Counting My Blessings: Week In Review
It was a week fun filled week with a lot of work, travel, time with extended family, and neat activities. Thankful for an opportunity to travel for a few days to spend catching up with family. I added the weekend since this week as well. Grateful for safety as we traveled to see people and for the wonderful memories that were made along the way.
I want to be accountable to you so the following are snip-its of some of the things I am thankful for this past week.
Counting My Blessings – Week In Review:
Monday –Thankful for the girls help in getting some tasks done around the house. It was a busy day of prepping and packing. The girls packed their entire suitcases by themselves so that saved me time from rounding up all their items and getting them in the suitcase.
Tuesday – Thankful for friends that are willing to watch our house and pets while we were away visiting family in New England. It is good knowing that the everything is being cared for while we are away.
Wednesday – Thankful for a job that I can work part time so I can travel with my family as well. Jake dropped me off at work this morning and picked me up early afternoon to drive to the airport so we could fly out to see family in New England. Also, grateful for airplanes and the ability to travel places relatively quickly. Thankful safety in our travels.
Thursday – Thankful for time to spend with Jake’s Mom and grandparents in Vermont. It was cooler in Vermont but the girls had a grand time with Grandma Kay, Nana, PopPop, and their chickens, puppy, and exploring the woods.
Friday – Thankful for another fun filled day in Vermont to spend time with family.
Saturday – Thankful for a safe trip to Connecticut and an opportunity to spend time with Jake’s Dad. The girls had a blast!
Sunday – Thankful for a safe trip to Massachusetts to visit with Jake’s cousin Matt and his family.
What are you thankful for today? I encourage you to take the time to write down a few blessings that you have in your life today. It will help cheer you up and turn your focus on the amazing blessings you encounter each day!
Brina & Karlie’s 5th Grade Graduation Party & Celebration!
Brina and Karlie with Mrs. Johnson at their Graduation Celebration Party! Mrs. Johnson was Karlie’s homeroom teacher in 2nd Grade, taught Karlie in Gift & Talented Program from 3rd grade up, and was both girls STEM Club Coach for 2 years. Excellent teacher!!!
Such a sweet Daddy spent a lot of time helping get ready for this big day including helping cut starfish, decorate, blow up balloons, and so much more. Thankful to have a partner that pitches in and takes the time to celebrate with the kids!
Luau theme at the Grad Party! The kids had a blast!
Karlie with her homeroom teacher Mr. Moore and her friend David! Mr. Moore was an awesome teacher!
Brina hanging out with her friend at the party!
Sweet Sisters! Thankful for these two girls!Relationships: Through the Eyes of Children
If you look at the world with the eyes of a child,
There is joy in the simplest thing,
From the green of a leaf on the earliest tree
To the curve of a bird on the wing.
If you look at the world with the eyes of a child,
There are miracles filling each day,
From the grass which mysteriously sways in the wind
To the gold in the sun’s friendly ray.
If you look at the world with the eyes of a child,
There is wonder beyond any measure,
From the stars and the moon in the evening sky
To the sparkle of a dewdrop treasure.
– Maryjane Tonn
I love how children take such joy and delight in the everyday things of life. From a babies giggle to sprinkles on top of the ice cream cone to a handful of cheerful yellow dandelions picked to be displayed in glory on the counter. The little moments of happiness and sheer gladness over the simple yet everyday tasks or items in life. Learning how to use or do something for the first time brings a great happiness to a child.
As an adult there is so much my children and other children can remind me. There is so many blessings all around us. Too often I take those good things that God gives me for granted. I know I don’t take enough time to focus on the blessings and goodness that I see around me.
Being around kids especially small ones for extended periods of time is exhausting yet rewarding. Their energy and excitement is contagious. I am thankful for my kids and the little ones that I have had the opportunity to spend time with because they remind me of the true treasures in life that I have been given. Thank you little ones!
CONGRATULATIONS Brina & Karlie! 5th Grade Graduation Ceremony!
Proud of our girls!
We are so proud of our girls! They did it! Both girls successfully completed all of their elementary school classes. It is hard to believe that they are now heading into middle school. They went to Crosswell for 7 years! Thankful for all the great teachers and administration that invested all their time and energy into our girls. They have grown and learned a lot of about life, friends, and increased their knowledge.
Congratulations Brina & Karlie!
