Thankful

I LOVE days like today!  I took the day off, which was a terrific decision!  This morning after my hubby took the girls to school, I had a delightful breakfast (steel cut oats with butter, brown sugar, a little salt, and a lot of blueberries...YUMMY!!!) and time of quiet reflection.  I shared with God all that was on my heart, and He filled my heart with peace and contentment.  I am truly a blessed woman!  In all of life's stress and craziness, sometimes it is easy to forget just how GOOD life is.  I have everything I need and so many things that are truly luxuries by the world's standards.  There are people all across the world who would look at my life and recognize great wealth, though to me, at times it may seem normal and "humble."  I was also reminded of the blessing today of FRIENDSHIP, as I had the privilege of spending some time with two of my close friends today.  I was encouraged, uplifted, and renewed by the love of friends!  I cannot imagine where I would be without them!  I often revel in the joy that my family brings me.  I love being a WIFE and a MOTHER.  They are my two favorite roles in life!  Don't get me wrong, I also love being a sister, daughter, teacher, and friend, but to me, nothing compares to marriage and parenthood.  Through my marriage, I experience love, hope, challenges, triumphs, laughter, anger, reconciliation, highs, lows, and everything in between.  I love my husband, and I am so honored to be his wife (for 15 years now!!).  As a mom, I pour myself out for my children, and experience the tremendous joy as well as the painful heartache that comes from loving someone so deeply and so fully.  My CHILDREN are a TREASURE to me!

The past few weeks I have thought a lot about GRATITUDE and perspective, and as I have focused on the positive, the good and not the bad or discouraging, I have been renewed.  I will confess that I am not always a positive person.  In fact, for most of my life, I have been one of "those" people, who call themselves a "realist," which is often code for pessimist!  But I want to live my life looking for the bright spots, not focusing on the darkness or even the "reality" of the situation at hand. If I based my life upon how circumstances appear, it would be a pretty sad life at times! It is hard when circumstances look grim, but I have a choice in each moment to take the very BEST from life and to leave the rest behind. 

So let me share some of the BEST MOMENTS from my life recently...spending the day with my girls on Saturday, shopping at the farmer's market, getting treats at Starbucks, shopping some more, and eating Taco Bueno in the car...watching my precious niece open her birthday gifts with adorable words of delight at her family birthday party...spending an evening with my in-laws, eating dinner at Zoe's Kitchen (LOVE Zoe's...you must try if you haven't already!), drinking a bottle of Kenyan wine, telling stories and laughing together (Yes, I am BLESSED to have in-laws with whom I love to spend my time!)...family date night consisting of snow cones, fresh Farmer's Market pasta and marinara and homemade bread, while watching a documentary on the Big Cats of the Masai Mara in Kenya, East Africa (where we are going in just a few short weeks!)...talking wedding details with my little sister who is getting married August 14 (SO EXCITING!!!)...cooking fresh, yummy food for my family tonight, experimenting with vegetables and experiencing success as my children ate them all!

Life is GOOD.  :)

Germanfest Fun!

We had a fantastic time at Germanfest!  The food, the hilarious entertainment, good friends, family fun!!  My favorite moments:

Watching the girls rock climb It was their first time, and both of them did great! Madeline, as you might expect, was fiercely determined and used her small size and freakish arm strength to cling to that wall like crazy! Clara was very rational about the whole thing.  She planned out her every move, and when she could see that her plans to move further up the wall were not going to be successful, she simply let go of the rope and said that was as high as she could go!

Watching Travis watch WWF wrestling (is that what it is called?)  He was having way too much fun!  He was quite literally giddy with delight.  It was quite theatrical, and I am not sure the girls and I really "got it" like Travis would have hoped for us to.  But to him, it was magical greatness!

Watching the "circus side show" with "Oops" the Juggler and the circus side show members Jacamo the magician, Pepe the multi-talented musician who played a recorder with his nose, and Ben.  Ben escaped from a "regulation straight jacket" (the announcer must have said that phrase at least a dozen times!) right before our very eyes.  It was a sight to behold.  Where-oh-where, I ask, can you receive such high quality entertainment??   :)  We certainly laughed a lot!

There were playgrounds to play on, live music to entertain us, bounce houses to jump in, rides to avoid, and lots of people watching to make the day fly by!  I can't wait until next year!  Maybe you can join us!