This Made Me Smile

"People often write me and ask how I keep my wood floors so clean when I live with a child and a dog, and my answer is that I use a technique called Suffering From a Mental Illness." -- Heather Armstrong

Random Thoughts

I'm not sure why I feel inclined to blog this morning -- I have nothing specific to say. There are just lots of thoughts going through my head, and I want to get them out. For instance, who else has had it with this winter??? Every year that we are here I get more and more impatient for spring, more thankful for the warm and even hot months. After the two beautiful and warm days last week that were both followed by another round of cold and snow, I have just had enough! Merciless teasing! I love the beauty of Utah, and I even enjoy the snow on the mountains, but please, for pete's sake, let's have some springtime! I'm ready to let my "cabin-fevered" kids out to play in the yard. I'm ready to start my garden back up. I'm ready for some hiking and camping and fun in the sun!

This cold and gray has me so depressed . . . it happens every winter. Especially living in a basement with tiny windows and getting very little sunlight. Anyone else get the wintertime blues?

I'm amazed at the speed with which life is speeding by. It seems that raising kids is a slow process sometimes, but when I look back, I can't believe so much time has passed. The days are long, but the years are short. I have realized I am not taking full advantage and that I need to slow down and take time to enjoy life more, where my kids are concerned. It seems that every day is full of "hurry up and do this" and "go here" that our lives are a blur. What I want is to spend more time talking to them and playing with them and less time rushing them around and doing chores and everything else that gets in the way. I need to play Scrabble with Nathaniel. I have finally gotten Bradley to let me start teaching him to read, and I love that time together. Lindsey is so much fun to just watch and listen to -- she's talking non-stop and singing even more. I love my kids and love every second with them. I have to teach myself to relax and just be with them more.

Chris and I celebrated our 12th wedding anniversary back in December. I can't believe it! (That picture -- good grief! I was thin!) In my mind I am still that immature kid I used to be; it startles me some days to wake up and realize I am a 33 year old mother of 3 children! Chris and I will just be sitting there and ask each other, "Where did these kids come from?" As if to say, surely we are not parents! We still feel like 16 year olds cruising around in the VW bug he's had forever. But I wouldn't trade it (my life, not the bug!) for anything. I am so thankful for my husband and children, my greatest blessings. I will never be worthy of such amazing gifts.

Thanks for indulging my randomness.