Today was a big celebration for all they have accomplished in their schooling. It came with a lot of emotions for me as their Mom. I was thrilled and happy while at the same time sad knowing that my babies are growing up very quickly. I want to hold onto and treasure these precious moments because these past few years have gone by way too fast.
Brina getting her diploma from Mr. Holliday!
We look forward to seeing them continue to grow. They are sweet girls who have grown up so much. It will be neat to see them transition into Middle School. Love our girls!
Karlie getting her diploma from Mr. Holliday!
My girls are not babies anymore!
Little Blessings
Dunkin Donut Coffee Treat
Sometimes it is the little thoughtful things that you do for another person that will most brighten their day. My husband was a big blessing to me this morning. It was a busy, cool, and rainy Monday morning and he went out of his way to make sure I knew how much he loved me. I know it is just a cup of coffee from Dunkin Donuts, but the little random acts of love and kindness speak volumes to my heart. Thankful for a husband who takes the time to demonstrate how much he cares. The coffee was amazing and hit the spot this morning. Thanks Babe!
Boy Oh Boy – NICU Time with Sweet Kaelan
Recently, I had the opportunity to spend a week in Colorado with family. My cousin Renelle Broughton (who is like a sister to me) had her little one early and was spending a big part of each day in NICU. I was able to spend time with her, her husband Eric, and their new sweet little one Kaelan! It was a precious time for me.
Words cannot express how honored and truly amazing it was me to spend time with this awesome Momma, caring Dad, and adorable little guy. Not to mention to have the chance to experience NICU from a totally different perspective from when the girls were in it over 10 years ago. Kaelan won my heart immediately and I am grateful for Renelle and Eric opening their home, sharing their precious boy with me, and everything during that crazy busy week.
Thankful for a chance to spend some extra time with my Aunt, Uncle, cousins, my parents, and other extended family over the weekend as well! Wish I lived closer to see them and their little guy grow up. Love you guys! Lots of hugs, kisses, and prayers always from South Carolina! Thankful for an awesome husband Jake Hayes for taking good care of our two chickies while I was in Colorado that week!
Goodies for Kaelan!
Renelle is like a sister to me and it was wonderful spending the week with her.
He was not happy about getting his footprints done and into the baby book, but his tiny little toes looked so stinkin cute afterwards!
Precious time with Renelle and her sweet little bundle of joy. I cannot tell you how amazing this week was for me to spend with her, Eric, and her adorable baby boy!Mother’s Day Celebration
Huge Mother’s Day chalk message on the driveway from Karlie!
I am blessed. Yesterday I was reminded again of how much God has given me. A family that loves me despite all my imperfections. Jake and the girls showered me with love on Mother’s Day. Even though Jake was on call this Mother’s Day weekend and was a little busier than normal, he made time to celebrate. It was a great day with the family.
They made me breakfast in bed. We went to church. Jake and the girls made an amazing lunch. That afternoon we relaxed, read books together, opened gifts, played games, and had fun. Thankful for my family and a chance to spend the day together. Their thoughtfulness made me feel loved and appreciated.
Breakfast in bed – cheesy scrambled eggs, ham, and sauteed mushrooms! Delicious!
Fresh flowers from the girls (they got them from Children’s Church)
Putting together the pinwheel steaks!
They choose what ingredients to stuff the steak with for lunch
Pinwheel steaks ready to go into the oven!
Stuffed with tomatoes, swiss cheese, goat cheese, bacon, ham, spinach, mushrooms, sunflowers, cranberries, and more goodies!
My steak was AMAZING!
Huge stuffed portobello mushroom! Stuffed with spinach, hummus, and topped with toasted granola – so tasty!
Mother’s Day cards from Jake and the girls. Karlie’s was the kitten and Brina’s the puppy.
Brina picked out a beautiful pink rose bush for me!
Karlie picked out a gorgeous red rose bush for me!
Adorable handmade flowers from my girls! Brina made the bright yellow one and Karlie made the blue and red one!
A place to sit and talk with Jake or read with the kids. Very comfy!
Sweet note from Brina. The top says “I am thankful to have a Mom like you because you are nice to me and play with me.” The bottom has a cute little poem!
Colorful Mother’s Day Butterfly from Brina
Cute card from Brina
Mother’s Day note from Brina wanting to know if I can play or cook with her! Love my girls!
Vibrant Mother’s Day drawing from Karlie
Sweet poem and note from Karlie on the back of her drawing.
Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
But no one a flower,
Just like you!
Happy Mother’s Day! Hope you are having a nice and relaxing day. Do you like the card and rose? The rose is a rare blue rose that only grows on Neptune! May you please read to me on the deck?
Thankful for my family! I treasure these times we have together. I am blessed.
Heart Reflections: Raising My Girls
Sweet Brina Bee!
I am so thankful for my girls! They are growing up too quickly. It doesn’t seem like it was that long ago when they were little ones crawling around the house. God chose to bless us with these girls. It has been a fun adventure raising twins! Not everyday has been perfect, but we have so many reasons to be grateful for these two blessings. They have made me grow more as a person. They bring more love and laughter into my life than I ever realized was possible.
My sweet Karlie Kool Kat is always game for a road trip!
Both girls are very different, yet perfect and gifted in their own special ways. I pray that God will give us as parents the wisdom to raise them into amazing young women. I know I will make mistakes as their Mom along the way, but hopefully they will overlook those mistakes and know that I love them despite those not-so-good-moments. It is my prayer that they will seek God’s wisdom and direction in their lives.
I want to go through life focusing more on the good memories and letting go of the little things that get my feathers ruffled. Life is too short to not have fun, smile, and enjoy the blessings God gives us everyday. For those of you who are new to my blog these two girls were the inspiration for my blog, Blessings Multiplied. They continue to amaze me with their creativity, learning, talents, and their love for life! I look forward to many more awesome memories with these two sweet girls and seeing how God uses them to make an impact in the lives around them.
Thankful for Friendships & Beautiful Surprises!
Beautiful bouquet of flowers from a friend!
I am thankful for friendships and for the amazing blessings in my life! A sweet friend dropped this beautiful bouquet of flowers off at my house one evening with a card! Her timing couldn’t have been more perfect….isn’t it awesome how God allows friends to time a surprise so perfectly!!! It was one of those crazy busy days and I was trying to balance all the activities that were going on with our family as well as prepare for some upcoming events. I was in the middle of working with the girls on homework, making dinner, picking up the house, making lunches for the following day, among a handful of other tasks when the doorbell rang. When I heard the doorbell I didn’t think too much of it because I figured it was probably just the neighbor kids wanting to play. Jake was home and on a phone call, but he was the first one to the door. He brought back these beautiful flowers which totally surprised me and made my day!!!!
Love fresh flowers!
Even though it has been over two weeks since these flowers arrived on my doorsteps they are still in the vase on the table! I think God has allowed these flowers to remain beautiful so long to continue to remind me of his goodness and the blessings of friendships. I have only pulled out a couple flowers that were wilting, but several still look amazing! The best part about these beautiful flowers is every time I look at them I am reminded of my sweet and thoughtful friend who delivered them to me.
Friendships are a wonderful blessing in our lives. They take time to cultivate and grow much like flowers. God allows us the opportunity to walk through this journey with special people we call friends. Friendship also means we have the joy of celebrating the good times with our friends as well as spending extra time in prayer as a friend goes through a rough patch. Everyone needs these types of friends to laugh with during the joyous moments and encourage you when it seems like your stuck in a whirlwind.
Every time I see these flowers or smell their refreshing fragrance when I walk into the room I am reminded of my friendship and take a moment to pause and pray specifically for that friend. I pray for her to have the strength, wisdom, and energy she needs to walk through her day. I may not know what challenges she faces each moment or joys she experiences throughout the day, but I can still lift her up in prayer knowing that God knows what she’s facing today and He alone can give her exactly what she needs.
Thanks Dee for the beautiful flowers, your friendship, and for walking this journey of life alongside me! May we always continue to grow ever closer to our Savior. You are a true blessing in my life! Thanks sweet friend for the beautiful surprise!
Creative Kids: New Hot Pads!
Karlie’s colorful hot pad she made!
The other day I was working on several items that needed to be done so the girls took some time to do some crafts. I wasn’t sure what they were up to, but they were staying busy and being good. The next morning I was presented with two brand new colorful hot pads! One that Karlie had made and one from Brina! What a special treat it is to get such a sweet gift first thing in the morning. Thankful for my thoughtful girls. I am very blessed and will think of them every time I use their beautiful hot pads.
Brina’s new hot pad she made for me!
My beautiful new hot pads! Love them and especially love the two sweet girls that made them for me.
