Awesome Thrift Store Find and a Garden Fresh Dinner

Saturday we stopped by our favorite thrift store that benefits a Christian homeless shelter. It is such a nice thrift store and we always have fun looking around. With no particular agenda we happened upon a chest of drawers that was just our style (mid-century modern). We actually found another chest there a couple of years ago with a similar style.

We got the price lowered a little with the expectation that we would take it off their hands that day. The problem was the store was closing in about thirty minutes and we don't own a truck.  Funny thing is we were practically guarding the thing so that no one would buy it out from under us and the only reason they lowered the price was that it had been there for awhile. I guess this means we have a "unique" style!

Here is the chest in it's new home in our bedroom. The chest it replaced (from the same thrift store) is now in Harrison's room.

I put a quick call into my sweet friend Robyn and she and her husband were so kind to let us use their truck. Robyn's husband also helped Matt get the chest into our house, my back thanks him!!! Then, we planned an impromptu dinner with combined resources of Matt's grilled jerk chicken and goodies straight from their garden.

We had so much fun fellowshipping and eating wonderful food. Of course, the kids loved playing with their two little guys. This one looks like he could be one of mine and oh I could just keep him and all his sweetness! 

Sometimes the best days are those that aren't planned and this was one of those days! So many gifts from God!

I hope you experience God's gifts everyday. They are all around you, you just have to pay attention!

Jennifer

Counting Gifts #739

What is a better gift than a spring like day in the middle of January. The bikes and chalk were out and I just had to capture the moment with my camera. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

#739 A spring like day in January

This Monday I will be linking up with A Holy Experience to share my gifts for the week. To learn more about the book that inspired me to start counting my blessings, click here.

Counting Gifts 728-738

Every Monday I will be linking up with A Holy Experience to share my gifts for the week. To learn more about the book that inspired me to start counting my blessings, click here.

728. Last summer days spent with cousins and sweet friends

729. The pool on 100 plus degree days

730. Fun day spent with my sister and her daughter and some serious glitter

731. Finally solving an annoying ant problem

732. Sweaty, handy husband

 

733. Finding out that Haley and her best friend will be in the same class, God showing us we are still in the right place

735. First day of first grade

736. Three-year-old boys may be the sweetest, best buds

737. Library story time, free books and movies for the weekend, so fun
738. A great first week of school!

A Blessed Vacation & Counting Gifts 718-727

On our family vacation, we slowed down and took time to

enjoy God's creation all around us:

visit wondrous places

relax

eat ice cream

act silly

play with cousins

explore the beach

Every Monday I will be linking up with A Holy Experience to share my gifts for the week. To learn more about the book that inspired me to start counting my blessings, click here.

718. A wonderful blessed vacation filled with relaxation, exploration and family
719. Grandparents who get on the floor to play with cars and trains with their grandkids
720. Getting brave and enjoying seafood
721. Escaping the heat for a week and a half
722. Visiting Maine for the first time 
723. Seeing plane travel through the eyes of children
724. Compliments by strangers on my kids behavior
725. Realizing I need to get off caffeine
726. A week long migraine that takes me to the depths and reminds me of what's important
727. Coming home to a beautiful church family

Counting Gifts 709-717

Every Monday I will be linking up with A Holy Experience to share my gifts for the week. To learn more about the book that inspired me to start counting my blessings, click here.

709. My first Sunday as interim children's minister going off without a hitch
710. Evening spent with good friends who are about to move away
711. Watching seeds placed in a heart planted and growing
712. Excitement to share a room, their idea

713. Haley dressing Harrison up in a leotard and telling him it's a baseball player outfit

714. A really sweet husband

715. Church friends filling our lives with laughter and fun

716. A pretty awesome dad building a modern card board playhouse
717. A week that was so full of gifts, I couldn't keep track of them all!

Counting Gifts 687-708

Every Monday I will be linking up with A Holy Experience to share my gifts for the week. To learn more about the book that inspired me to start counting my blessings, click here.

687. Bittersweet hearing our beloved pastor preach at our church for the last time
688. Seeing that greater things are coming for our church and our pastor as he and his family serve the Lord in their next church
689. Being introduced as the Interim Children's Minister, excited at an unexpected opportunity to serve
690. Sitting in the shade with a nice breeze watching Haley's last swim lesson with my mom
691. Helping a high school golfer write letters to colleges, memories come back to those exciting days for myself
692. A boy who beats to his own drum

693. A teenager that I love for my daughter to look up to

694. Praying poolside with friends
695. To quote the wise Ann Voskamp, "If the answers yes, there's going to be a mess."

696. Sweet cantaloup

697.  Children's imagination as our den turns into an airplane they are sleeping on into a train

698. A fun evening at a beautiful house with new friends
699. A friend who came through on an offer of helping with the children's ministry
700. Fun afternoon spent at the pool, nice conversation
701. Blow up mattress...best friends wanting to sleep in the same room

702. Spending time vintage shopping with an amazing woman who happens to also be my cousin
703. Our precious niece's fifth birthday party, such a blessing she is to our family

704. Showing off her first lost tooth

705. Amazing parents that happen to be mine

706. Precious cousins

707. Cupcake face

708. Shade trees