Thoughts from a day in my life...

We had a rough start to our day today... bickering, too much noise, cranky babies, and a mama with not enough patience. We made it through breakfast and kitchen cleanup and our chores, and then I decided to scrap the rest of the morning's plans. We put on Christmas music (yes, I'm well aware that it's January! *wink*), piled up on the couch, and turned the projector onto a family picture slideshow. The kids had so much fun laughing at pictures of themselves so much younger, and I had time to sit and muse...

I have been blessed with an amazing man... he is kind, thoughtful, generous, strong, courageous, wise, honorable, gracious; he is also breathtakingly handsome  - and yet I spend most of my days oblivious to it because I'm so "busy" with the everyday that I don't really look at him.
Anybody else find themselves doing that?
Those moments you see a picture of your husband and your heart catches; you wonder why you hadn't noticed how gorgeous he was before he walked out the door that morning? Or when you look across the room and really see him... why don't we look at them all the time, the way we did when we were dating or newlyweds?

 And our kids have grown up so fast...! It amazes me how quickly they lose their chubby little baby cheeks. Oh that the Lord would let me see my children in the retrospective even now... in the present. I don't want to look back one day and regret not nurturing them enough... not snuggling them enough... not laughing with them enough.

It's so easy to get caught up in discipling our children that we forget to enjoy them. I want to see the cuteness in those moments that I often see the irritation.
This morning, I was reminded of how fleeting life is; how easy it is to major on the minors; how seldom I "drink in" those everyday moments. As a homemaker, I am most successful when I'm looking ahead - thinking of my next move; often this translates over into my mothering and being a wife. I pray that the Lord will help me to find the balance there... planning ahead in tasks but stopping to enjoy the little moments. Planning ahead without "rushing" time.

I want to do this job I've been called to well... as unto the Lord. I praise Him that He has given me that heart - I haven't always had it. Now, it is truly my desire... but my flesh keeps getting in the way. My flesh doesn't want to cherish the childish years... my flesh wants to push my children to grow up faster than they need to, for my comfort. And yet, my heart knows that I will regret it if I don't take this life slow and cherish these childish years. One day these baby years will be over... I don't want to be wishing them back.

I am resolved to live in each moment;

give lots of snuggles and kisses,

have fun learning with them,

see the world through their eyes,

love my husband without reserve,

notice him daily.

December was a full month for us - we decided to forgo "gifts" this year, and instead took advantage of the opportunity to take the kids on a family ski trip to Colorado. Needless to say, it was regarded as much better than any present could've been. *wink*   I've got lots of pictures that made it onto Facebook, which I hope to share here at some point, but I'm out of time for today. Here's a little sampling of the "family pictures" we took this year:

 The whole crew on my side:

 Dad, Mom, and their grandkids! *wink*