I'm linking up with Lisa at Stop and Smell the Chocolates.  Every Saturday Lisa shares some of her blessings from the week.  I love this link up because it reminds me that amidst all the craziness and "things that don't seem to go right," God is ever-so-present, blessing me. Every. Single. Day.

It's super easy to join this link up.  You can follow the template below or you can write your own blessings.  Then don't forget to "link up" with Lisa so she and her readers can also Savor in your blessings and you in theirs.  The link up is at the bottom of her entry.  Simple as that!

Psalm 37:8 NLT   

I am never disappointed by the posts that I read on (in)courage.  God always knows what I need and when I need it.  These ladies, whom I have never met, give me that extra encouragement and make my God just that more present in my life. 

This week Bonnie Gray's, Resting Through the Fog That Won't Go Away, challenged me to see if God wants to me to stay or go on the current path that I am on.  You can read more of Bonnie's posts at her site Faith Barista.

Today is Make A Difference Day across the country. Bean and I got to participate together with the Junior Service League of Wenatchee collecting diapers for 3 of our local shelters.  We were able to spend time with one another and it was a great teaching experience for her.  There was a gentleman that was homeless that showed up to the store to get out of the rain.  Bean had to go to the bathroom and on our way out, I told her we were going to buying the man we passed some soup.  Here is the conversation I had with my 3 year old had:

Me: Bean, we're going to buy the man sitting by the door some soup, okay?
Bean: Why Mama?
Me: Well honey, that man doesn't have money, a warm jacket or a house to live in.  We have so much 
      already and we are called to help others.
Bean:  Mama, WE have money!
Me:  That's right honey.  So let's go get him some soup.

(We go to the self-serve soup.  I decide that chicken noodle soup sounded better than chili or chowder.)

Bean: (Looking at the chicken noodle soup with a look of disgust on her face.)  Mama, I don't think he's going
        to like that. Eww....
Me:  Honey, I'm pretty sure he's going to like the nice, warm soup.
Bean:  I don't know...eww...
Me: (Shaking my head) Bean, please pick out some bread.

(We pay for the soup and bread and Bean marches over to the gentleman, gives him the bread and says....)

Bean: Stay warm!
Gentleman: (Stunned) Thank you.
Me:  I hope you have a good day.
Gentleman: I always do.

Bean went home and told Daddy all about it.  I'm glad today just wasn't a day about us getting out of the house for a little bit, but that the two of us grew together.  I love it!

On our way home from Make a Difference Day, Bean and I sang songs in the car SUPER DUPER LOUD!  We put our own spin on the Color Song (you sing about the colors in Spanish) by yelling "STOP!" after her two favorite colors, blue and purple.  It was a lot of fun. 

Bean was enjoying some cake at a friend's birthday party.  Yum!

Well, I haven't had anything out of the ordinary except my coffee and water.  But I do suppose that drinking my morning cup of coffee before the kids get up has been a blessing because I get to drink it HOT!

Hello?!  It's Halloween time and sweets are EV-ER-Y-WHERE!  EVERYWHERE!  Plus, the other day, I came home and my dear, dear hubby made brownies.  I'm so lucky and so blessed.  I love that man!

Thanks for hanging with me today! 

*I have a wonderful husband that supports me in my 2nd job as a consultant.  He watched the kids while I attended my parties Friday and Saturday. 

*He built a bunk bed for the kids so that they could be in the same room.  They like to be together.  It's too cute.

*He folded the laundry.  It's the thing I hate doing the most.

*He watched the kids in Sunday school.

*He stepped up when I needed him to be open with me.  I know it can be hard for him when he has to confront me.

*He has been by my side through this ordeal with my parents, praying for everyone involved.

*He protected our family from additional hurt.

I love my husband.  I am so grateful for this man.

So I've been told to write out my anger, so that I can let it go.  Let me tell you, I'm having a heck of a time trying to do that.  I'm wondering if I'm confusing anger with hurt and/or sadness.  I can't seem to separate it.

Have any of you written out your anger?  The fist-flailing kind? 

