JOY

This past week I've been feeling alot of joy. It is wonderful and I realize how important it is for me to always seek out that joy, not just when things seem to be going well. Things aren't incredibly different, I still wake up tired and cranky some mornings and I still lose it with the girls now and again. I still get a little stir crazy being inside all day and I still get frustrated when the girls are all screaming something at me at once.

The difference: I get over it quicker. I am somehow not allowing those moments to linger as long and ruin my day. Sadly, over the last few years I often let my deep worries/concerns pour over into my attitude toward daily life, which impeded my joy.

Now because life has alot less worries, I am sleeping better and recognizing how I feel more joyful and more grateful. I realize this is all fine and dandy, but the trick is that I need to learn to feel this way even when my life is filled with worries and/or trials. Because as most of us know one guarantee in this life is that trials will come. My job is to not let the trial shake me up for too long. My challenge is to find joy during difficult times. I love our beautiful little girls so much and I am extremely fortunate to be able to stay home with them each day.

Yesterday I decided to shower while the girls were napping. The girls woke up while I was blow drying my hair. I got them a snack and then went to put hot curlers in my hair (which I usually only do occasionally, maybe a few times a month). I finished my hair and makeup and it was almost 4pm. I looked in the mirror and thought, "alot of work and I'm not even going to leave the house today...oh well." I walked out into the living room and my Loving Lucy said "Wow mom, your hair is so beautiful!" I started to tear up a little as I thanked her and gave her a hug. She is so sweet and so sincere and just such a wonderful reminder of how very lucky I am to be home all day.

Adorable Audrey loves the new bike they share from Christmas and she is always wanting me to put on her pads and helmet and WATCH her. "Mom, look at me mom...mom, mom, look--did you see me mom? Watch mom, Watch this! mom mom MOM!" And I get to be here to watch her ride in circles over and over. How lucky am I?

Sassafras Sage and her dressup changing is adorable and a tad annoying. She loves to twirl and say "look mom, I so boosissol in my dress!" I find her dressups strewn all over the house inside out all day long. Cinderella is her favorite followed by her purple fairy Halloween costume, then Alice. I have stitched up Alice and Cinderella once and it is time for another fix on the Cinderella dress.

My Gentle German. I love him more each day! We are both so much happier when not in school. We will celebrate our 10 year anniversary in a few weeks and we've been loving our lazy nights together with no homework to do. We have been in school pretty much since we got married and I still can't believe it is over FOREVER! I am so proud of him and he gets even more handsome with age. He is my media naranja and I love to be near him always. The girls love him, too and get SOOO excited when daddy gets home from work (screaming, running and jumping for a good 5 minutes straight!) He is a wonderful daddy and I love that he reads to them every night before bed.

 Surprised Faces

Mean Faces

Silly Faces

I love each face so much!