Gifts 14, 15 and 16 Everyday Gifts
I pulled out of my driveway this morning with my Joy Dare hunt in mind. My first thought was "oh it's cloudy and gloomy and COLD- it's going to be hard to find a gift outside today"
I know I was starting off with a positive attitude from the get go huh?
Well thankfully I thought I should try and I figured the outside gift would come at recess or leaving work. What gift was waiting for me outside......
(you know because I deserve one with my chipper mood at this point)
And then.
I turned the corner onto a seeming boring every day street and suddenly I was amazed at the way everything looked like it had been painted a beautiful clean white. The roof tops, the tree tops, and not just the tree tops but the whole tree, branches trunk and all. It all looked so beautiful. I wanted to stop and take a picture but I'm fairly certain I couldn't have captured what I was seeing.
Silly me- not even five minutes into my Joy Dare and my outside gift was right there, I just needed the right eyes to see it.
My inside gift was fun. Mean but fun.
Have you ever read Mean Soup?
What a fun book to read. Every year I watch Mrs. Leif read Mean Soup and 5 years later there are just some stories that don't get old. I was sitting in a chair folding some papers (I am always doing busy work when it's not my turn with the kiddos) Thankfully my busy work had me sitting so when she started reading I found myself lost in the story about Horace and his bad day making mean soup with his Mama. When Mrs. Leif is all done she makes soup with the kids using the letters we've already learned. She takes a big canning pot, a big spoon and big letters and the kids take turn putting the letters in the pot while saying a little chant and making all kinds of noise stirring the letters up in the pot.
This year as she read I realized what I gift I have inside those classroom walls. I realize this frequently with the children but not often enough do I remember to be thankful for the relationship I have with Mrs. Leif in our classroom. She is a true gift to me. In watching her read a story to the kids, to enjoying lunch with her on our days off to praying with her and/or for her. I am indeed thankful for her.
The hunt for the gift on a plate.
Let's be honest there isn't much of a hunt there. I like food, and it doesn't even have to be on a plate.
I must say my enthusiasm for cooking isn't always evident so the gift for me today was I had a meal planned that was easy enough to make while still getting in some good food groups and best of all my family enjoys it. Tacos. My gift on a plate today was tacos.
All three of today's gifts didn't come in the form of outstanding jump out at you wonderful. That being said all three of them were outstanding jump out at you wonderful.
I know I was starting off with a positive attitude from the get go huh?
Well thankfully I thought I should try and I figured the outside gift would come at recess or leaving work. What gift was waiting for me outside......
(you know because I deserve one with my chipper mood at this point)
And then.
I turned the corner onto a seeming boring every day street and suddenly I was amazed at the way everything looked like it had been painted a beautiful clean white. The roof tops, the tree tops, and not just the tree tops but the whole tree, branches trunk and all. It all looked so beautiful. I wanted to stop and take a picture but I'm fairly certain I couldn't have captured what I was seeing.
Silly me- not even five minutes into my Joy Dare and my outside gift was right there, I just needed the right eyes to see it.
My inside gift was fun. Mean but fun.
What a fun book to read. Every year I watch Mrs. Leif read Mean Soup and 5 years later there are just some stories that don't get old. I was sitting in a chair folding some papers (I am always doing busy work when it's not my turn with the kiddos) Thankfully my busy work had me sitting so when she started reading I found myself lost in the story about Horace and his bad day making mean soup with his Mama. When Mrs. Leif is all done she makes soup with the kids using the letters we've already learned. She takes a big canning pot, a big spoon and big letters and the kids take turn putting the letters in the pot while saying a little chant and making all kinds of noise stirring the letters up in the pot.
This year as she read I realized what I gift I have inside those classroom walls. I realize this frequently with the children but not often enough do I remember to be thankful for the relationship I have with Mrs. Leif in our classroom. She is a true gift to me. In watching her read a story to the kids, to enjoying lunch with her on our days off to praying with her and/or for her. I am indeed thankful for her.
The hunt for the gift on a plate.
Let's be honest there isn't much of a hunt there. I like food, and it doesn't even have to be on a plate.
I must say my enthusiasm for cooking isn't always evident so the gift for me today was I had a meal planned that was easy enough to make while still getting in some good food groups and best of all my family enjoys it. Tacos. My gift on a plate today was tacos.
All three of today's gifts didn't come in the form of outstanding jump out at you wonderful. That being said all three of them were outstanding jump out at you wonderful.
Comments
1. Outside - wasn't outside much today, but when I went to empty the garbage my next door neighbor's dryer vent was emiting a glorious smell!
2. Inside - A game of Skip-bo with my girls, hot chocolate & cookies.
3. On a plate - made a salad for lunch with roasted avocado, which was a truly unexpected surprise and gift: YUM!!!!