October seventh may seem like an ordinary day, but it is a very special one to me. It is an important anniversary. It is the anniversary of my parents getting married. 

Maybe at first glance that doesn't seem like anything unusual. It is a little sad that this has seemingly become unusual but...my parents are STILL MARRIED! When divorces seem a dime a dozen it is reassuring and heartwarming seeing the couples who truly live the words they spoke during their vows. It is beautiful to see the couples who have been together, happily, for ten, twenty, forty, sixty years.

I think what I love most is having the inside window having grown up in this loving home. Yes there were disagreements and they were handled respectfully with healthy, calm communication. More often in my memories there were tickle fights and laughter and fun. There were tough times and my parents got through them together.

Don't get me wrong, there are important reasons for divorce. I, myself have been divorced and my husband had a previous marriage as well. Perhaps that is what makes us more cognizant of not just saying the words but doing the work. 

Love is a verb. It isn't something you feel and then fall out of feeling. It isn't a passing emotion. It is an action, a million little actions even, that you do each and every day. Every day, every disagreement, every challenge is a choice to pick love or to bypass it. It isn't always easy. We don't always make the right choice in the moment. But love is coming back to try again, to make amends, to figure it out together. 

I'm grateful to celebrate my parents anniversary. I'm grateful to have had such great guides. I'm grateful to see some of the actions they took that worked and made their relationship grow stronger. I'm grateful for all the love they have given me as I have made my own missteps. I'm grateful to keep doing my best to model myself knowing love is an action. I'm grateful for all the couples who have made it, all the couples who are trying, and all the couples who knew enough about healthy relationships to exit the ones that were not. I'm grateful for love.

Who do you love? How do you show that in actions each day? How do you show respect?

May love be the first action we give in the morning and the first action we receive. May we carry these actions of spreading love to everyone we meet. May we make the world a better place by these simple actions. And when it comes to the ones we love the most, may we always remember to do the work and share love. Have a beautiful day! 

This morning provided the most beautiful gift. My youngest daughter woke up first, as usual. We played in her room for a little while and then went downstairs. We ate breakfast but the rest of the family was still sound asleep. 

My youngest loves being outside. She quickly worked her way passed the table and looked out the windows at the trees. We watched through the window as one of the small branches began twitching and bobbing erratically, definitely not from wind. After a moment a young cardinal appeared. My daughter was so ecstatic she began chirping and "whoo whoo" and any flight-animal sounds she knows trying to pair one to this bird. 

I decided to move us outside for a better view. Rather than sit on the deck's built in benches which face you toward the house, we plopped right on the deck by the windows to gaze out and up at the yard. It took a few moments for the wildlife to settle back into their routines. Soon a squirrel ran passed on the rail of the deck. The cardinal returned as well as several small birds. 

In one particularly quiet, still moment a hummingbird came and hovered, peering at us curiously. It darted back and forth watching us before it flew away. It was such a magical moment! I think even my infant daughter could tell just how special it was because she sat perfectly still watching and as soon as it was gone turned to me with her face pure glee. It was priceless.

I'm grateful for these quiet moments. I'm grateful to cherish this time not only in nature but together. I'm grateful for our woodland visitors. I'm grateful to have this beautiful slice of nature in the city. I'm grateful for the squirrels that are always active and entertaining. I'm grateful for the bountiful bird population, especially the cardinals that hold special significance for me. I'm beyond grateful to get to see a hummingbird and be fully in the moment as we studied each other. I'm grateful for my youngest daughter and her quiet, gentle personality. 

What gifts did you receive today? What moments were offered to cherish?

​May today remind us to pause and take in each moment. May we be rewarded for being present. May we cherish the memories these moments provide. Have a beautiful day!

Tonight I find myself in need of a mental redirect. I am facing a week ahead of lots of to do lists, yes multiple lists of multiple categories of what needs done, and it is easy for me to think that the list items outnumber the hours in the days. 

