My Happy List

1. My three boys holding hands and walking at sunset...

 2. The baby eating sand, enjoying it, and going back for more...and his mama not stopping him!

3. The Little Man eating ice cream...

4. Goofey faces...

5. Feeling so blessed

I Dare You

I dare you.

No, I double-triple-quadruple dare you to find something in this world that is purer, more magnificent and precious than this...

A child’s laughter.

In particular, my little man laughing his big, deep, belly laughs (Never mind he’s got all sorts of nonsense coming from his nose (thanks to a cold) and food all over the place). His laughter is absolutely contagious. If you weren’t smiling or did not join in on his chorus of giggles, watch it again, again, and again!

I dare you!

Faith

My boys so easily embrace what I have to remind myself and practice almost on a daily basis, to have unwavering faith.

Faith (noun): Belief or trust: belief in, devotion to, or trust in somebody or something, especially without logical proof.

“If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believeth.” Mark 9:23

I can remember him climbing up the stairs of the playground without any hesitation, fear, or intimidation – knowing that when he got to the top of the slide that there would be outstretched arms waiting to guide him safely down to the bottom.  

What a beautiful metaphor and a reminder for all that are allowed to witness this innocent act of believing in that which is completely unknown.

 

Listen

 "Listen to the mustn'ts, child.

 

Listen to the don'ts.
Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the wont's.
Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me... 

  



Anything can happen, child. Anything can be."

Dance, Love, Sing, Live

Dance as though no one is watching you,

Love as though you have never been hurt before,

Sing as though no one can hear you,

Live as though heaven is on earth (source unknown).

10 days...10 memories

Ten days, count them, 1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9.10! Ten wonderful days I was off of work, able to be at home with two very special little men.

There were jammie days...lots of them...

 Days where I didn't have to vacuum after the boys ate lunch because I had my "clean up on aisle 1" helper 
Days where they loved each other...

 And of the course the days where they didn't like each other too much...

 There were toy days...

Racing cars down the kitchen floor

 Coloring...

 Using our imagination to pretend we had a rocket pack on our back "also known as binoculars"...

 Moments that I will never forget...

Times that I want to stand still so that they will be small for-ev-er.

New Year, New Blog, New Blessings

Two thousand eleven (2011), you have finally arrived! I couldn't wait to close the doors on 2010 and have a fresh new start. What a heck of a year 2010 was, but one that I will ever be thankful for despite the enormous challenges. I've reflected in my own way the memories, triumphs, and tribulations of 2010 and am beyond hopeful for the journey that awaits me in 2011. With the start of this new year I'm reinvigorating my love for blogging, taking pictures, and enjoying my two amazing little men. So in honor of the first day of the new year I am starting a new blog focused on my everyday blessings. I'm hopeful it will provide me with an everday motivation to constantly be thankful, grateful, and appreciative of all of the blessings that God has bestowed or will bestow upon me, my family, and all of those that are near and dear to my heart.

Here are a few images of some everyday blessings from our first day of the new year...

 real lounging...

 Snoozy boy...

 milk moustaches...

 blue skies...

and a little man pretending to be a reindeer...

My Everyday Blessings represents so much of what I am hopeful for in this new year...gratitude, faith, hope, love, family, memory-making, sharing, communication, trust, security, freedom, courage, quality, perseverance, strength, and joy.  On this first day of January 2011, may you have a blessed year!