Gratitude: My Undoers

A rainy Saturday afternoon here. The sky is gray outside and our family room is cluttered with the remains of last week's play. I clutch my steaming coffee cup and think about our week, and I am so very grateful for....

Undoers who Undo all of my Doing. It occurred to me yesterday that my children love playing in clean spaces. As a result, I move from space to space tidying and cleaning, and once that space is clean they move out of the one they just made messy in order to enjoy the order and harmony. Liliana is just at the age where she understands cleaning up after herself, but she often forgets. Judah is at a stage where turning things upside down and dumping them is fun. I am at a stage where I wish I had some system for keeping my house clean but I definitely don't. Yet, who would I be without these darling undoers? Perhaps pride filled that my house was straight out of a magazine, or bored because I didn't have enough to do, or a professional because my perfectly clean empty house felt precisely that....empty. Instead I am blessed with mess makers. In commitment to a #lifeunfiltered I admit that chronic mess despite my best efforts feels nerve-wracking and stretches my patience. However, it is also virtue building and full of meaning. Will I miss the days of opening my fridge to find plush mermaids indulging in salad on the middle shelf? I know I will.

My sweet mess maker and I at beautiful Rianna's bridal shower.

Date nights revisited. Joe and I remain committed to our weekly date nights and we find them so beneficial to our marriage. As I often mention date nights often mean putting the kids down and an intentional "date night in". Sometimes we sit on the porch and look at stars over a cigar and wine, other times we have late night dinner picnics on our family room carpet, and many times we head over to Governor's pub for chicken wings and a cold pint. However, we wanted to shake things up a bit so we enrolled in a wall climbing class. SO MUCH FUN! Oh how we laughed as I learned to belay my big strong husband. As his body came down mine would lift up and I felt like we were being set up for a perfect spiderman kiss. I learned to lean against the wall and hook my foot on a hold if needs be. We are so eager to incorporate the fun into our weekly dates. It was a perfect opportunity to exercise/play/communicate all in one. I wish I had pictures to share but we were way too busy having fun for pictures. A very good sign, I say.

Since we don't have a picture this will have to do. Judah's
face over his blackberries is a perfect reflection of the fun Joe
and I had wall climbing together. Life is good :)

Little Bodies.  I lay there at 2am nursing our sweet boy several nights ago, and as my hand rested on his little rib cage I marvelled at precisely that...the perfect littleness of his body. My children's perfect little beings amaze me often. As I bathe them and see their tiny shoulders, scrub behind their beautiful ears, tickle their pruny feet I can't believe the intricate beauty of their tiny selves. I know I will remember the day when my hand encompassed my son's whole back or my two wee ones fit on my lap for Monday snuggles.

Little body and little bunny. Too sweet!

How long will they both fit on my lap?

Sweet little apron clad girl making mommy a carrot cake...
Daddy's idea and boy was it delicious!

Work. As many but not all know Joe and I had an extended period in which we were bringing in almost no income. As sincere as our efforts were, paying work just didn't seem to find us. Joe has been employed for a couple of months now and the difference it has made in our overall sense of well being is staggering. I also got a job as a chef's assistant for a cooking school close by....it is nighttime/weekend flexible and simple work, but the ability to assist in the stability and forward motion of our family is a gift.. We are blessed. Thank you to those who prayed for us in our times of difficulty.

My love to and prayers for you in this beautiful springtime season. What is filling your heart with gratitude? What gives you joy in these May days?

xoxo