New Beginnings:1000 Gifts

It seems like it's been a lifetime since I have blogged and it's not because I have not wanted to. I think these last months have been some of the most busy and trying since we started this little adventure 2 years ago....has it really been 2 years!!? Almost unbelievable, and sometimes I feel like I am living out a dream and I am about to wake up any time now. It still seems a little surreal. Our summer was wonderful (I will post pics soon), full of memories and much joy for us. It has been hard to get back here and get back into the swing of life and figure out how to do this in a more busy way. It seems that God has asked us to this hard for now, and so we will do hard. Many little things have added up to become some major hardships and trials for us. They say "when it rains, it pours", and so it pours!!! We have had a car wrecked, a car stolen, pool pump go bad, pool cover break, leaks in the house, electrical problems in the house, sinks break, cars break down, a cabinet of dishes come crashing down, oven break down, taken on two extra jobs; all while grieving the loss of a dad. We have watched dear friends and family lose their parents. We have questioned calling, schooling, loyalties, and just about everything else in the last six months, but one thing we have not questioned is God's unfailing love and grace in our lives. He is faithful and He has promised to walk with us through all the hardships of life. And through His faithfulness, we are discovering how to rely heavily on His grace. In saying all this, we are by no way complaining....this life we chose was one we knew was going to stretch us beyond what we though we could take, and one that we knew was going to push us right into the arms of Jesus. And it has done just that. And it has brought us many blessings as well, ones we did not expect. One of the many blessings that have come about through this, is the fact that I get to have Gracie home for another year. That's right....O'Halloran Academy is once again opened! Grace is doing Kindergarten at home and Kathryn is also home doing a homeschool study program. This program gives her about 9 hours in a classroom per week, and she gets to do the rest at home. The best of both worlds. Though all this, I get to sit down with my girls and pray every morning, read to them, talk with them and spend time I would not normally be able to do. This has blessed me in many ways. One of the things I have NOT done, and boy do I feel it, is give thanks. I have been so convicted these last weeks to be thankful for every grace in my life. I once again picked up my journal and jotted down more of the list. One of these days, I WILL reach 1000....I continue to give thanks today...

#144-151

Perpective
Sustaining Grace
Many new and joyful memories
A VERY generous family
Skype with friends
Watching them learn
Being able to serve
My kiddos on their first days