The Simple Things

Ahh, another week gone.  Really?  The closer it gets to Christmas, the more frightened I become.  I LOVE Christmas - but I am very unprepared this year.  Thankfully Amazon is my BFF and I will be sure to make good use of it this year (especially since we will be spending the holiday in Idaho, YEAH for family)!

But before I get too ahead of myself, on to the simple things!   This week it included a trip to Costco and a certain cardboard box...

The kids and I took a modest trip to Costco and I brought this box home with us.  Noah took a liking to it and would sit in it all the time, so I thought I would use my amazing art skills of cutting out construction paper and make it into a car for him.  It's a masterpiece, right?  Anyway, he is obsessed with it.  I am pretty sure he even slept part of the night with the 'car' in his bed.  Then the next morning I was getting him breakfast and I found him like this...

It's amazing how you can buy them a million toys and they still want the cardboard box! Talk about the simple things!   (PS.  See that white spot in the bottom left hand corner of this pic?  yeah that's Clare's back.  She was hunched over eating her toes. For some reason she likes doing that, babies! haha) 

I also had to include this little note.  Yesterday in church we sang the hymn Because I Have Been Given Much.  I couldn't help but think about how grateful I am for all the blessings the Lord has given to me...the words rang true and I wanted to share them on my simple things post.  Being grateful is one of the simplest things there is - and yet I find that when we are grateful for what we have - we are happier!  There is always something to be thankful for, always! 

Because I have been given much, I too must give;
Because of thy great bounty, Lord, each day I live;
I shall divide my gifts from thee
With every brother that I see
Who has the need of help from me.

Because I have been sheltered, fed by thy good care,
I cannot see another’s lack and I not share
My glowing fire, my loaf of bread,
My roof’s safe shelter overhead,
That he too may be comforted.

Because I have been blessed by thy great love, dear Lord,
I’ll share thy love again, according to thy word. 
I shall give love to those in need;
I’ll show that love by word and deed: 
Thus shall my thanks be thanks indeed.

-- Grace Nowell Crowell