These are a few of my favorite things!!

Dear Readers,

I love my Mom. 

And I try to be like her in all things.

Once upon a time I longed to wear glasses so I could be like her.

And I ended up needing glasses because my left eye wasn't seeing...it was just letting my right eye do all the work. 

I watched "Sound of Music" because it was her favorite movie.

And ended up loving it.

I read the Mitford books because she loved them...

And they are now my favorites! I'm on my second round, I bake recipes from the books, and I try to make my neighborhood more like Mitford. I'm not obsessed or anything....alright, I wish Father Tim was my grandfather! There. I've said it. ha

So, I've decided that this blog post is going to be a list

of a few of my favorite things...

because "When the dog bites, when the bee stings, when I'm feeling sad...I simply remember my favorite things, and then I don't feeeeel so bad!!" ~Sound of Music. 

1.) My family.

they are my life!


2.)Anything and everything old fashioned.

3.) the Mitford books.

4.) The Little House books

5.) Janette Oke books

6.) Maybe we should just go ahead and put books in a category of its own before this gets to be a million books long...hehe

7.) Scottsdale Bible Church's Special Ministries. My time there is so refreshing, and challenging, and full of love. I thank God for opening the door to this ministry for me! It's such a blessing.

8.) My Bible. My big, light tan, ESV Bible that I got for Christmas...I love it and couldn't live without it.

9.) Argentina and all of my loved ones which it holds. Te Amo!!



10.) Scrapbooking, stamping, cross stitching, sewing, plastic canvas stitching, and quilting--even though I don't know how to quilt.yet. These are all more things I took up because of my Mom...and fell in love with!

11.) Music. I came up with this one on my own, haha! I joined two different choruses while in public school, played Alto Saxophone in band and violin in strings, and today play violin and piano. I love music. As my old band teacher said, music is a gift that can never be taken away. It truly is a gift...

12.) Journaling! I call my journals my own Psalms because they mimic David's so much... "God, I need your help so much...what will I do? Ahhh!!!" to "Oh, Jesus, you are so amazing!!" to "this world disgusts me!" to "I can't believe You created such beauty." yeah.

13.) Special times with just the girls. As in me, my precious siter, and my mom.

14.) My sweet sissy! What would I do without her?!?!

15.) Sunsets.

16.) Chai tea lattes...especially if I drink them early in the morning, while basking in the cool fall breeze, reading my Bible after a workout with my mom.

17.) Running with my sweet encourager--my mom!!

18.) The children of the world. 
It may sound silly, but my
dream would be to wake up every day surrounded by children...
children the rest of the world has thrown away...
children who don't know what it's like to be loved...
who rarely feel a love-filled hug...
children who others turn their eyes away from because it hurts too much to look...
"Kisses from Katie" set in me a desire to be called mommy by these precious kids around the world..someday...

19.) Blogging. That's a given! But I love writing out my thoughts like this.

20.) God's plans. 'Nuff said. 

21.) The color yellow. And pink.

22.) Listening to Cate do school.

23.) Being homeschooled...

24.) Small towns.

25.) My town.

26.) Volunteering!

27.) Baking...anything!

28.) advocating for my heart children!

29.) School

30.)Dresses...

31.) Watching old musicals with my family

32.) Staying in a hotel with that family of mine! Always an adventure and so much fun.

33.)Worship

34.) playing the four favorite things game

35.) Memories

36.) Riding horses

37.) playing with my dog

38.) taking quizzes

39.) making/eating homemade bread. That's the only time I'll ever eat a PB&J.

40.) Fried chicken. It's my weakness...

41.) Mississippi State. My second home...

42.) Any place we have vacationed and have good memories at makes me smile.

43.) Sign language.

44.) Teaching sign language.

45.) Spreading Deaf awareness and information on sign language.

46.) Interpreting!! Best job EVER.

47.) Being in Moezart with my brothers and sissy.

48.) Our weekly dates after Moezart/before High School Ministry.

49.) Reading blogs

50.) Staying up late..and getting up early! 

51.) MATE!!

52.) Chinese food

53.) Facebook (most of the time!)

54.) checking the mail! It brings me joy. And if you write me a handwritten letter, it makes my day. Come on guys...if Paul could do it while in prison, you can spare the time to jot a quick note to show you care! 

55.) Prison ministry. and orphan ministry. and disability ministry. there are so many great ministries out there...

56.) Macaroni and Cheese. (even though I don't like cheese!)

57.) Reading a book at the same time as someone else in my family so we can discuss it. Because I can't read a good book without discussing it. I just can't.

58.)Good book clubs that challenge you to broaden your horizons and pick up books you would normally not look at. 

59.) Purses! I used to hate them and never carry one, but when we went to Hawaii two years ago my mom bought me a big calico bag for me to carry my books and coverup and such around in. I have used one ever since and never looked back! 

60.) Taking pictures. Especially of my parents! haha

61.) Going on vacations with my family!

62.) Dreams....

63.) Typewriters...it may seem strange but I have a love for them!!

64.) Aprons...

65.) Quilts...

66.) Rocking chairs..

67.) The name Jubal. It means "father of the flutes", as Jubal in the Old Testament was father to all who played the flutes. I want to  name one of my children that. haha! 

68.) Christmas decorations!!

69.) FALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

70.) Easter. Jesus gave us such a huge gift...

71.) Celebrating Christ's birth!

72.) Talking. Big surprise, right? 

73.) But I also love listening. People often come to my mom with their big things they need to talk about, and I often pray that someday people will feel comfortable talking to me like that. I love hearing about peoples' lives and learning how I can pray for them.

74.) Writing out long lists like this...

75.) Having goofy Halloween parties!

76.) I love old people, I really do, and have so many wonderful memories at nursing homes from when I was in that sign language group. 

77.) Writing current events

78.) The adorable decorations that adorn small towns at Christmas time.

79.) Christmas movies...we have a tradition that we watch all our favorites that we can before Christmas eve. It is one of my favorite traditions! 

80.) Another tradition I love is baking sugar cookies at Christmas time...and decorating them!!

81.) Anything from the 1800s...or the 1940s-50s.

82.) I love doing spontaneous things! (like our last flagstaff visit)

83.) I love listening to music from the 50's on our Sirius radio...

84.) I love going in Walgreens near any holiday!

85.) I also love going in Ace HardWare..

86.) Eating lunch in an airport

87.) Accompanying my dad on his weekend rounds. I love going to work with him!!

88.) My "A Vintage Christmas" book...and planning how to make our Christmas more old-fashioned with my mom!!

89.) long car rides!

90.) Taking Pluto on car rides with us

91.) DisneyWorld/Land/Cruise!!

92.) Just BEING!!

93.) The ocean...although sand in my swimsuit annoys me, I love love love the ocean.

94.) Looking at scrapbooks of my parents'

95.) Spanish!!

96.)Braids (although I'm horrible at them!)

97.) Being a sister

98.) Old quilts

99.) Birthdays!!

100.) The fact that I got to 100! I'm grateful for having so many gifts in my life!!

I am sure I have many more to share...but for now I'm stopping at 100! I challenge you all to think of at least five things you're grateful for/or one of your favorite things.
Buenos Noches! 
Your tired blogger,
 Claire