Mr. Sunshine

There have been a lot of our “normal” things going on here, but the one thing that has not been normal this winter is seeing Mr. Sunshine.

Today is the first day since last Wednesday that Mr. Sunshine is not high in the blue sky!

It has done all of our hearts some good to see that sun shining, even if it is through the windows while we work on school!

The girls thought it looked so inviting, they headed out Sunday afternoon for a looonnnngggg walk!

Normal things around here include date night!!

We had an unusual one this week when there was a very disturbed man in our favorite coffee shop.

Of course, my hubby tried to buy him something and witness to him!

I, on the other hand, was screaming on the inside!

Unfortunately, we did not get very far in our conversation with him when we knew it was time to leave.

So we drove around some neighborhoods sipping our coffee instead!

Speaking of coffee – they had a new choice this week!

Cold brewed coffee re-steamed to be hot.

YOU MUST TRY ONE OF THESE!

It was the smoothest coffee I have EVER had!

We are already talking about our date night this Friday when we can get another one!!

While talking about dates and my hubby, let me mention we started to plan our anniversary trip on Sunday evening while the kiddos played cards around the table!

My hubby likes to travel, and used to travel about 45 weeks a year with his career before we moved to Wisconsin 15 years ago.

I am a home body, and can be home ALL the time and be perfectly satisfied and happy!

We are talking about going somewhere warm this year!

That will take a lot of guts on my part – but I want to bless my husband!!

Time will tell where we plan to go!!

The kiddos play games a lot in the winter – another normal thing!

I love seeing them all around the table – and those bigs giving the gift of time to those younger ones!!

This is never lost on my Mama’s heart!!

More normal things around here are usually broken things!

Big families are just HARD on stuff!

So….when Grant walked out of the main bathroom in the middle of giving one of our dogs a bath and had the faucet handle in his hand, we knew we had a problem!

Especially since the water was pouring from the faucet still!

The only way to turn that water off, was to turn the whole house off.

YIKES!

Blake RAN out the door and made it to Menards 10 minutes before they closed!

He threw everything he could think he would possibly need into a cart, paid for it, came back home and installed a shut off on that bathtub so we could turn the water back on.

Then the next day he got a new faucet handle to fit exactly, and replaced the handle on Saturday afternoon.

He had the boys involved in this repair which is the BEST part about broken things!

They learn so much at their Dad’s side!

So thankful for my handy hubby – I must say!!

I am SO thankful too for the normal we are having right now in doing school!

I LOVE teaching school!

My students are joyful, easy to teach, good learners, and fun to share my days with!!

We spent some time after Chinese New Year learning about China!

The littles even watched a Curious George about Chinese New Year!

It was cute.

Last week the littles learned the letter “F” and this week we are on to the letter “X”!

Working in the kitchen is a VERY normal thing.

Thankful that I LOVE to cook and bake!

And thankful for my helpers!

Being with my grand babies is a favorite normal thing!

Besides us visiting Kayla and the babies, Kayla has been joining us for lunch on Fridays – and we simply LOVE that!

I took these photos of an adorable boy (who was ready for his nap) while his Mama was getting ready to leave and was loading the car!

We have slowly, very slowly seen AMAZING healing in our two precious cherubs.

I just stand in AWE at how they are doing lately.

Especially our sweet baby girl who just has SO much to overcome!

Tate has been home 18 months TODAY!

Eliza has been home two and a half years!

Where has time gone?

They are the most precious and adorable five and four year old I know!

We are enjoying this season SO much!

I hope you can see all of the blessings in the normal things in your lives too!

There are blessings in EVERYTHING!

Count them!!

And then praise the Lord for them!

Happy Tuesday, everyone!!