This weekend we began birthday celebrations for my husband. Even though his birthday is Tuesday, today was a perfect day to get together with family celebrate together. 

We talked about this time last year. We had a big party with friends and went all out to celebrate. It was a lot of fun and we still celebrated again with the family.

The pandemic was known to be spreading around the world but nothing had been mentioned here. Only a couple weeks later things came to a swift shutdown. 

​Here we are a year later. We are so blessed to still get to see our parents due to homeschooling, working from home, and being very cautious about our exposures. On top of the joy of just getting to spend time with them, it also allows us to still have small celebrations like this weekend. 

This time last year our football team made it to the Superbowl and we celebrated with friends. Here we are in the Superbowl again but it will be a family event this time. It isn't bad, just different. 

The past year has brought many changes. When I reflect on those changes, most of them have blessings tucked into the change. As I looked around today at family coming together to celebrate my husband I felt grateful. 

I'm grateful for such a beautiful, loving family. I'm grateful to prioritize them over other things. I'm grateful for last year's big celebrations for my husband. I'm grateful to still find a way to celebrate this year. I'm grateful for hope of Covid being brought back under control in the coming months. I'm grateful to see what our new normal becomes for the next couple years. I'm grateful for my amazing husband. I'm grateful for another year together.

How have your celebrations changed? What were you doing this time last year? Who are you able to prioritize in your life? How do you celebrate special moments now?

​May today remind us to celebrate each other. May we find ways to enjoy the special moments together. Have a beautiful day!

Today has been one of those days where it feels like I am on the wrong side of the lion cage at the zoo. My children are in meltdown mode and the usual tactics to turn it around are just not working today. Luckily, there is always music to back me up and boost my own mood. 

I spent most the morning trying to control my own rising tension as I tried to play, give attention, give space, do anything to help fix the mood. When it was clear that wasn't enough I tried a dance party which usually turns it all around. Not today. 

Isn't it funny how we can try and try to "fix" a "problem" but when we turn to our own needs instead, things just clear up? When I finally reached my tipping point I walked over and turned on my favorite calming instrumental cd. I closed me eyes and just focused on me. It took another five minutes or so but suddenly everyone was calm and doing their own thing. 

I love music. I love the beautiful tool it can be for setting the mood. I love how it can calm me down or pump me up. I love how my children can respond to it too. And while today there were more elements at play that just needing some music, music was instrumental in clearing my energy to provide a better space for them to clear theirs. 

I'm grateful for music. I'm grateful for this cd. I'm grateful for the way my kids can find their own balance if their environment is supportive of it. I'm grateful for the reminder to not fix, but step back and allow. I'm grateful to take a deep breath and just let the music carry me. I'm grateful for the healing music brings.

What music do you use to help boost your energy? What do you listen to to help calm or release stress? Is it the same or different when others are around?

May today remind us to use the tools that work for us. May we find the music that is in tune with our soul. Have a beautiful day!

In the modern, privileged life there is a lot that often gets taken for granted. Things like fresh water to drink at the turn of a handle and a roof over our heads are so used that we can forget that there are people that do not have these luxuries. There are other things that we may not think of too.

Last night I parked on the street. It was supposed to snow a couple inches overnight again and I had an early doctor appointment for my daughter. Our driveway is very steep with the electric boxes seated right at the outside edge. Not knowing if I would be able to get out and shovel the driveway early enough, it made more sense to park on the street. 

This morning as I stood outside scraping my windows and allowing extra time for my car to warm up it occurred to me how spoiled I am most days. There are people that have to scrape and warm their car every time it snows. Being able to park in the garage is often something I take for granted. Today reminded me what a huge blessing it is to have this option. 

It isn't just stuff we have that gets taken for granted. As I look out the window at the paw prints in the snow I am reminded that our sweet dog is getting older. There have been several times in the last couple years we thought we were going to lose her but she has held on. It is easy to take for granted that she is over sleeping on her dog bed (what she does most of the time these days) and just let her be. Yet when I think about a day in the future when I won't here her soft snores or be able to snuggle her; I wonder why I am taking these moments for granted when she is right here to pet.

What gets taken for granted in your life? Is it your spouse that does something to help your day go a little smoother? Is it your pet running to greet you when you come home? Is it the kids banging on the door while you try to use the restroom? 

Even the things that may seem annoying at times can become something we miss down the road. If you can, take five minutes today to truly look around you. Think about all the things in your life that get taken for granted. If it is a person or pet, let them know. Take a moment to just be in awe of all the blessings you have each day.

