Last of June's Joy Dare and counting on

I can hardly believe June is over and we are heading into the second half of the year.
Only by His grace do I continue to choose to count His blessings and give thanks for what I have. 

day 26

(3 gifts in fabric)

661) cosy socks keeping my feet warm on this chilly day

662) warm blankets, wrapping and warming us as the rain buckets down outside

662) grateful to own a warm jacket on nights like these

&

663) a wonderful evening with friends, experiencing Ethiopian food and good strong coffee

day 27

664) another exciting cultural exchange pack from Arizona USA

665) shared costs of special prices on fruit and veg between neighbours

666)  warm sunshine after the heavy rains yesterday

667) long heart to heart with another mum

668) kids doing their chores without me asking

669) getting out with a friend and the kids to one of my favourite places for some
winter sunshine and fresh air

670) finding out that the cards my daughter left on consignment had sold well, earning her a little extra holiday pocket money

671) broccoli seedlings, a gift from my neighbours garden

day 28

(3 gifts eaten)

672) broccoli  harvested from my garden and eaten in a delicious chicken bake

673) onion marmalade my eldest helped me make this morning....

delicious on the mashed potato hubby made to go with the broccoli chicken bake

674) lemon curd my daughter helped to make.... 

spoonfuls of sweet, sticky deliciousness!

 day 29

675) a wonderful morning with all my kids....

out in the forest mushroom hunting and learning so much about His amazing creation

676)  my sweet daughter making lunch for everyone, pancakes with lemon curd

677) watching my baby nephew entertain the teens with his antics tonight

678) hubby making gourmet burgers for dinner....

 chasing me out of the kitchen and blessing me with a night off

day 30

679) breakfast shared with sweet girl friends

680) catching up with my mum on the phone today

681) hubby lifting kids to ice skating even when he feels like relaxing

682) teen son and his friends (as well as the mom who was lifting the boys back ) descending on our home unexpectedly for supper... hubby making extra pizza to feed the gang.....

good laughs, good fun and a new friend made

July

day 1

( 3gifts loved)

683) my hubby and our 3 kids

684) time spent with a friend this afternoon

685) seeing our kids enjoy the holidays....

relaxed time with no pressures or deadlines and enjoying their friends

day 2

( 3 gifts read - from Hello Mornings Challenge)

686) "He never forsakes"

687) " He inscribes us on the palm of His hand"

688) "Once we are His, He never leaves us"

June's Joy Dare week 4

Blessings that I am thankful for....

Day 19

(3 gifts you became today in serving)

only by His grace:

625) patient when feeling impatient and tired

627) humble when needing to admit my shortcomings and make apologies

628) kind when I quietly did their chores that had not been done

& more my own

629) my neighbour coming over for a chat and bringing a delicious cuppachino for me to enjoy

630)  pancakes made by my daughter at lunchtime....

sitting with my 3 kids in the garden and watching them enjoy the sweet lunchtime treat

631) my uncle calling for a chat, good to catch up

632) an old friend making a special trip to visit and bearing delicious tea time treats...

enjoyed catching up out on the lawn in the mild winter sunshine

day 20

(a gift bent, beautiful, loved)

633) bent...a wire heart hanging in my kitchen ... a gift from my sweet sister that reminds me of her daily

634) beautiful....peacefully sleeping baby, looking so angelic

635) loved....hugs when hubby got home from work

day 21

(2 gifts found in light)

636) lightness that comes with forgiveness

637) light at the end of the tunnel...

2 days of school left before we have holidays for 3 weeks

& more my own

638) thankful for my daughter's help in the kitchen today and delicious lemon pudding she baked

639) thankful for time spent with my youngest: reading aloud chapter after chapter and having a good laugh together

640) thankful for a call from my happy sister this evening

day 22

641) thankful for some extra sleep after very early waking when hubby left for work

642) thankful to be able to treat my kiddies to a special breakfast on break up day

643) thankful for getting to the end of where we needed to be with school work for now...

and the fun we had along the way

644) thankful for winning a book prize today

645) thankful for a delightful parcel from the UK that arrived today and brightened our day

day 23

(gifts for Saturday)

646) enjoying a quiet morning of solitude while the rest of the family is out

647) a nap alongside my daughter this afternoon after her morning of volunteer work

648) thankful our teen son's friends feel welcome and relaxed in our home

649) hubby doing it again - cooking for the gang and giving me a night off

650) girls home movie, quietly snuggled under the blankets and enjoyed with my daughter while the guys play x box and make lots of noise!

day 24

(a gift in water, in words, in white)

651) water - rain glorious rain today!

652) words - my sweet sisters both calling me today for a chat

653) white- all warm and cosy in my white gown

& my own

654) time with hubby

655) full house and fun at breakfast time,13 in total, delicious egg and bacon baked in muffin pans and triple batch of crumpets with cinnamon sugar and freshly squeezed lemon juice, topped off with good coffee

day 25

my own

656) a later than normal lie in for a Monday morning...school holidays, bliss

657) coupons and samples in the mail today

658) blessings of half a pocket each of potatoes, butternuts, onions and carrots from my sweet sister in law

659) watching my sweet baby nephew toddling around my veg garden and trying snow peas just off the vine...the faces he pulled and the spitting out ...too funny and too cute!

660) all my children home tonight...just feels right.

June's Joy Dare week 3

Thanking Him in the midst of this busy and full life...