I recently listened to a podcast about stress and how we react makes all the difference. Some people meet stress with anxiety and compounded stress so that it feels heavy and crippling. Other people find stress as a challenge to conquer and meet it head first with a gusto. 

If I am being honest, most kinds of stress I tend to react in the first way mentioned rather than responding to the challenge. After listening to the podcast I was reminded I have the choice in how I choose to respond...but this is the first real test to that. Time to put it to practice.

I can do this. I can manage my time well and have a very productive week. This is my chance to really dig in and see what all I can do when I use my time intentionally. I also get to use this opportunity to decide which things on the to do lists are important as I cross of the most important things first. And in finding this balance I also get to make sure my priorities are still intact with my family coming first. 

Thankfully I have a lot of help this week as well! My work schedule is light. I have an amazing husband ready to help. My girls have been doing a great job playing together which allows me a few extra minutes here and there to get things done. I have one evening of help from my parents already planned. I have my mother-in-law coming to help too. As a team, we've definitely got this.

I'm grateful to use this blog as a good mental redirect. I'm grateful for the podcast I heard that reminded me of my power to choose how I respond. I'm grateful to put this to practice tonight and all week. I'm grateful for my awesome team and all the help I know I have if/when needed. I'm grateful for the fun week ahead and everything great that will come from all this effort. I'm grateful to trust and remind myself that I've got this.

Which type of response do you tend to have to stress? How do you direct your thoughts to a powerful response instead of reaction? 

May we always seek to claim our personal power and positive perspective. May we meet stress with a gusto and meet the challenge. May we give ourselves grace if it doesn't quite go as planned. Have a beautiful day, you've got this!

You know how some days just go a little sideways? Today was one of those days where the timing just didn't line up and orders got mixed up and communication lines got crossed. It wasn't a bad day, just a little off.

As I finished up the last errand, car full with a variety of filled orders and two kids in a tired-hungry melt-down, I sent a message to my husband asking if he could please meet me at the garage to help me unload. Much to my relief his answer was yes and he helped me scoop up kids and bags and make it inside in half the time. Thank goodness for the parenting "team"!

After lunch my oldest daughter was talking about how she wanted kitty cupcakes for her birthday. I pulled up a couple bakery websites and found that none, locally, are currently making cat cupcakes at the moment. So I pulled up Pinterest and found a wide range of difficulty levels to making cupcakes into kitties. 

My daughter, of course, found ones that were incredibly detailed and realistic looking even. I gave a little chuckle and told her that while I appreciated her confidence in me, I thought we should maybe look for something a little bit easier. She looked at me, head slightly cocked while she gently patted my arm and said, "It's ok Mommy, Sweetie, I will help you. We are a team and I know we can do it together." 

Did your heart melt? Because mine did. Have I mentioned I adore this child? Anyway, it is true and I tell her all the time that even if neither of us know the answer we can figure it out together because we are a team. It is what I told her this morning as she was panicking at overhearing the nurse on the phone say I needed to take her to the ER. (Everything turned out fine.) It is what I tell her when we can't figure out why a toy isn't working or where her favorite something disappeared. We are a team. We have each others' back. And we can figure it out.

So I ordered some supplies and while the supplies I requested are still a a grade or two below the professional ones she saw, I think we have a pretty good chance at making some cute cupcakes. We are a pretty creative and capable team, after all.

I'm grateful for my team. I'm grateful to have such a wonderful family. I'm grateful to be so blessed to have a wonderful husband and co-parent. I'm grateful for my adorable, sweet preschooler. I'm grateful to see the kind person she is growing into. I'm grateful to be moving through some of the turbulence we had been having and move into a hopefully smoother phase for a bit. I'm grateful for my cuddly little one too. I'm grateful to see how my dreams have come true in this beautiful family and team I get to call mine. 

Who is on your team? How do they make you stronger while supporting who you are as an individual? 

May today remind us we are stronger as a team. May we have a deep connection with our family team. May we see the ways we are all a team as the human race. Have a beautiful day!

