Thunder and Giggles

What a wonderful day! You know there was a time, not too long ago, when I lived in the beautiful country of New Zealand, that I was not so fond of rain. It seemed like it never stopped raining there. But, on this day, I feel so grateful for the rain. For one thing we all need some rain here in the Hill Country. What made today's rainfall so special was just enjoying it with all my little chickens. We pushed the pause button on their school work for about an hour and all gathered in the living room so that I could read aloud to them. Emily made everyone cups of hot chocolate and I read a couple of chapters of The Last Sin Eater by Francine Rivers as the thunder rolled and a cool breeze blew through the house.

Then, the icing on the cake... a couple of hours later, I discovered that Joshua can giggle out loud! It is one of the most delightful things in life to hear a baby laugh for the first time. He was grinning so big it looked like it hurt and the giggle was sort of an awkward sound at first. It didn't take but about 30 seconds for all the big kids to come running. We just stood around the bed looking at the little prince, laughing 'til we cried. You can't pay for that kind of entertainment! :)

So, like I said, I'm thankful for this rainy day and all the blessings God poured down on me. It's the little things in life... thunder, a good book, hot chocolate, baby giggles, and the privilege to be with my precious children... Thank you God for the blessings you rain down on me every day!