In bed yesterday morning with coffee and two squirming wrestling boys we came up with a new rule. One complaint per person per day. So we went around the bed. I complained about having a cold. Murray complained about the squirming wrestling boys spilling his coffee. Cameron complained about not being allowed to squirm and wrestle. Scott said, ‘Um… Nothing.’ We didn’t quite make it. Complaints slithered in. But here and there we could say, ‘Whoa! Save it for your one complaint tomorrow morning!’ It weighs in well with the gratitude habit. Worth a try?

Here are this week’s 39 things:

 

1290 Driving with windows open and the smell of flowers on the traffic island on January Masilela Drive

1291 This week – our seventh move (though only our fourth home – long story) – in eight and a half years of marriage; love moving with this man

1292 iPad fixed

1293 Kirst and Nats reminding me to let the peace of God rule in my heart

1294 Baking rusks with cranberries and white chocolate chips

1295 Documentaries about bees – phenomenal zooming and slow motion and God’s glory

1296 Cell group braai – so much laughing and eating

1297 The catharsis of piling up rubble and clearing space

1298 Stiffness from painting and cleaning and wheelbarrowing

1299 Knowing there are always two sides to the stories –

1300 And trying to rest in leaving judgement to the Judge

1301 Scott inviting me into his ‘house’ – a pile of cushions stacked under the curtains – just to talk and snuggle

1302 T-shirt weather

1303 Tea, chocolate cake and mascarpone cheese with Samantha on her 30^th birthday

1304 Discovering cool camera effects on my phone

1305 Scott the brave

1306 A facebook message from Ann Voskamp that totally made my day

1307 Harmony between different churches in the city

1308 Hundreds of calories burned walking the aisles of Builders’ Warehouse, Chamberlains, Midas and Carrim’s

1309 Lots of fine motor coordination practice punching in my credit card pin to buy paint and plumbing supplies

1310 Discovering pens in my handbag

1311 Other people’s vegetable gardens

1312 Cam’s courage and absolute enjoyment on the zipline course at an adventure sports birthday party

1313 The zipline guide who walked Cam through the course but made him do everything himself

1314 The gift that each of my boys has in his brother

1315 Yol texting to check if I was ok because we left church early. (I was fine – we left for –

1316 Tea at Aunty Sheynie and Uncle Roger to celebrate Pete and Liesl’s little Leann’s dedication)

1317 Laughing and catching up with old and new friends

1318 Generations of faithfulness represented under –

1319 Brand new bright spring leaves on gnarled trees –

1320 That have seen generations of a family

1321 Text from Sue about becoming an aunt

1322 An icy conversation that slowly thawed

1323 New kitchen chairs for a new kitchen table

1324 Forests where no one walks

1325 Praying with Scott when he confided forlornly, ‘I very scared this moving new house.’

1326 One naartjie left in the fruit bowl for Cam’s school bag so there was no dashing to Spar on a Sunday

1327 Humbling myself to call in favours from allies in this moving-house week

1328 Celebrating life of late