Last night's insights were great but those "aha" moments only go so far if I don't take action. So I asked myself what steps I need to take first and foremost to get myself back on track, back in a parasympathetic state. 

I got a little more sleep last night, though that will still need some catching up for a while. When I woke this morning, fifteen minutes before my husband's alarm, rather than lay there restlessly I got up. I went into the hall with my headphones and listened to a meditation. When my mind is monkeying around, it helps to have someone else's voice to follow to get me back into the rhythm. 

After that I did some minimal yoga stretches as I could hear everyone beginning to get up and around. Then I told my preschooler the exciting news; we were going on a hike. We packed out camelbaks with lunch, water, and the usual necessities like a magnifying glass. Once the baby was up from her morning nap we headed out. We just did a half mile loop trail and I took the wagon instead of the baby carrier but it went well.

We had fun exploring along the trail and enjoyed our picnic lunch. It was a great time and for the first time in a long time I wasn't checking my watch to make sure we were on schedule. I just enjoyed being out. Even with the intense heat of the day, we still had a great time!

I'm so grateful to get out in nature. I'm grateful my girls love being outside. I'm grateful to have so many trails near us. I'm grateful to suggest to my husband we make more time to hike and be out in nature as a family, and have him agree. I'm grateful for the insights of yesterday and even more grateful to put them into practice today. I'm grateful to take steps to make myself accountable so I can work to make this into a habit and routine. 

What helps you stay accountable? What helps renew your spirit and calm your mind?

May today spur us into actions that get us a step closer to our goals. May we walk the path in joy and seek gratitude along the way. Have a beautiful day!

For the last couple weeks I have been stuck on the idea that there are no good choices right now. Do I send my daughter to preschool and risk the exposure to covid? If so, do I restrict access to grandparents again? I think family is more important but I know my daughter needs peers also. And it's not just covid, the black lives matter movement has brought to light the overhaul that needs done to basically every aspect of our society but where do we start? And I won't even get started on politics and the options there.

Last night I saw a unique opportunity for schooling for my daughter. As with everything there are pros and cons. As I sit here tonight I am seeing things in a new light. I am not even sure what brought about the change, but it occurs to me how very blessed I am to have such an abundance of options. 

There are people who do not have access to all the options my family does. There are people that are not stuck in a back and forth weighing of pros and cons because whether they like it or not the decision is basically made for them from some socio-economic point. 

I am blessed. I get to overanalyze and monkey mind myself over these issues. I get to choose from several options. I get a say. I get my voice heard. I get a vote. 

I'm grateful to see this beautiful realization tonight of just how blessed I am. I'm grateful for options. I'm grateful to be in such a privileged situation. I'm grateful to see that not everyone has these same options. I'm grateful to see how I can make a difference. I'm grateful to see where I hold power. I'm grateful to know I can help create change. I'm grateful to know I will choose what is right for myself, my family, and the greater good. I'm grateful for these moments of clarity and gratitude.

What are your options? Even if they are not great ones, there is blessings in having a choice. What will you choose? Where can you make a difference? 

May we use our power and our vote to create positive change. May we recognize the blessings we have and see abundance in whatever form it comes. Have a beautiful day! ​

This weekend we had a celebration for my baby girl. It was her one year birthday party. It was not the packed house and buzz of voices that was our first daughter's first birthday. I didn't over-decorate the house and have a dozen theme-based appetizers. But it was beautiful to get to allow grandparents into our home (something once taken for granted but now so cherished during this season of covid) to celebrate this special moment.

It was quiet. It was small. And honestly, with my baby's shy and cautious personality, it was the perfect size to truly celebrate her special day.

She was shy about being the center of attention in opening gifts but loved what she got. She (and her sister) have been getting good use out of the new toys. It is fun to watch them both excited and exploring together.

Times are different right now. The things that are important have shifted. Family has always been first but even within that there have been big shifts. We are normally a family that tries to focus on gifts of experiences rather than toys. In the past I have gotten wrapped up in the event of the birthday party more than getting to hone in on my child. This time we got an intimate party with a few of the most important people in my children's lives.

