What you do in your house is worth as much as if you did it up in heaven for our Lord God. We should accustom ourselves to think of our position and work as sacred and well-pleasing to God, not on account of the position and work, but on account of the word and faith from which the obedience and the work flow. ~ Martin Luther

Monday, October 25, 2010

To Life


At daybreak, while children still were tucked in and breathing deep into their soft pillows, I trudged out to do animal chores. Winter chores are...chores...but on these cool fall mornings, they are still refreshing and peaceful.

Walking around the yard there is always someone to talk to, or maybe not talking is what you would like.

Magpie the tiniest cat, begs to be let in for the morning. Cows bellow. Impatient hens flap their wings and a rooster crows. Hogs run all around the barnyard, making their friendly, anxious snorts but the rabbits-they just twitch and hop, so they always come last. The patient ones.

This particular morning, Sassafras has a surprise for me.


She has plucked from herself her pure white velvet and made a cloud of cozy a few days priorand so I knew her time was coming...but even still, what a surprise to see the cloud moving, just a smidge.

Instead of peeking, I gave the proud Mama a rewarding ear scratch and ran inside and upstairs and sang out "Wake up, WAKE UP. Get on your boots and come! There is a surprise for you as soon as you get out of bed!"

It didn't take more than two seconds for everyone to be at attention and they stormed down the stairs and headed straight to the door---seems they had the surprised guessed before I even had to hint.

They ran straight away to the rabbits.



And then we took a peek.


Six sweet naked babies, teeny as can be, all snuggled into and on top of one another. It was a cool morning so we admired, counted and recounted, and stole peeks while trying not to disturb them or make them cold.

All the animals we have here have been acquired when young, but not once have we experienced our own animals being/having newborns. What a wonderful gift, to experience new life in your own yard.

And I think the very best surprises are the ones that wake you up with singsong bellows and are found after running into a foggy morning in just your pj's and boots.

After one week (my, how fast they grow!) :



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanksgiving, without the holiday, can come every day, every week, every moment. And life can be full of surprises, if you let it.

Some more every day graces to make every day a holy day....they come so easily.

* 641 * first smiles and catching them on video, proof for the Doubting Tom's of the family (you know who you are...)


Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing


* 642 * money enough for bills, with some to spare

*643* a boy who looks at a psalter to sing, even though he can't yet read

*644* pajama surprises

*645* Mrs. Hobbit in our very own home


*646* rock candy

*647* catechisms set to music

*648* girls who curtsy


*649* Michael Buble while doing dishes

*650* brown paper packages

*651* a husband who is finally finding confidence in his dreams

*652* Narnia at bedtime


*653* stained glass in the evening

*654* new school books

*655* enough firewood


*656* Judah gets to meet his great Opa


*657* ( and I get a visit in too!)


*658* candycorn pumpkins with cheddar cheese

*659* a not-quite-second-honeymoon. (AKA, a hotel room all to ourselves!)

*660* NOT making the bed!


*661* laughing so hard I cry

*662* eating my dinner without first cutting up three plates worth of food.

*663* being a GENIUS


(even if I didn't marry one...)

*664* vacuumed stairways

*665* houses made out of couch cushion, a weekly (if not daily) occurance



*666* a familys' audible delight at the from-scratch cornbread and sweet pan chili you made

*667* children asking for third helpings, and having them to give

*668* homemade icecream around October campfires


*669* potato fries, the real ones


*670* no regrets


holy experience

24 comments:

Michelle G said...

Okay I was SO smiling at that video :) Your great list continues - thanks for sharing! :)
Michelle

Violet N. said...

Thanks for coming by my blog today, Rebecca! Loved your bunny surprise - how absolutely cool, and that your kids could experience those bunnies so new! Have a great week ahead.

Annesta said...

Rebecca,
Your video made me smile all over! I just loved it.
I join you in gratitude for unmade beds! YAY! And your pictures are just lovely.
I enjoyed reading your list.
blessings and grace to you
~a

Renée said...

I have read your blog for quite some time, but rarely comment... I just want to let you know how much I love it! You have a beautiful family, and though we live very different lives I feel as though we could be friends. Thanks for letting us peak into your daily life!
BTW - the bunnies made me squeal with delight...

Christine Williams said...

What can I say!?! The bunnies our so cute, and thank you sooo much for the video. I love pictures but video makes it so much personal and real. That is so amazing that you like listening to Michael Buble while doing dishes because my mom and I do to:) What a great post:) Thank you!!!

ulli said...

As I was smiling at your darling Judah smile, my DH asked me why I was gleaming... ahhh babies.... He's precious as are the rest of your littles. As a German, I'm always curious to know about other people's Oma and Opa. Where is your German connection? I love your list and how you live your life so simply yet so full.

fingerprints said...