Yesterday we went to the bank to deposit some money.  Our plan was to go buy new sheets afterward at Fred Meyer.  We started driving through the parking lot from the bank to Fred Meyer and were following a car similiar to my parents' car.  Low and behold, it was them.  They were in front of us...the closest we've been to them in 2 weeks.  One car length.  That's all that separated us from them...physically.  They were going to the same store we were.  Mark asked me if we should just go or if we should choose a different store.  I was torn.  I wanted to catch a glimpse of them and maybe hope for some positive reconnections with them, but heart, still hurt, said to go to a different store.  So many things were running through my mind.  One of them being, if the kids see them and attempt to run to them, what would they do?  Would they hurt them by ignoring them or push them away?  I couldn't bear for them to hurt my little hearts.  My little innocent hearts.  I realized how much hurt I have, but I don't know if I have anger.  Maybe my anger is my hurt.  I don't know.  All I could do was cry and let my heart break a little more. 

I wish that this whole thing was just some bad dream.  Speaking of dreams, I had one last night that involved my mom.  We were able to talk.  I don't remember what we talked about, but we talked.  Though our conversations of late were just about the kids, I miss talking with my mom.  I took her off of speed dial for the moment because I didn't want any of those awkward moments.  Again, that makes me sad that I can't talk with her.  It hurts.  This whole thing hurts.  When I think that my tears have run dry, more build up.  <Sigh> I'm breathing and learning to give it all to God because I can't go through this alone.  I wish I didn't have this looming over me.  Ugh.

God has a plan and it's greater than mine.  He's working on refining me and my attitude.  He's showing me what changes I need to make in myself.  I can't change anyone, including myself.  That's God's deal.  He'll work in others, as well as in me.  I'm so glad that I have a Dad who truly watches out for his children.

I've been doing this in my old-school (i.e. handwritten journal) and have decided to put it to cyberspace.
So I'll be linking up with Lisa at Stop and Smell the Chocolates.  Readers can follow her categories or come up with 7 blessings that happened during their week. 

Scripture:  I've been going through Psalms and Proverbs this month and this week, with everything that has been going on, God spoke nothing but sweet words of peace to me and I'm holding on tight.

                            Psalm 37:7a - Be still in the presence of the LORD, and wait patiently for him to act.

Story Teller: I was so excited to start Liz Curtis Higgs' bible study, The Girl's Still Got It last week that I couldn't wait for the next one.  She takes the book of Ruth and breaks it down, bit by bit and takes you from Moab to Bethlehem.  Love, love, love it!  Take the journey with her.

Social:  I was super social bee this past week.  I got the pleasure to hang out with my besties, Ashley and Natalie.  We've been friends for 26 years!  I love these 2 so dearly.  We haven't seen each other since my wedding 5 years ago and Ashley met Mr. Right (Kyle) and we had to go meet him and the newlyweds.  We had a wonderful time.  We hardly slept a wink.  I know I was up for at least 24 hours spending time with these lovely ladies.  I can't wait for our next visit.  Hopefully it won't be in 5 years!

Silly: Well after my trip to see the girls, I had a work trip in Nashville.  I was so ready to be home with my family.  I surprised the kids by picking them up as soon as I got off the plane.  Then we got home and I got to be silly with the kids.  They thought it would be hilarious if I used them like a weight-lifting bar.  Let me tell you, I got a workout that my arms are still yelling at me for, but it was so worth it!

Snapshot: Well, it's not really a photo, but a video.  We celebrated our 5 year anniversary at the beginning of the year and we usually watch our video, and we were late in watching it this year.  Thank you to our wonderful photographer, Chris Watkins, for keeping this alive for us!

Sips:  I had a LOT of tea and coffee after all my travel exploits.  I had a very yummy raspberry chocolate truffle coffee that I couldn't get enough of in my belly.  Mmm....

Sweets:  While in Tennessee, my trainers sent over a welcome bag of treats to my hotel room.  It had some amazing dark chocolate.  I totally didn't grab its name, but oh my goodness...it melted in my mouth and was just soooo smooth and creamy and, wow, my mouth is watering. 

Don't forget to link up with Stop and Smell the Chocolates for some wonderful encouragement!