The Mother Load: September's Gifts

I love September.....for several reasons.....It's my BIRTHDAY.....and it's still a little bit summer but fall is quickly arriving. The structure of school and some semblance of routine is returning....yet its not too routine yet. Sweet September!

September at my house is filled with gifts! I love gifts....but don't really like stuff....so buying for me is probably not the easiest! I rarely have any ideas when asked what I like.....I'm not trying to be difficult....I will tell Randy and my Mama when I really want something (a camera....or a fire pit!) but generally I have no clue. I've been thinking about why a lot this month, because I've been asked a lot what I want....and this is what I came up with:

I want thoughtfulness.

I want words.

I want pictures.

I want memories.

These are the things that I value and they are not always easy to put in a box with a bow!

Some gifts (stuff) really hit the jackpot though....here are a few of my all time favorite gifts.....

A simple bracelet that sorta sums up my life.....

This was a Christmas gift this past year.

A handmade 7 egg shadow box (I have 7 in my tribe!)......

This was a 40th birthday gift, a few years back!

Flowers from my Andrew with no prompting, flowers mean very little to me, but him remembering means everything....same when my Jackson buys me a Diet Coke with crunchy ice.....yeah he used Daddy's money but it was his idea!

Signs.....Randy knew I would like this one because he said it was sorta a rule or command.....

Evidently its a theme in our home decor...RULES....Randy and Andrew noticed and pointed this out this summer! I do love me some rules! Somebody's got keep this crew in line!

(There are more....I even have a "porch rules" sign....)

One gift I received from a friend this year was a pure white water bottle. I do like practical. For real. If you are gonna give me stuff I want to use it! The tear off label said, "Live Pure".

I don't think the manufacturer meant to covey the message how I took it, but now each time I grab that bottle I'm reminded by the pure white....Live Pure.....YES!

That is my kind of gift!

Meaningful and Useful

God's been so faithful to me and given me a few gifts this month too.....

One was the gift of Randy. I'm so thankful for him. He is wise and slow to act. I need him! Just this week I was ready to jump in and solve one of my kids relational problems and Randy firmly but gently said no. This is a kid issue. We can talk to the kids, pray with the kids, but we need to let the kids handle this. Oh. my. word. I'm so thankful for Randy's leadership. When I want to jump in and be a helicopter parent I need him to remind me to lead and guide and pray....not to take over and solve. God and the kids worked this situation out so much better then I ever could have!

There have been other gifts too....lessons in my pridefulness, lessons in my sinful tendency towards self-sufficiency and impatience. That is a blog for another day though!

September also brought the gift of expanding our community. I have so enjoyed meeting the families of the kid's school friends at a school wide movie night

I've enjoyed meeting fellow teachers and student's and their families at the preschool.

I've enjoyed sweet time with Sophia who has been killing me at the gym. She is hardcore! So if you see me hobbling around its from trying to keep up with her! UGH!