I'm so grateful for soft dog snores. I'm grateful for the way my dog grinds her head on my leg to claim me. I'm grateful for my kids and these precious moments of them being young. I'm grateful to get the opportunity to scrape my car windows this morning to remind me how privileged I am. I'm grateful to my husband for getting up early to shovel the driveway so I could walk to my car a little safer. I'm grateful for the million things he does every day to make like go a little smoother. I'm grateful for my car and my home. I'm grateful for my laptop. I'm grateful for the soft old sofa that I like to sit on to unwind in the evening. I'm grateful for so many things I couldn't possibly write them all out in a blog. But I'm grateful to take more time to just sit and bask in the beauty of them all.

May today remind us of our blessings. May we take a moment to see what we take for granted with fresh eyes. Have a beautiful day!

Today has been full of little giggles. Perhaps it is my commitment to try to be positive or perhaps it is a product of lack of sleep but my children say the funniest things. On top of them giving me lots of laughs, they are learning what makes each other laugh too. It is really fun to watch these interactions!

I'm grateful for a day of laughter to lighten the mood. I'm grateful for things my daughter says even as she does not understand the adult humor subtext. I'm grateful to laugh. I'm grateful to hug. I'm grateful to witness them sharing and laughing and playing. I'm grateful for these glimpses of what good friends they can be. I'm grateful for how much they adore each other and how much I cherish them. I'm grateful for the little things that went awry today that gave me opportunity to laugh. I'm grateful for silly mistakes that I can model to my daughters that mistakes happen and it's no big deal. But mostly I'm just grateful to giggle a bit more.

What things have gone sideways for you today? Did you accidentally double order some of your groceries and end up with a ridiculous amount of something? I did! Whatever little hiccups come your way today, try to find a way to let it be okay. If you can, laugh it off. It really feels so much better than grumbling. 

Who in your life makes you laugh? Who makes you feel a little more carefree? How can you spend more time with that person? How can you shift to be more like the people that make you feel great? Then you can make yourself and others feel great too!

May today bless us with laughter and humor. May we giggle at the little mistakes and cherish the people we can laugh with. Have a beautiful day!

I really enjoy color. When I bought my first house I went though and painted each room. I didn't want white walls or even beige, I wanted that soft wheat yellow and autumn reds and deep welcoming blues! While in this brief description it may sound like a lot, it came together beautifully. When I moved, the people actually asked the walls be kept their rich hues and kept the curtains too. 

While I have not made my mark on this house as much, I am comforted by the deep autumn orange of the dining room and the deep wine purple of my office sunroom. There are soft greens and even one wheat yellow room and one deep ocean blue room. 

As I look around the mess of toys, schoolwork, throw blankets, and other things it would be easy to let myself get a little stressed and feel the need to tidy up. Today that is not on my list of things that need done so instead I will blur the mess by focusing on the splash of color everywhere.

There is a hot pink Barbie Jeep and a yellow giraffe. There is a white and purple unicorn and a National Parks blanket of tans and oranges and sunsets. There is a blue ball and a red barn. I could keep going because the beauty of children is that they leave a colorful explosion wherever they play. They definitely make my life and my world more colorful in so many ways.

I'm grateful my kids have thoughtfully splashed color around for me to enjoy. I'm grateful for the wide variety of colors that exist. I'm grateful for fun color words like chartreuse, periwinkle, and cerulean. I'm grateful to see where color is important to me. I'm grateful to plan some splashes of color that I could add easily to my home. I'm grateful to see some other places where I could use a little less clutter of color. I'm grateful to enjoy color and so very grateful for the privilege to see color! I'm grateful for all the nuances of the different shades. 

What is your favorite color? Has it always been your favorite color or has it recently changed? Do you use different colors depending on your mood?

​May we pause to take in all the colors we can see. May we find ways to add our favorite colors into our everyday lives. Have a beautifully colorful day! 

It is a joke that when my husband of I comment about getting into shape the other responds, "round is a shape." It is our way of saying "I love you as you are." Yet there are so many things to appreciate about being round...or at least well-rounded.

As my attention is pulled tonight in many directions from motherhood to football to dishes to blog and oops I forgot to mail a birthday present and I still have two thousand steps to get before bed.... well you get the point. I have to pause and appreciate that, even though my attention is pulled and my mind is monkeying about, it is a well-rounded pull. 

This is one thing I appreciate about myself; I'm well-rounded. I am not a girlie girl but I can pull it off if I need to. I can start a campfire as easy as I can sew a mask. I can plan a party or cuddle up with a book and that book could be anything from self-help to sci-fi. 