I'm grateful for this beautiful, small celebration. I'm grateful to see how perfectly suited this party was to my shy child versus her very social sister. I'm grateful for  the ability to feel confident in having a safe atmosphere to offer this party. I'm grateful we were able to celebrate with the grandparents. I'm grateful to celebrate with pie. I'm grateful to watch my baby girl take her first steps in front of her grandma. I'm grateful for a weekend with family.

What is important to you? What values do you hold and how do your actions reflect this? Has covid shifted anything in how this looks?

May today remind us what is truly important. May we find awareness in the discrepancies between our values and our actions. Have a beautiful day!

It is no surprise that working opposite shifts from my husband with two young kids at home that projects pile up and to do lists grow. Things clutter countertops and under the sofa becomes a deep sea diver's treasure trove.

Tonight we asked my parents to come over and watch the girls so we could get a few things done. They agreed, always eager to spend time with the grand-babies. My husband went one direction and I set off in another to tackle projects deemed most important. In an hour and a half it was amazing how much we got transformed. Is it perfect, no, but it is a huge step closer!

I also made a donation run earlier. We had piled boxes full of things to donate during the shelter-in-place but had only taken one car-load up to drop off. Taking another load today meant that much less clutter. It also motivated me to find a time to take the last load or two up!

I'm grateful for the energetic uplift getting some things tidied up gives me! I'm grateful for all my husband's help today and everyday as we try to stay on top of things. I'm grateful for my parents help watching the girls to allow my husband and I to both be able to tackle the list. I'm grateful to see my kitchen island again. I'm grateful to have cleaned out several plastic storage tubs from donations to use to start organizing the basement next. I'm grateful for projects crossed off and progress made. I'm grateful for the urge and motivation to make this happen more frequently.

What boosts your energy and motivation? Who helps you cross of the items on your list? 

May today remind us how much our energy can be tied to our surroundings. May we express our gratitude for everyone who plays a role in creating a thriving atmosphere. Have a beautiful day!

I was offered a rare opportunity today to play solely with my baby. My preschooler gets at least one stretch if not two each day of having my sole attention while her sister naps. The baby unfortunately only gets my attention in the brief time we are doing her bedtime routine, no real play time together without her big sister.

While I am still trying to figure out how to find more of this special connection time with my baby; today I will simply celebrate and cherish the time. My preschooler was off with her dad and at first I wasn't even sure what to do with my little one. She was playing with some toys and I sat next to her and sung a couple songs but still didn't feel like we were connecting. 

Her favorite "toy" right now is the ball pit. We put a little foam stairs and slide over the wall so she could crawl in and out herself. So I called her name and then crawled over to the ball pit. She watched me with a big grin and then gave chase. I crawled up the little steps and let myself dive face-first down the slide like she does into the ball pit. She thought that was great and came tumbling in after me.

Between me and the slide most of the ball pit was taken up but she didn't mind. She was perfectly content to crawl all over me, showing me balls. We threw them and "clapped" them and sung about them. I even squeezed myself through the tunnel as I followed her around playing. It was a beautiful connection and reminded me more than ever how important these moments are and encourage me to find more time for this. 

I'm so grateful to just dive in and be silly. I'm grateful to have this beautiful time with my little one. I'm so grateful for how well she plays by herself but I'm grateful she was willing to let me play too. I'm grateful for the joy she gets from the ball pit. I'm grateful to not mind having to clean up 200 balls for the joy it brings. I'm grateful to also have a preschooler that will help clean up those balls. I'm grateful for special dad-daughter time for my older daughter just as much as I am grateful for the special time with each of my girls. I'm grateful to be blessed to get to be home most of each day so I can have these moments to cherish.

What moments do you cherish? When do you "dive-in" and connect with people?

May today remind us the beauty of the simple moments together. May we make time for those who are most important to us. Have a beautiful day!