~ Edith Sitwell
The icicles are still hanging from our awning...beautiful foot long crystals (some are 3 feet!) setting off rainbows. Little drops dripping from their tips, a sign that the weather is warmer today, the sun shining...but still sparkling thick snow on the ground.
Inside we are warm and doing school and crafting away. We've made forts and sock puppets and ran circles through the kitchen numerous times - and to the kids this never gets old. :) For me, after a long day being inside (even as cozy as it can be) the circle running isn't always that enjoyable...but their little giggles always are the highlight of my day. I love watching Finn's little legs running as fast as he can, jumping and skipping and throwing himself onto the floor just as fast and as furious as the rest of them. Finn knows he has to keep up or move out of the way to keep from getting run over....he's a wise 20 month old for sure.
My first hoop in a long time...simple and not my best work but it was fun to do and took a whopping one hour. I put the kids down for a rest, made my cup of tea...started stitching and was able to hang it in the boys room after their nap. Sometimes small simple projects are the best because they are so gratifying and they make you feel like "wow, if I can do that I can do MORE and BIGGER." I'm working on a "bigger" now ...stay tuned - I might show it to you.
Brady had such a good day at school I dared to take them all to the store...this IS my life for keeps...I might as well learn to grocery shop with all my kids you know? I mean...they'll be around for awhile. We picked up a few essentials (I only lost one kid in the parking lot...that was scary but I handled it like a champ) and then got home in time for a treat of dark chocolate almond milk and for me to knead up some pizza crust. Chef Brady was excited about pizza for dinner so asked to help...he came back donning a chef's hat and a name badge with the restaurant's logo on it.
We set to work smearing on a simple homemade pasta sauce, stuffing the crust with extra mozzarella (oh yes we did...) and then topping it with MORE mozzarella and pineapple and black olives. Can I just tell you how much I love the fact my kids eat black olives?!
The pizza came out delicious for my littles ( mine is coming out of the oven as I type...mozzarella, tomatoe slices, fresh garlic..for the immune system of course...black olives and spinach with a drizzle of olive oil.) Brady took their orders, we lit some candles...
And then for a *special* drink...cold water with a splash of volcanic lime juice and a drop or two of stevia. Divine.
The kids were pleased...goblets were "dinged" and we talked a lot about how much better food tastes with candlelight, nice dinner ware and Andrea Boccelli singing in the background. Why can't school night dinners be an occasion, right?!
Tristan was rather intently studying the "stuffed crust"...kind of like "how in the heck did this get in here?"
The conversation traveled from how many daughters Trinity would like and what their names would be to some awesome new discovery on Mario...to "shouldn't Tristy be sitting still?"
The sweetest part of many of my evenings are my little helpers trying their very best to clean up dinner. Trinity cleared the plates and Finn *helped* put away the silverware...such sweet littles.
My book I'm reading this morning had this great thought...
The heart is filled with thoughts, and it is out of that reservoir of thoughts that the mouth speaks words of praise or bitterness.
It's amazing how when our minds are in the right place, how simple things can become extrordiary...how annoying situations can become times to learn and to practice speaking kindly. Instead of thinking "great..I have to cook supper again " I can say "hmmm, another meal. Good thing I have food in the cupboards...how can I make my simple ingredients into something satisfying?" It changes everything. I have the power to make playtime with my kids awesome and loud and full of laughter or "ho hum" , I have the power to read the same story over again, bored to death of it...or I can make it into an exciting adventure for my littles with all the squeaky voices and hilarious high pitched squeals - I have the power to make someone feel awesome and loved and secure through tucking them into bed and making it an "occasion to remember" with tickles and stories and rubbing their heads and reassuring them that tomorrow is going to be so nice...so have sweet dreams tonight. It all begins with a thought.
And then...my favorite "slap in the face" moment from my morning reading...Debi Pearl says :
No woman will ever have peace and joy until her mind is full of goodwill toward her husband.
wow.
This year I'm focusing on renewing my thought life...thinking on things that are pure and true and good. I'm focusing on my marriage and really really enjoying my husband...and this major step of changing the way I think of him has been huge in just the last couple of weeks. I haven't been perfect, and I never will be - but I am definitely conscience of the things I say to him and the way I say them. Instead of griping in my head and heart about the things that Zac might not give me, or the way he does things or doesn't do things...I try to treat him the way I would treat my best friend. I'm focusing on being his helper...not his partner.