I may not be able to do everything at once and some days it looks a little more organized than others but I appreciate the skills I hold. It is my sincere hope to give my girls the ability to have well-rounded skills. I hope they can work a mower, use a drill press, sew what needs mended, and cook a decent meal. I hope they know how to use their talents but also know how to rest. 

I'm grateful to take one thought about needing to get more steps and turning it around to be a compliment on my skills. I'm grateful for the challenge to be more positive. I'm grateful for the creative way of stopping a complaint and turning it into a positive thought. I'm grateful for the eye opener it has been for the words that I allow to come out. I'm grateful to my parents for giving me a well-rounded upbringing. I'm grateful to see all the skills each of my parents hold and learn from them. I'm grateful for my husband and all his skills that are different from mine. I'm grateful for the way it makes us a stronger team. I'm grateful for unconditional love. 

What is your "round"? What things do you enjoy? What skills do you hold? What do you appreciate about yourself?

May we take the time to truly appreciate ourselves and all we have learned. May we continue to learn at every opportunity every day. Have a beautiful day!

Life can be unpredictable to say the least. I think this last year has taught us all quite a bit about that and about the need to be flexible.

I am a planner. I like things to go according to plan. Things rarely go according to plan! Ha! 

In the past I have really struggled with change. It felt like a loss of control, even though in reality that control was out of my hands from the start. But what if I just changed my focus? 

I can still plan. Instead of having a backup plan, perhaps I can just have a mood plan. I cannot control what will happen but I can control my response. If plan A doesn't work out, I will plan to laugh it off. I will plan to make the most of it and find some good in the alternative. 

We have a trip planned that is balancing on what the weather will end up being. I have no control over that. I can plan to have fun whether we are home or on the road. 

I enrolled my daughter for school next year even as the pandemic numbers are the worst they have been over the last year. There is a vaccine but I have no idea if or when my family will receive it. I enrolled my daughter anyway because even though it will be a big change for us, it will be a good one. 

Then I ask myself, what determines a good change versus a bad one? Sure there are changes that hurt, like the loss of a loved one. Most changes are not so big and can easily have good elements. Sometimes we don't realize that a change is actually leading us toward a good outcome because we are busy focusing on what we didn't want to let go of or change. 

A few weeks ago I said that perhaps this year would be about letting go, for me. Perhaps that is only one part of the bigger theme of embracing change. And the change I am most eager to embrace is letting go of the need to control and seeing the beauty in the things that don't go as planned.

I'm grateful to do this for myself and for my family. I'm grateful to take lots of breaths today and focus on smiling. I'm grateful to focus on options rather than what is no longer an option. I'm grateful to have taken the leap of faith and enrolled my daughter in school next year. I'm grateful to know there is still flexibility. I'm grateful to look at what is best in the long term. I'm grateful to take a quick trip to the playground today on a whim. I'm grateful to entertain the idea of a new favorite color. I'm grateful for the last year that has taught me so much and for the year ahead for me to learn and grow in new ways.

What will the theme of this year be for you? What areas do you like to plan and what areas of life do you just wing it? What helps you embrace change?

​May we recognize the need for change. May we find grace moving through any and all transitions this year. Have a beautiful day!

Every day history is made in one way or another, some days we move forward while some days feel like perhaps we are going back. Not every moment of history is momentous but it writes history and paves the future either way.

Today I was hit by an unexpected wave of emotion as I watched Kamala Harris being sworn in as the first woman to hold the Vice-Presidency. I sat there with my two daughters watching as Sonia Sotomayor voiced the oath for VP Harris to vow. 

While I tend to be an emotional person, I am not usually emotionally moved by important moments like these. I am grateful and pleased most definitely, but rarely emotional. 

I watched Christina Koch and Jessica Meir perform the first all female spacewalk in 2019. At the time my daughter asked why hadn't girls done that before and that resonated with how I generally feel about such events. It is great that it is happening but why has it taken so long and why is it still so rare for these special events for women that we have to make note that it is a woman? 

Something about watching these two amazing and powerful women today though, made me well up a little. These are the barriers I want to watch crumble. I want my girls to grow up in a world where truly any dream is possible. I want them to shoot for the stars, for whatever their hearts desire and not be held back by something so simple-minded as being born a woman. 

I'm grateful for the emotion I experienced today. I'm grateful to get to witness so many amazing women in my lifetime. I'm grateful for my girls, young as they are, watching this process with me. I'm grateful to see them enthralled by the beautiful young poet Amanda Gorman and I'm grateful for her powerful words. I'm grateful for a peaceful process today. I'm grateful for the sun shining. I'm grateful to feel like a new leaf is being turned over and while there will always be some days forward and potentially some back I am grateful to feel a new hope for love and unity. 

