The busy of May, with the end of the year kindergarten graduations, 8th grade graduations, end of the year musical performances, a Double Blessing baby Shower, and June birthday’s celebrated on May 30th, because, well, Double Blessing pregnancies are early bird pregnancies, right?

We’d figured that after the 15th of June, it’d be too close to a July 17 due date. . . because. . . early bird arrivals; hence June birthdays celebrated in May (14, 16, 18, 18, 27 birthdays).

I took my time getting everything put away from the birthday fete. I sat in the sweet sunshine of the Spring part of June watching the hummingbirds stop by for a quick drink from the butterfly bush petal cups. I harvested some dill, trimmed the Italian parsley that wanted to bloom early, sat and watched big, fat bumblebees feast on my lavender, thinking I would need to harvest this week.

I bought local strawberries, heavy cream, and made plain scones. . . because growing up, strawberries and cream at breakfast, in the gentle yellow of the morning sun, that whispers summertime’s coming in the late Spring of an early June.

I thinned my raspberry bushes by the back porch. My husband shakes his head, saying we should have bushes that are green all year long there, but after the big ice storm killed all those all-year-long green bushes a few years back, I replaced them with butterfly bushes, a bush of tiny tomatoes that volunteered to grow again this year. . . and raspberries. I want the grands, when they’re playing, to harvest a handful of raspberries and tomatoes, pull chocolate-mint from the back garden, break off a little thyme and savor it, sink their noses in the lavender.

In this sweet sensory slow down, we got a call. Over the course of a morning–“they’re taking the babies now.” Ten minutes later, “They’re going to wait–maybe six hours, maybe 24, maybe 10 days.” About 20 minutes later, we got another call, “We’re going to deliver now.”

So we packed up a bag, picked up a Cuban coffee for my son, and headed to Chattanooga to meet our two early-bird grandsons–six-weeks early bird.

They were born before we could make it there, but oh, how precious they are. “You going to like this, Mom,” my son said when he called us before we cold get there. “They’ve got red hair.”

I looked over at my Forever Man who had red hair when I met him, and I thought about all those prayers all those years ago when we didn’t think we’d be able to have any more children after our first son–and thought about the prayerology–the journey of answered prayers–and all the prayers born from the answer to those prayers we sent out so long ago that God answered–and how new prayers and new answers are still be born from those prayers God answered.

In hospital delivery room, a sweet boy and his girl prayed during the birth of their double blessings. God compassionately answered those prayers. I imagine, thinking of that boy who just became a dad and his girl who just became a mom, that she just might look out the kitchen window and see one of those answers high up in a tree swaying east and west in a raucous wind–and that answered prayer see her and call out, “Look, Mom” –and that answered prayer swaying in the wind will have given birth to a new prayer, as she calls him to come down out of that tree, and thanks God when his feet land safely on sturdy ground.

Little Blessings. . . the morning sun, butterflies drinking from butterfly bush cups, bumblebees growing fat on lavender, a chipmunk hiding among the flower pots, and two little boys breathing life. . . praise God for the big and little blessings, little and big.

Next year, we’ll have our June birthday celebration in June–a 5-5-14-16-18-18-27 party. Right now, we’re counting our blessings and savoring God’s lavish love.

Remember Me Monday: #135 Link-up

“I’ll make a list of God’s gracious dealings,
    all the things God has done that need praising,
All the generous bounties of God,
    his great goodness to the family of Israel—
Compassion lavished,
.    love extravagant.”
~ Isaiah 63:7, The Message

In the Old Testament, God repeatedly, quietly and loudly, tells his children, “You have forgotten me!”  (Jeremiah 3:32, Ezekiel 22:12, to name a few). It’s a heart cry from a father to a child who has forgotten all the love, all the saving, helping, little and big blessings – and it leaves me stunned when I realize our Father, the creator of the universe, who knows things I cannot begin to fathom, who authors storylines that leave me amazed, delights in all of us so much, He cries out, “Remember Me.”

While every day is a Remember God Day, I am inviting you to join me on Monday mornings to come by and remember what God has done for you, for your family. Maybe God sent a cardinal darting out in front of you, as if to tell you, “I’m here,” or broke a child’s fever after you laid it all down at His feet in a 2 a.m. bedside vigil. Maybe He stood with you in the wait of a prayer sent out, or brought someone you loved to Christ. Maybe He healed your broken heart, gave your courage, or you gave Him your dreams as a love offering only to have Him give them back in an unimaginable way. Maybe God helped you survive to bedtime after a crazy Monday, or forgive yourself for missing it with your kiddos –– Whatever it is, let’s Remember Him. . . in a “Remember Me Monday” love letter.

“My mouth will tell of your righteousness,
Of your salvation all the day long,
Though I know not its measure.
I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, O Sovereign Lord”
~ Psalm 71:15-16.

Let us delight in Him by telling the  stories of what He’s done!  If you wrote a blog post remembering what He’s done for you, join the linky. If you didn’t but still want to praise Him for what He’s done – write it in the comment section. Then visit a comment before or after yours! One of the beautiful things about the blogging community is the relationships it builds!

Rules?  Write long or short, a list or a story, include photos or not. Just Remember Him and what He has done, and let the gratitude of your heart guide you. Let’s make Monday so Rejoice, that the goodness of God spills into the rest of the week!

Link Up Below:

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!Click here to enter

Places I’m Linking at This Week:
  Instaencouragements, Legacy Link-Up, 
Let’s Have Coffee Wednesday 
Recharge Wednesday, Scripture & a Snapshot
 Grace&Truth, Sweet Tea & Friends