
214. Family - Papa O., Aunt Kathy, Aunt Deena and cousin Andrea coming for a visit.
215. Monday! A fresh week ahead of me.
216. Don Skyles - his funeral, hearing about the kind of man he was.
217. Generosity of Dad and Mary to share their home with our family and friends while they are gone.
218. Talking with Alan Mezger.
219. Grace University - taking a class with Cam and Katie at church.
220. The enthusiasm and energy of Geary Linhart as he teaches - a definite teacher's heart!
221. A good night's sleep finally!
222. Harvest moon rising in hazy dusk sky.
223. Worship practice with Paula and Becky.
224. Working on albums with Debbie.
225. The albums are done!
226. Homework time with the kids.
227. Homemade goodies in the oven.
228. Knowing the Lord's help in being patient with the kids.
229. Father and son out to ice cream after the game.
230. Have I mentioned coffee? :)
231. Late start Wednesdays - longer quiet time!
232. Walking into my bedroom and seeing that Reid has made the bed for me.
233. Baby chicks!
234. Pleasant afternoons at the park after school.
235. Chatty, giggly, happy girls - even when it's overkill and can be annoying. :)
236. Waking Katie up - a smile on her face before she even opens her eyes.
237. Getting out Fall clothes.
238. Reid helping Nattie with her "me" poster.
239. Reid's cheerful, joking, relaxed time with the girls last night.
240. The beginnings of shcool days- hustle and bustle of breakfast, lunch prep, etc.
241. The peaceful pitter patter of raindrops.
242. Rain!
243. Feeling cozy in our nice comfy house during the rain.
244. The smell of rain.
245. A dinner at home with all of us around the table. (sports season..)
246. A fishing day for Reid.
247. A day at home to catch up on housework.
248. Cooler weather.
249. Walking with Amber.
250. Laughter.
251. Walking and talking with Amber and Jenny.
252. A day of salmon fishing for Reid. (Different day than the previous one. :) )
253. How God has filled my "mom shaped hole" with Himself and so many wonderful friends and aunts and cousins.
254. Scrabble with Leslie.
255. Family movie night.
256. All family members laughing hard at the movie.
257. Going to church.
258. Worshiping with church family.
259. A rainy afternoon.
260. Coming home after being out Saturday morning to find the house clean and the girls room cleaned.
261. The happy, proud smiles of the girls who worked hard to make their room look nice.
262. Gorgeous blanket of pink clouds over the world as the sun rises.
263, Praying with Reid.
264. Eating salmon.
265. Being known.
266. Being a child of God.
267. Women's Bible study.
268. Talking on the phone with Rhonda.
269. Going to Dundee Open House.
270. The feeling of being settled, established in this community.
271. Nights of restless sleep. They make me rely on the Lord to make it thru the day and help me appreciate the nights of good sleep.
272. Extended summery weather.
273. Morning mist rolling down over the vineyard next to our house.
274. Sun shining on the vineyard - such a pretty green.
275. Listening to my husband teach at Grace University.
276. Worship on Sunday.
277. Hats!
278. Wind.
279. Seeing Dad and Mary after 3 weeks.
280. Finding so many wonderful treasures in the hand-me-down bins.
281. Nattie sitting on my lap reading to me.
282. A well timed walk and talk with Amber.
283. Prayer and worship time with Paula.
284. Prayer time with Reid.
285. Leaves changing color all over - reds, oranges, yellows - so brilliant!
286. Fresh hair cut for Cameron.
287. Earlier darkness = relaxed evenings together.
288. Father and son up in Grampa's shop working on a project together.
289. Brother and sister playing a game together.
290. Finding a new gluten free blog with yummy looking recipes.
291. First High School band concert.
292. Cam and Reid wrestling and laughing.
293. Happy pregnancies at church.
294. New little adopted step-niece on my lap.
295. Katie all dressed up for an interview at school (for a trip she'd like to go on.)
296. New flannel jammies.
297. Foggy mornings.
298. Frost on the windshield.
299. Grandparents who try hard to come to every performance and game.
300. Music! Orchestra, band, etc.

I know... I repeated a few of those. But they meant different things at different times.

Now I'd best get back to unpacking the groceries... or the dishes.... or the laundry... or fixing dinner.... or a little of each. :) Riding that kite tail, baby. Yep.