thankful TO the Giver

Before we talk about things we are thankful for, I think it's important to note who we are thankful to.

Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!
Serve the LORD with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!
Know that the LORD, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!
For the LORD is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.
Psalm 100

This summer I started reading One Thousand Gifts.  Slowly but surely I am making my way through Ann Voskamp's rich words.  She has encouraged me to look at all things as gifts from God.  And to be thankful for that gift.

So I'll start today off with Scriptures that remind me Who is the Giver and the One Who deserves all my thanks.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
James 1:17

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

 Jesus, thank you for your innumerable gifts in my life and help me to be quick to give you thanks in all things.

31 days of thankfulness

I've gone back and forth trying to decide about jumping on the 31 day invitation from my long-time blogger favorite, the nester. What if I can't think of 31 things to write about? What if I get too busy? What if I don't finish? ... these concerns at the forefront of my brain.

But as a sort of "last hoorah" on the blog {because let's be honest, I've been a very inconsistent blogger} I've decided to join the fun and write on a subject dear to my heart.

thankfulness

Last December I decided 2012 would be a year in which I was more thankful. I wanted to verbalized my thanks to the people around me. I instituted what I called "Thankful Thursdays", in which I purposed to send a note of thanks each Thursday. {I think this lasted through April, when I ran out of my prestamped envelopes!}

This month I'll write about thankfulness for 31 days. If nothing else, my heart will be prepared for November and Thanksgiving!

celebrate

We celebrated Matthew's first birthday earlier this month.  It was so much fun! 

 

Our dear friend Sarah Nixon honored us by taking pictures at the party.

 

Here are a few of our favorites from the day...

 

 

 Thanks a million, Sarah!

he grew up while you weren't looking

Mama is quite behind on posting Matthew's monthly pictures to the blog.  Whoops!

I think the last posted was 7 months, so here's the big boy at 8 months...

9 months... 

 Looks a little sleepy here to me...

 10 months...

 and 11 months!

I cannot believe we will be celebrating his first birthday in just a few weeks. 

What a wonderful year we have had with our sweet boy!

Blueberry Cobbler

If we are friends on Facebook, you might have followed our blueberry adventure last week.  If you live in our area, click here and here for more information on TurnTime U-Pick Blueberries.  They are the best!

  

To celebrate Daddy Day I made a blueberry cobbler.  This recipe is a combination of several recipes, so I thought I'd post it here so I could remember it.

What you need:
4 cups of blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1 cup sugar (plus a little extra)
1 and 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 and 1/4 tsp baking powder
1 stick melted butter

What to do:
Preheat oven to 350.
Grease your baking dish. (I've used a 13x9 casserole dish and also a 10 inch cast iron skillet... both work fine!)
Place blueberries in dish and sprinkle with a little sugar (about a Tbsp).
In a large bowl, combine sugar, flour, salt, and baking powder.  Whisk together to make sure it's all mixed thoroughly.  (I suppose you could sift it all together here, but I think whisking is easier!)
Add melted butter to flour mixture and stir to combine.  I usually add a small splash of water at this point to make the dough come together.
One handful at a time, take the dough and flatten into a little disk.  Place your disks on top of the blueberries until they are all covered.
Bake at 350 for approximately 50 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.
Serve warm -- with vanilla ice cream if you like!

(Adapted from theKitchn)

Enjoy!

Our Home is for Sharing

In the last two weeks, over thirty-five different people have come in and out of our home.  Part of me says, "You guys are crazy.  You need to slow down!"  But another part of me counters, "Isn't this what my home is for?"

Isn't this what my home is for?

For sharing a meal... or a glass of sweet tea... {and it is sweeeeet here, people}
For practicing hospitality...
For building community...
For entertaining angels...
For encouraging the Body...
For loving on my friends...
For making blueberry cobbler... {recipe coming soon}
For teaching Matthew to be generous with what God has given us...

Isn't this what my home is for? 

Beach

We just returned from a week at the beach. 
It was a refreshing time with family, 
enjoyed with a gorgeous backdrop of the ocean. 
More pictures to come,
once I figure out this new fancy camera.