I love your floors and kitchen walls! Envy, envy :). What a cute face your hubby had when he finished his game. :)

JD
www.fingerprintsfromhishand.webs.com

Rebecca said...

Ulli~ I am Dutch. My Oma and Opa are my mothers' parents and lived in Holland until shortly before my mother was born. A great sadness of mine is that I never learned to speak Dutch, though my mother is fluent.

Bonnie said...

What can I say but Mazel tov!
( the whole Fiddler on the Roof "To Life!" thing...)
Great pictures, LOVE the video (if I can figure out how to load it, I'm totally stealing that idea)
and the girls curtseying. Yum, Cracker Barrel!
Did Opa have to go into a nursing home? If so, hows he doing there? So glad he got to meet Judah, and he (Opa) sure looks happy
I could go on, but I'll stop, there are cookies to be baked.

Bonnie said...

P.S. You look GREAT (like the boots!) and Matt hasn't started a beard yet????!!!!???

Peggy said...

OH how exciting about the baby bunnies! And what a lovely bonfire... we are under a burning ban so any bonfires will have to wait a bit. Oh could I get some tips on making the "potato" fried? Mine never come out quite right... And could you share your sweet pan chili?

Sacrifices of Joy said...

Thanks for stoping by! Loved reading through your thankful list! Would love to know what CD you use for catechisms! Blessing to you and your beautiful family!

Mommy Emily said...

priceless, mama-friend... i love this. especially your children, crowded around the bunnies. this, this, is a good life.

Rebecca said...

Bonnie~ oh just WAIT until Matt sees your comment! We were just talking about that beard last night in bed. He is starting it this week. *sniff* I don't dislike beards, I just dislike HIS because he lets them grow and grow until he is a bushman. I'm sorry-there is NOTHING attractive about food caught in ones' beard. *gag* If only he would keep it short and trimmed....

anyhow- beard is happening, whether I like it or not.

Also-yes, Opa is now in a nursing home. His Alzheimers is getting progressively worse and so each visit is made more special than the last, knowing each visit is more of a gift than ever.

ALSO- go to dropbox.com and download the free thingy and you will be able to easily download videos to your blog. (Can't wait to see that baby in real honest-to-goodness motion!)

Peggy~ Those fried potatoes were done in a deep fryer and made by my sister in law (it was her bonfire, too) so I can't give tips of that. I CAN however, share the sweet pan chili and will do so on my recipe blog along with half a dozen OTHER recipes I have photographed but not blogged yet. I will write a post here when they are up, okay?

Sacrifices of Joy~the catechism cds were bought through Veritas Press (veritaspress.com) and called the Westminster Shorter Catechism Songs.

elizabeth said...

Love your beautiful blog and gratitude list! I am so thankful you came by my place...your comment was so kind. I'm humbled.
Elizabeth
http://www.justfollowingjesus.com

Full of Grace said...

Where do i begin...Judah's smile is sweet, Adele's outfit adorable, you looked beautiful and glowing on your date with Matt, and the bonfire looked liked so much fun (not to mention those baby bunnies look so cuddly and soft...) You do have lots to be thankful for this week!

Tracy said...

I was going to ask the same thing about Matt's beard, but see you've already answered Bonnie. It seems as though he's starting later this year, so at least that's something to be thankful for!

The look on Matt's face at Cracker Barrel is Andrew through and through. WOW!

livinginbetween said...

Love your Mrs. Hobbit, baby bunnies, chores in the fall (I dislike winter ones too), and being a genius. ;)

Great list, beautiful pictures and glowing gratitude. Shining here!

Rebecca said...

Tracy-my you guys are observant! He isn't actually starting it LATE this year-the deal used to be he started at Halloween. Last year we made a deal (which he didn't follow through with, btw) that if he started in August he would keep it shorter. So last year he fandangled me into an early beard. He is right on time this year. :-)

A Hack and a Grunt said...

What a beautiful post, words and pictures both! Thanks so much for dropping by my blog. Blessings to you.

Unknown said...

What a wonderful list!! :) Love the little hobbit especially! Annie LOVED watching the Judah video with me! :) And the baby bunnies...*faint*

ulli said...

I went back and looked at the pictures of Opa and Judah. I love the one of Judah looking up at his great Opa. Opa looks like such a kind hearted man. And you look great, Rebecca! I didn't know the Dutch used Oma and Opa, too--very cool!

Puddleduck Bunch said...

What fun gifts! I love your list!
And I'm right there with you about not having to make the bed! :)

Anonymous said...

Hi Rebecca,

Thank you so much for the inspiring ,"encouraging pleasures and thoughts into the MANY realms of womanhood ... ".
I appreciate the list of every day graces..I forget so easily!

Of course the beautiful photos bring me back every week.

The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you today!

Amy (from Olympia, Wa. )

I think I found your blog through "O'Connor Home"