The word "partner" is misleading I think...it makes me feel like everything has to be equal. I know that I am equal in the sight of God...but Christ specifically says that He gives a man a wife so that she can be his helpmeet. Because I am Zac's wife...my role is not to change him, to pester him until he does things my way, to preach at him and show him my spirituality...
I can be sad inside and gripe inside and have a "poor me" attitude when I don't get my way or life doesn't go the way I think it should be going - but in the end I will be miserable and will make my family miserable. I will never lose my husband...he is a Mr. Steady. He is a quiet, loving, devoted...VERY supportive of my dreams kind of man .... he is completely loyal. But...that doesn't mean that we will be completely happy. Another great quote:
Many women believe Mr. Steady is mediocre and lacks strength and authority, when in actuality, Mr. Steady is a manly steady fellow that lacks a good wife.
Ouch.
But so true. Changing my thinking has been huge....and my eyes have been opened to what a DREAM of a husband I have...and how much more enjoyable my marriage is when I focus on how I can serve him, how I can love him...how I can make our day good - how I can be a helper.
The pizza came out delicious for my littles ( mine is coming out of the oven as I type...mozzarella, tomatoe slices, fresh garlic..for the immune system of course...black olives and spinach with a drizzle of olive oil.) Brady took their orders, we lit some candles...
My book I'm reading this morning had this great thought...
The heart is filled with thoughts, and it is out of that reservoir of thoughts that the mouth speaks words of praise or bitterness.
It's amazing how when our minds are in the right place, how simple things can become extrordiary...how annoying situations can become times to learn and to practice speaking kindly. Instead of thinking "great..I have to cook supper again " I can say "hmmm, another meal. Good thing I have food in the cupboards...how can I make my simple ingredients into something satisfying?" It changes everything. I have the power to make playtime with my kids awesome and loud and full of laughter or "ho hum" , I have the power to read the same story over again, bored to death of it...or I can make it into an exciting adventure for my littles with all the squeaky voices and hilarious high pitched squeals - I have the power to make someone feel awesome and loved and secure through tucking them into bed and making it an "occasion to remember" with tickles and stories and rubbing their heads and reassuring them that tomorrow is going to be so nice...so have sweet dreams tonight. It all begins with a thought.
And then...my favorite "slap in the face" moment from my morning reading...Debi Pearl says :
No woman will ever have peace and joy until her mind is full of goodwill toward her husband.
wow.
This year I'm focusing on renewing my thought life...thinking on things that are pure and true and good. I'm focusing on my marriage and really really enjoying my husband...and this major step of changing the way I think of him has been huge in just the last couple of weeks. I haven't been perfect, and I never will be - but I am definitely conscience of the things I say to him and the way I say them. Instead of griping in my head and heart about the things that Zac might not give me, or the way he does things or doesn't do things...I try to treat him the way I would treat my best friend. I'm focusing on being his helper...not his partner.
The word "partner" is misleading I think...it makes me feel like everything has to be equal. I know that I am equal in the sight of God...but Christ specifically says that He gives a man a wife so that she can be his helpmeet. Because I am Zac's wife...my role is not to change him, to pester him until he does things my way, to preach at him and show him my spirituality...
I can be sad inside and gripe inside and have a "poor me" attitude when I don't get my way or life doesn't go the way I think it should be going - but in the end I will be miserable and will make my family miserable. I will never lose my husband...he is a Mr. Steady. He is a quiet, loving, devoted...VERY supportive of my dreams kind of man .... he is completely loyal. But...that doesn't mean that we will be completely happy. Another great quote:
Many women believe Mr. Steady is mediocre and lacks strength and authority, when in actuality, Mr. Steady is a manly steady fellow that lacks a good wife.
Ouch.
But so true. Changing my thinking has been huge....and my eyes have been opened to what a DREAM of a husband I have...and how much more enjoyable my marriage is when I focus on how I can serve him, how I can love him...how I can make our day good - how I can be a helper.
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