chickadees in the tree in our front yard; beautiful, huge, white snowflakes falling down this morning; the dusting of snow on the evergreens; crack'ling wood in the fireplace; the way my 2 year old daughter says, 'o-tay' for O.K.); sewing (I'm so excited to start sewing some aprons from an old sheet that I got from my Great-Grandma K. - I'm sure it's from the 1960's or 70's as it has the huge white and pink daisy-type flowers all over it and I just LOVE it!); playing board games; making delicious meals for my family ... these are a few of my favorite things today!

YOUR Favorite Things: Your turn to share with me!

It's challenging to find the blessings in everyday life when your kids are sick with bad colds and you are tired and feeling anxious about life in general. These are the days when I usually preach to myself through my blogging. This is the perfect day to pull myself up by the bootstraps and look at the positives; but I'm struggling. So, instead of ME sharing 'my favorite things' today; I'm asking you, my dear reader, to share YOUR favorite things about today with me.

I'll share 3 things that I'm thankful for today: sunshine, my family, and comfy clothes.

Your turn!

braids; smiles; a clean kitchen; chickadees flitting on the bare branches of the tree in my front yard; warm sunshine despite the bitter cold; my children playing happily together; the scent of my husband's cologne; freshly brushed teeth with minty-fresh breath; icicles; making a creative chore chart for our family; calendar pictures; shopping; ... these are a few of my favorite things today.

Homemade Ginger Ale science project (pretty yummy); Wii Fit; having tea and freshly made cherry pie with a friend at a local restaurant; sunshine; sleeping in; tickles and giggles; teaching my son; my husband; my new cream-coloured scarf made by my mother in law; trying out my newest fragrance oil blend in my 'Silk Bath Soak' recipe (I'm thinking of calling it 'Berry Christmas' as it is a Raspberry/Vanilla Bean/Mint blend - very refreshing - lots of different kinds of salts (Coarse/Dead Sea/Epsom/Dendritic; Milk powder; Cornstarch; SLSA (for the bubbles); and fragrance) - it is expensive to make so is definitely a luxury item -but oh, how lovely to soak in! Anyway, I need ideas for fragrance names for the rest of the year); sitting by the fire; quiet time ... these are a few of my favorite things today.

walking in the beautiful winter-wonderland of my 'summer' village; listening to the birds (it's beginning to sound like Spring!); the excited squeals when I walk in the front door; dress-up; chatting with my son; playing Wii games with my family; having all the dishes done; stir-fry with my yummy sweet&sour sauce for supper; talking with friends; hugs; Oreo Truffles .... these are a few of my favorite things today!

A Berry-Special Day

"Mommy, can you call me 'Berry-Bella'?" my four year old daughter asks me. "Of course!" I reply. "And can I call you 'Berry-Mommy'?" "Sure!" And so it begins, this season of pretend-play; imagining you can change your name and shape others into who you want them to be in order to create your princess-perfect world. I love every minute of her dreams and wishes. I love her dressing up as Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and The Little Mermaid (with matching shoes of course!). I love the tiaras and sequins; the sparkles and feathers. I love the tulle and satin. The pinks, purples, yellows and blues. I love this season of tea parties and celebrations. Every day is 'berry-special' because my little girl is a part of it.

sunshine; hopefully enough wood to get us through the super cold spell we're in; thinking of Spring; dancing; watching family movies together; working on my family blanket (crochet); ice cream cones (my new favorite way to portion control a treat); my husband feeling better - well enough to begin folding our laundry mountain; my son's smiles; reading a story to my 4 year old daughter while she sits on my lap; singing 'Jesus loves me' with my 2 year old daughter; Oreo Cookie Truffles - a make-ahead treat for the unexpected surprise of company ... these are a few of my favorite things today.

my husband feeling better from the flu; my kids not getting sick; going for a walk today and getting some (extremely cold) fresh air and sunshine; birds and squirrels chattering and chirping in the trees; Silk Bubble Soak in 'Tinsel' (still to be experienced tonight); watching my girls wiggle and dance to music; spending 1-1 time with my son; playing games with my husband; a nice warm house to live in; homemade pizza; ice cream cones; prayer ... these are a few of my favorite things today.

Lakmé Flower Duet Erika Miklosa Bernadett Wiedemann

This is one of my favorite things to listen to today... a little supper music/bath music/fireplace music. Simply beautiful.

gathering together for a morning spent sharing, caring, and praying with fellow pastors' wives; the big hugs and "Mommy's Home!!!" happiness I got when I came home; my husband making lunch and supper; a working heater in the Yukon as it was terribly cold today; firewood stacked in the backyard and in our house; my husband bringing said firewood into our home everyday; honeydew melon; doing my little girls hair up with all kinds of goodies; my wedding rings; playing Wii with my son ... these are a few of my favorite things today.

snuggling with my children; watching C. and B. learn their lessons and all of the 'lightbulb' moments that bring joy to us all; A.'s little wiggle when she dances to music; hugs from my husband and his messages to me on our whiteboard (today's was that he is praying for me); peaches and golds and pinks in the sunset tonight cast a warm glow on the piles of snow around our home; the scent of clean laundry; making soap today ('Pink Sugar' and 'Orange Dream'); goodnight kisses; the warmth of the fire; making 'Egg McMuffins' - much better tasting than the original not only b/c of the ingredients but also because they are made with love for my family... these are a few of my favorite things today.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Pink waffles, pink dream whip; mixed berries; pink berry tea; pink strawberry dessert; homemade valentines; chocolate from my husband (70% - yummy!); a beautiful card from my husband; 'I love you's from my kids; kisses and hugs; a good book; wrapped up in my 2 favorite blankets on the couch (a fleece one about friendship from my mom and a cream wool crocheted one from one of my grandmas); sunshine... these are a few of my favorite things today!