Contentment

Today if I had to describe how I'm feeling, I'd have to say "content". Generally, things are good. Could they be better? Definately. Could they be worse? They sure could. But overall, I'm at peace in my heart and mind. I'm enjoying be at home and putting things order, I'm enjoying all the time with my kids and hubby. I'm liking the "quietness" here, being able to read, scrapbook and putter - and mostly just to think. I love this. I love the snow outside, and that I could fill every day with errands and outings, but I'm not overly committed to anything, so on days like today, I can just stay home and "be".

So here I am, just "being" at home. I've dressed & fed the boys (including nursing the baby) both breakfast and lunch, I've put dinner in the crock, done a load of laundry, cleaned up the playroom, tidied the bedrooms, bathrooms and living rooms. Done the dishes, put things in order in the cupboards, checked my email and put aside some things for storage, I've put up a shelf in the kitchen and updated my daytimer. I've quietly enjoyed every moment of it, and it's only 12:30. Max will go down for a nap, Lucas will get his quiet time, I'll feed the baby again, and decide what quiet activity I'll do this afternoon - read? scrapbook? prepare my lesson for Thursday? call a friend? catch Oprah? hmmm - the options are glorious. Overall, the best part of it is that I'm inwardly happy. I've adjusted to the fact that everyday I will think of something else that could make life easier, something else to buy/do for the house - but overall, If I just keep living in the quiet moments of the present, I'll be able to enjoy the here and now so much more, rather than in the ever evasive moments of tomorrow.

A Good Book

I love books. It's almost problematic, my husband thinks we have too many, and he's right. But part of me thinks we don't have enough. (Even though all the bookshelves are full and overflowing and I've got boxes of them still to find a bookshelf). But I really do read them, and many of them I've read more than once. A good book can make me feel like a better, stronger person. Finding the right book in the right season of life is like finding the perfect pair of mittens the day before a snowstorm.

I love getting lost in a good fiction novel, historical or mystery. It's a surefire way that I'll relax, and I never feel guilty spending hours in a book the way I would watching tv. Plus I read fast, so I can read alot. I think the ability started when I was about 11 - I could read a whole Nancy Drew book in a day and by the end of highschool it was Mary Higgins Clarke books. So the challenge continues to this day, finding a book that requires something of me in reading it. I've found I love going back to some of the classics - Charles Dickens, Thoreau, L.M. Montgomery, Jane Austin, C.S. Lewis... over and over, but then some of the contemporary ones are just as worth it - Cormac McCarthy, Ken Follet...

Of course, this is not discounting subjects that matter to me like family (Dobson, Eldredge); Business (Kyosaki, Hansen, Allen, Covey); Leadership (Maxwell). And then there are the biographies (we'll leave that to a later time)

Anyways, books are my friends - they've been faithful throughout the years and the seasons. They are low maintenance and I know that no matter how long we've been apart, when we meet again, we always just pick up right where we left off!

Sunday Afternoons

I love quiet Sunday afternoons. Always have.

When I was a kid, we never planned much for Sundays - we went to church and usually had a big family dinner that evening, so the stretch of afternoon in between was always quiet, watching a movie, or reading or doing something restful. I do remember there were many times I was bored, and wanted to go out and "do" anything. But my mom insisted it was a day for quietness, and family. I'm glad she forced the issue.

Now that I'm a parent, I'm even more glad and I love them even more. I love having Chris and the boys nearby, when we're all at home, especially in the winter months, there's just something about snuggling down in a fuzzy blanket with nowhere to go and nothing to do. I love when it stretches into the evening and the time just passes slowly with our just being together. My soul looks forward to the rest and now, I know that I need it more than ever, as the days pass faster and faster and the boys grow up in no time flat. Sunday afternoons are the chance I have to consistently enjoy these precious days that I know I'll never get back.

Two Faces

Most people know that January was named after the Roman god "Janus". It was a head with 2 faces - one looking ahead and one looking back. Appropriate for the season...

Looking Back

After creating memory albums for all our parents as well as our annual newsletter and Christmas Card, I feel like I've sufficiently "reviewed" 2007 in my mind. It was a year of definate extremes. Big losses, big gains. Exremely happy moments and extremely sad ones. It's also been a year of work, of plans and dreams.

Despite all this, it's been a "quiet year". I year of little moments, day after day of taking life in, absorbing it, loving it. Being grateful for all things. Enjoying the simple things. Appreciating order, walking in harmony and beauty. Finally, joy. It's been a joyful year. Truly full of joy. Abundant joy.

Looking ahead

And so it's a new year. How exciting...

What's gonna happen? Who am I going to meet? What new thing will I experience? What challenge will I take? In what areas will I grow? I'm believing that it will be another "quiet year", mostly because we are at peace. Our hearts and minds are at peace and it's in our home. The biggest thing is not feeling anxious anymore, about anything. Sure, we've got days that just aren't fun, but overall, Jesus has truly been our Peace. He's been our Peace in the Midst of the Storm and our fullness the rest of the time.

So trusting that the major things we lived through this year (deaths, family weddings, births, floods, renovations, financial setbacks) will happen to other people rather than us directly, I know our lives will still be superabundantly blessed because of Jesus and no matter what happens, we'll be at rest through it all. Cheers!