Note: I recently read the book One Thousand Gifts, and now I’m making my own list of one thousand gifts. As they accumulate, I’ll post them on Mondays and keep the running list on this tab, titled All is Grace.

13. the good deed of an 8-year-old secretly making up her parents’ bed

14. a January morning beaming with sunshine and bright blue skies

15. tracks in the snow

16. chatty little girls who linger too long over breakfast because they are so busy sharing life with each other

17. the sweet, chubby cheeks of the 15-month-old boy I borrowed for a walk

18. a freshly cleaned and re-organized freezer

19. the passion of a little girl who thrills at wondering what Dick and Jane will do next 

20. a refreshing dash to the mailbox without wearing a coat, hat or gloves

21. freshly folded stacks of clean laundry, ready to put away

22. dinner planned, prepared and waiting patiently in the refrigerator all afternoon

23. three hot chocolates overflowing with whipped cream and drizzled with chocolate

24. the little girl who decides she’s ready to read the Bible all by herself  

25. sunshine pouring in the windows on a warm January afternoon

26. deep giggles that make you roll on the floor

27. a house full of friends