What moves you? What mark are you making in history today, even if it is seemingly that in "just" your own story? How do you imagine your life and your story impacting the world around you? How can you make a beautiful mark in history?

May today remind us we all have the power to inspire and bring change. May we use our powers to bring positive, loving change. May we take the time to consciously choose how we will make our mark in history. Have a beautiful day!

Determination is great! It allows us to talk up what we are going to do and commit to getting something accomplished. Yet determination is only powerful if we put it to action. Without the action of actually doing what we say we're determined to get done, nothing happens.

Tomorrow is the inauguration of a new president. As with many presidents before him, he has made big promises and is facing quite a few big issues, from the very basic principles of human rights to an exponentially growing pandemic to huge environmental issues. He speaks with determination and I look forward to seeing what actions come from these big promises. It is my sincerest hope that they are actions that bring our country to a place of balance, love, and respect.  

How many times do we speak up determined to make a difference? How many times have we made a commitment to goals in the new year only to let them fade six weeks later? How do we keep our actions as strong as our words?

Part of my practice of becoming aware of when I complain is also making me aware of my determination. It has made me listen deeper to my words and my tone. In doing so I have to ask myself if I am just "preaching" or if I am ready to take the steps I speak of to truly make a difference. 

I'm grateful for this time of awareness and reflection. I'm grateful to see where my words and my actions are not lining up. I'm grateful to see which places my words need to change and which places I need to commit to more action. I'm grateful for the hope I feel in having a new president. I'm grateful to believe that change can happen and that progress can be made to heal the major rifts that have been torn in our country. I'm grateful to believe that words can be the beginning of action and that both have the power to make the world a better place. I'm grateful for change.

May today bring renewed hope for a better world. May we work together to bring equality, love, and respect into every aspect of our lives. Have a beautiful day!

During the typical busy Monday morning I do not usually have time to sit and reflect. In fact that is what this quiet period of time during my kids' nap times is for. 

Today we had a fun surprise video call from my girls' grandma. As she attempted to speak to them while they crawled all over me and the sofa telling her their own thought bubbles all at once and hyped up on excitement she said something I could not even imagine. She said that even though she knew she lived through a similar busy-ness she really doesn't remember it that way.

I hear that a lot as a mom of young kids. People say, "oh, I forgot about the being up all night." I have heard, "I'm sure my kids went through that stage but I really don't remember those details." I have even heard, "I don't remember if my kids had trouble potty training." 

I'm in what people refer to as "the thick of it". There are days I completely feel that expression and other days that it doesn't feel that way at all. Yet it does make me wonder what I will remember as my kids grow up. Will I remember how my now 18 month old loves to meditate and do a very dramatic breath in and out? I hope so and yet as I try to think back to when my four year old was that age there are only little snippets of memories. Honestly, most of the memories from her being that age are from the quote book and journal I kept of her that I have not been as diligent with for my younger daughter. 

The moments fade. The days fade. Time passes. The things that drove me crazy once are forgotten. I try to think back to my pre-child days and I think, "how did I pass the time each day?" Obviously a good portion of it was that I worked a lot more hours, but on my days off? What did I do? It doesn't seem half as important as soaking up these fun, chaotic, and even the frustrating moments of my girls growing up. 

I'm so grateful for these beautiful blessings. I'm grateful for my mother-in-laws comment that made me pause and remember to cherish these moments, no matter how chaotic. I'm grateful for a walk this morning even if we barely made it a few houses away. I'm grateful to watch as my toddler tried to participate in her big sister's homeschooling today. I'm grateful to see their kind souls and hope that I am doing a good job nourishing them. I'm grateful to know I am doing my best and how that looks is ever evolving as I grow too. I'm grateful to take a moment and reflect back. I'm grateful for the realization of the many moments I have forgotten to I can make sure I am focusing on what is most important in each moment. I'm grateful to release the little frustrations as I realize those will not be the moments I choose to remember anyway. I'm grateful. I'm grateful for this beautiful gift and all the change and excitement it has brought to my life.

Which memories have you chosen to keep? What do you remember about five years ago? Ten years ago? What about 20 or 30 years ago? If there were one thing from today that you would want to remember, what would it be? For me it would be the love of a grandma that calls for a special surprise and her grandkids being so excited they can't even sit still. 

May today provide us with an overall feeling a love to remember. May we choose to carry the best memories forward and let the rest blend to a fuzzy message of deep love. Have a beautiful day!