Saturday Gratitude

A quote I love that a friend shared recently...
"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.  It turns what we have into enough, and more.  It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity.  It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.  Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow." Melody Beattie

Today I am grateful for
~ Love 
~ Smoothies
~ Clean sheets
~ Our farm and our old house and all it's quirks and challenges
~ Fresh eggs
~ Fish dinner (coming up soon... maybe tomorrow)

The Next Morning

Outside...


Inside...

Alone

I sent them off all packed. Fresh clean clothes (why I'm not sure, they will certainly not get out of their jammies all weekend), yummy food, games, babies, and of course hugs and kisses. And now I am alone. For three days. I'm starting off my weekend with a nice cup of tea and a deep breath... all by myself. Ahhh. Quiet.

Experiment 2: Day 6

This isn't really day 6. I have been meditating a lot lately, in small doses, whenever I think of it. Unlike my last experiemnt, I am not resisting this one, I absolutely love it.



But I suppose this is day 6 six of lighting a candle and actaully sitting down with the intention of mediation. And I do love that as well, it just dosn't happen as easily.



Again today I was filled with gratitude. I feel like I have so much to be thankful for. I am surrounded by gifts... my children getting along so well over the last few days, gardening season coming up (and the fact that we have the land to do it on), the career oportunities that are opening up for me, being able to stay home with my kids, our beautiful home, our health, the sun being out today... the list is endless.

Experiment 2: Day 5

I am filled with more gratitude today. It was a beautiful frosty-sun-shiny day, my house is sparkling, there are clean sheets on the beds with clean children tucked inside them, our valentines are finished and in the mail... and the weekend has just begun.

Experiment 2: Day 4

Last night I took my meditation to the bath tub. There is nothing better at the end of a long day then soaking in a hot tub and relaxing. I couldn't stop thinking about how grateful I am feeling lately... I love this life.

Cleaning Meditation

I'm practicing joyful cleaning at our house this week. Since we were snowed in most of the week it was the perfect opportunity for some deep cleaning and laundry catch-up. I'm always surprised at how satisfying and even enjoyable cleaning can be under the right circumstances. When there is no outside pressure and I am simply cleaning to care for our house and our family, it can be really gratifying. As I am practicing my experiment for this week I am also realizing that meditation is something that can be done throughout the day, at anytime, to bring myself more into the present moment. As I clean, I can be conscious of the love I am putting into my work, and how wonderful it is to be able to stay at home and care for my family. What a gift indeed.

A New Year...

Well I have so much to be thankful for... where do I start. I suppose with the fact that at this moment, I am sitting in my new comfy pants, in my new slippers, in my new house. Then of course there is Jackson, my happy, healthy baby boy... and his birth that was so amazing. It was definately a year of new beginnings.

As for 2009, there is so much I am looking forward to. A new president, going back to school, continuing to work on making my new house a home. And of course all the little day to day moments that really make my life mine... mothering, writing, creating.

Cheers to a new year.

My Sunrise

And here again is that beautiful sunrise I talked about that I am so lucky to wake up to everyday. And just in case I ever forget, those curtains hanging on the wall there are white, so that beautiful orange color is courtesy only of nature herself. Sure helps a girl get out of bed in the morning (even if it is early... and cold).

Full

Today I am having this overwhelming feeling of intense gratitude for everything I have in my life right now. As Grace and I were sitting at the table eating our lunch, and I was watching the big white snowflakes falling, and listening to Christmas music, and holding my healthy baby boy, I felt so completely... full. Just full and filling over with gratitude and joy. And I keep having flashbacks to last year at this time when so much was going in my life, cancerous tumors, financial hardships, and now just a year later...this. I love this. I know nothing ever stays the same, good or bad. "This too shall pass" is something always playing in the back of my head, but for today and all of the days ahead, where I just get to simply enjoy these moments of bliss... to the heavens I will continue to say, from the bottom of my heart... thank you.

Random Thoughts...

I was poking around on facebook tonight and realized pretty much everyone I know has a facebook account. Very tempting to me... but I know me, and I'll just spend way too much time playing on it. This would be fine if I had way too much time, but I don't. Someday though...or at least I hope way too much time is in my future. Preferably the near future.

Our entire house smells like pine and eucalyptus right now thanks to this yummy essential oils blend that supposedly helps with colds. We've been using it everywhere... tubs, humidifiers, hot wash clothes. Not sure if it's working but sure makes everything smell good.

I took a nap today. A nap. A well earned, delicious, two hour nap.

I made soup tonight again for the second time in a week. This is an accomplishment for many reasons... kids, moving, unpacking, sicknesses... We've been eating so much premade food lately, to be able to actually make a meal feels so, normal. Things are finally starting to slow down again. Love it.

Christmas cards. Love them too. But I do way to clearly remember what it was like to be forced to take pictures for them. I was never a fan of that. So I try to be more causal about it so as not to permanently scar my kids like I was (not an exaggeration). But today for some reason I felt I need to get it done so after breakfast I attempted to take my last picture which was met with tears and resistance. I finally gave up and minutes later was able to capture this real moment that is so much cuter. Lesson learned.

Moments

I've been trying to capture the moments we spend in this house since I know our days here are limited. I'm going to miss it here more then I thought.