Gratitude

Today I sit here watching my darlings play in the tub and I am grateful for...

- Consigning clothes! I just made two clothing drops this afternoon with my faithful sherpa husband and babes in tow. It is so very satisfying to keep my closet clear of things that I don't use and make back a little bit of money to buy new (to me) things. Such fun!

- Speaking of faithful sherpa husbands, I am utterly grateful for my amazing man. Last night we went back to the basics and had a picnic style date night on our living room carpet, like we used to. Joe knows how much I miss having a wood burning fire place so lugged our TV out, hooked it up to a YouTube fire place video and set up the heater. Cozy and so enjoyable! EDIT: This amazing sherpa husband is now back from 16 days at his parent's ranch. Boy are we thrilled to have our hero back. If we had to go much longer mommy might have ended up in a loony bin feeling very overwhelmed!

Cover mommy with stickers? OK! If it passes the time to bed then I surrender!

- Grateful for a feisty, determined nursing tyrant 14 month old son. Judah is such a joy and such a little rascal. You name what he can deconstruct and he will do it. I'm having to learn quickly, because his sister just didn't do these things (and here I thought it was because I was such a great parent!). Splashing in the toilet, dumping cereal boxes everywhere, colouring all over the walls and himself, climbing climbing climbing, ripping up all available material....and he isn't even walking yet. GULP!

Three minutes out of the kitchen? Napkins destroyed and Judah in the pot drawer!

30 seconds out of the room? I shall sit on the coffee table!

Oh mommy, you were helping Liliana in the bathroom? I poured out all three boxes of cereal!

Don't worry about me, mom, I figured out how to brush my teeth all by myself!

- A sweet imaginative three year old who is definitely pushing boundaries but also blossoming before our eyes. Months and months, a lifetime really, of low immunity caused me to make the decision to eliminate sugar (as much as possible!) from her diet. She seems more vital, she is a joy to watch at gymnastics, she spends all day singing, and she is such a good big sister....even when she is terrorizing her brother with affection! It gives me such happiness to watch them play together. Now, if only I was quite sure how to respond to her stomping, slamming, and yelling....they tell me this is normal? DOUBLE GULP!

On this day, in this moment, Liliana was a dog walker....she came up with outfit all by herself :)

Getting so big and brave!

Oh no, mommy, Judah poured out all the cereal! Don't worry, I'll clean it for you!

- Inspiring blogs. A few of my favorite reads these days have been this unbelievably humbling blog about a terminal wife and mama, this awesome blog about health in the new year and what our priorities should be, this balanced perspective on our Holy Father's recent comments, and this very informative article about the importance of vitamin K2 (thanks Eve!). There is so much goodness out there, I am truly grateful for the ability to fill my mama brain with beautiful things in the small moments of quiet that I am gifted with.

I recently read on Ann Voskamp's beautiful blog that GRATITUDE IS THE ANTIDOTE TO ANXIETY. It has lead me to ask, of Joe and myself, "do we live gratitude in our day? Do we survey the scene of our chaotic crazy beautiful life and whisper thanks before feeling overwhelmed? Do we work hard to avoid comparisons and live fully in the moment with a joy filled heart?"

What do you do to avoid feeling anxious or envious in the life you've been blessed with? I'd love to hear some ideas for living joy and gratitude!

Love and prayers always!

xoxo

Moments of Grace: The Water Slide

I squeeze my sweet boy tight, inhaling his soft skin and delighting in his beautiful self. Yet, as I hold him and love him I gaze wistfully below me to the pool. I feel the familiar catch in my throat and chest as I think "I used to love doing that." 

I loved swimming. I miss it. I miss the silence as I dove into the water, the murmur of the world above as I pushed my body to work, the strength that I felt...the escape.

I don't swim anymore. Babies, sickness, finances, family, exhaustion....oh, that thing called life....it consumes me and swims don't happen. I wouldn't trade my life for anything, my loves are an absolute gift, and yet I am dishonest if I don't admit that self-forgetfulness is hard, and sometimes life feels very heavy.

Then she grabs my hand, my darling mama. "Come on Emily," she says, "you and I are going on the water slide." She offers to go first, to show me that if I point my toes and touch them I will fly. She laughs out loud as she flies down the slide, losing control around the corners, splashing water up over the side. She points her toes and shows me that it is good to delight in a moment of fun.

I feel strangely nervous as I sit at the top waiting for the red light to turn green. I take off, point my toes, and feel a true thrill as I fly. I laugh. I arrive at the bottom and she says, "AGAIN."

Us two mamas do the slide again, and even again. We laugh and our hair is wet, our hands are like raisins. I walk back to my boy and squeeze him tight. Yet, the wistfulness is gone. That moment of fun on the water slide erased the small sorrow of the moment and replaced it with gratitude. This was a gift and a lesson to me... to seek instances of joy as refreshment on this incredible journey of love that is life.

Thank you, Mama.

xoxo