Day 12

(3 gifts full)

602) oven full of delicious goodies baked by my daughter

603) full tummies after delicious chicken soup for dinner

604) full night's sleep giving me strength for the new day

Day 13

(3 gifts smelled)

605) clean and fresh scent of washing that dried in today's sun

606) sweet smelling clean baby after bath time...

babysitting tonight so his mum and dad could have an evening out

607) delicious spicy aroma of mince curry at dinner

Day 14

(a gift unexpected, unwanted)

608) totally unexpected- winning a yuppiechef voucher yesterday for my original twist on a recipe!

609) clothes unwanted by another, happily worn and enjoyed by my daughter and I

Day 15

610) an understanding friend's listening ear

611) seeing my boy enjoy his science club and having fun with friends

612) my daughter's help with her baby cousin

Day 16

613) hubby's care when I was not feeling well

Day 17

(3 gifts in your dad)

614) his understanding and gentleness

615) his crazy sense of humour and hearty laugh

616) his amazing story telling that has given me a storehouse full of memories from my childhood

& more my own

617) conversations with far away family today, my sisters and mum

618) delicious orange and poppy seed cake made by my daughter, 

and enjoyed at my in laws for Father's Day tea time

Day 18

(3 gifts from your heavenly father)

619) His strength, not mine

620) His mercies, new every morning

621) His "unimaginable grace"

& more my own

622) a pot of hearty veg soup that turned out really well...

even two of mine who are not soup lovers ate seconds!

623) coal for the fire given by my kind neighbour.... warming the lounge tonight

624) unexpectedly seeing a friend today

June's Joy Dare into week 2

As we head into June, no matter what may come, I continue to give thanks....

"In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you"

(1 Thessalonians 5:18)

June

Day 5

(a gift of peace, of hope, of love)

579) gift of peace - His peace, settling my anxious mind

580) gift of hope - His promise of a hope and a future

581) gift of love - my mum's constant prayers

&

582) spending the day touring " a never seen before" area of our city with my three children,

loving learning together

583) hubby helping me with dinner of mince and rooti and enjoying hearing about our day

Day 6

(3 gifts ugly beautiful)

584) harsh words turned around with apologies and forgiveness

585) a kitchen with dishes piled high but a beautiful meal enjoyed

586) street art my daughter has been photographing, her project coming together beautifully

Day 7

(3 gifts in what you are reading)

587) " His love is a radical love" from Love Like Him

588) " The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms..." 

from our morning Bible study

589) escaping every now and then for a bit of down time with the novel I am enjoying

Day 8

(3 gifts empty)

590) empty jam jar after lunch of crumpets topped with jam & cheese made by my sweet daughter

591) empty house...kids off for an impromptu afternoon of fun with friends....

giving me much needed quiet time to work on some admin

592) " heavy" and aching empty arms after rocking my solid little nephew to sleep tonight....him peacefully asleep, blessed to have him in our lives

Day 9

(3 gifts that made you really smile)

593) the amusing things my witty teen boy comes up with

594) on asking the children who remembers what a sarcophagus is?...

one of my kids saying, "that thing in your throat"....laughter is good medicine!

595) my youngster's cute explanation of how simple it is to drive: one foot to go, one to stop and press in the middle to hoot!

Day 10

(a gift at 8 at 12 at 2)

596) @ 8 still asleep, lovely to have a little lie in

597) @ 12 enjoying the winter sunshine

598) @ 2 or there abouts, visiting my friend at her new house

Day 11

(2 gifts painted)

599) paintings on my walls, gifts from my dad

600) the smiling little yogurt painted face of my precious nephew

and one my own

601) getting out for a bit and helping my friend in her new house

Last of May and into June Joy Dare Gifts

Last of May

Day 29

(a gift at 8h00, 12h00, 20h00)

552) @08h00, hugs from my sleepy boy on a cold winter's morning

553) @12h00 a happy baby waking after a nap

554) @20h00 wonderful family time and dinner at my in laws with relatives who are visiting from Holland 

Day 30

(3 gifts blue)

556) jeans my youngest wore today,

557) the blue jersey he wore,

558) and the smart blue shirt among the big bag of clothes he was blessed with from overseas!

&

559) kids sharing their Dutch Liquorice with me...yum!

560) leftovers from last night so kindly given to us and enjoyed for dinner after the busy day today

Day 31

561) my daughter and her baby cousin playing & laughing happily together early this morning

562) 3 different friends who popped by and encouraged me when I was finding things difficult

563) reading Ann Voskamp's writings...good for me

JUNE

564) hubby starting a new job today after 18 months of unemployment

565) encouraging messages

566) perfect morning walk in this beautiful place... lifting my spirits

567) eating the best savoury muffins that my sweet friend brought over to fill hungry tums after our walk

Day 2

(3 gifts funny)

568) laughing hard over breakfast with a friend

569) 3 teens in the car, chattering away and laughing

570) friends coming over and bringing dinner....good fun, good laughs, good times

Day 3

(3 gift's from today's conversations)

571) conversations with my mum...always a gift

572) conversations and encouragement from a dear old friend

573) laughter and cheer in a conversation with my brother

Day 4

(3 gifts found in Christ)

574) never ending grace

575) forgiveness and the ability to forgive

576) beautiful friends who are in Him

& more my own

577) receiving another wonderful cultural exchange package today,

filled with surprises and new learning experiences

578) heart to heart with my almost 17 year old son...where did the time go?