Blessed

I took the kids to the vegetable store today- at 5:00pm- to get some celery that I needed for the cornbread stuffing I was making for dinner.  Once there, I couldn't resist those happy orange pumpkins, so I told the kids they could each choose a small sugar pumpkin.  They were delighted.

Each pumpkin cost me a little more than a dollar and the kids were over the moon about them.  

Isaias, in awe: "I've never gotten to choose my own pumpkin before!"  In fact, he has.  He just doesn't remember.  And usually we have pumpkins growing in our garden, so we don't always buy them.  But not this year. 

Shortly after I took this picture, I handed out Sharpie markers and they drew faces (and scribbles) on their pumpkins. 

I look at this picture and I feel so, so blessed to be mother to these five.  I love them so much and I truly just delight in who they are and who they are becoming.  I see God's faithful hand leading me as their mama and I am so thankful for His provision and for the ways He answers prayers in my life and in theirs.

I think about how Isaias prayed tonight at the table: "God, I thank You that daddy and mommy know about Jesus so that they can teach me about Jesus" and his earlier comment about how he's glad we adopted him so that he didn't have to stay in the orphanage and so that he could have the joy of playing with Adelia and Audra and be trained and taught about Jesus. 

I think about how when Mark came home from work, the kids all shrieked and ran over to him to tell him about their pumpkins and that when he came in, Audra clung to him, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist.

I think about how Ella has posted a song sheet by the washer and dryer- so that when she does her laundry chore she can sing songs of praise.  I heard her today, joyfully singing as she worked.

I think of my hard-working husband who comes home each night to us.

I think about how we all remained at the table after dinner for family worship and then we prayed together and how much I love that.   

I think of all these little moments that string together to make our days and how each one is a gift from God, and I am so thankful.

{Thank you, Lord!}