a few of my favorite things

hi friends.
it's been a bit busy around here. science fair projects, oh joy of my life. super bowl parties for our life group, seriously a hugely wonderful time with new friends. cold weather one day and then nice weather the next which pushes us outside to run around and enjoy it for too long and then the rush to finish school stuff before bedtime. too few hours in the day to get it all done.


but i thought i would share with you a few of my favorite things. things that make a day just a bit lovelier.


1. flowers from my sister when we were all sick with the flu:  it was awful, but like i always say (and so does meg ryan) "daisies are the friendliest flower."my sister sent these to me to cheer me up and who doesn't feel happier with lovely bright flowers to remind you that the sickness won't last forever.

2. a new bible study, breathe, by priscilla shirer: it's all about creating a sabbath. i'm only on the first week but am enjoying the time dedicated to how to practically do this in day-to-day life. as a mom of 5, rest sounds pretty amazing.


3. my lemon tree, full of lovely smelling buds: we call it lulu the lemon tree and sometimes we sing to her to get her to bloom. last year we had....guess how many...ONE lemon. this year we are hoping for a bountiful harvest. haha. we shall see, folks. no matter how many lemons she gives, she smells amazing.

4. little miss and her new toothy grin and crinkly nose: so our little lady has 6 teeth now and let me just tell you, she's even more adorable. didn't think it was possible, but it happened. she's growing so fast. she's such a tough, sweet, feisty gal. i enjoy her so much. even when she decides that she wants to communicate by screaming in restaurants. she's a precious blessing. maybe not to those sitting near us, but we're pretty fond of her.

5. the boys. they are stinking hilarious! the things they are saying and doing crack me up. yes there are moments, whole days sometimes, where they drive me nuts and i struggle to be kind and patient, and i put them in separate rooms so i don't have to listen to the ridiculous fighting about legos and taking turns and who stole whose toy. but there are moments where i just have to stop and enjoy how funny and smart and clever they are. and sometimes how sneaky they are. i'm learning not every moment is a teaching moment. sometimes you just gotta laugh and shake your head. otherwise you'll go crazy.

5. a new plan/schedule for cleaning: i can't remember where i found it. it was a link on a blog i read. but it gave great organizational tips. so i've set up a schedule (a loose one) with tasks to target morning, afternoon, and evening. along with chores for the boys to do. each one has three each evening. and although the boys are feeling a bit overwhelmed by their new responsibilities, i think it's going well.


i've been writing in a thankfulness journal for several years now. and when life seems to get me bogged down and i can't seem to figure out what of the many tasks need to happen next, it's helpful to stop and think of the things i'm thankful for. some of my favorite things.
that should be on my to-do list everyday. stop and list things i'm thankful for.