It's a New Day!

This morning, at 6:00, after being awake in the night at 12:00, 3:00, and 5:00, I sleepily peeled an orange and filled plastic, colored bowls with dry cereal while I started a morning movie for my kiddos.  My body wanted to go back to sleep but my spirit stirred within me.  Today is a new day.  

Moments from yesterday can be left behind.  For my kiddos...and mostly...for me.

Moments like Ella's fit at the library over not wanting to share a fairy, Sammy's meltdown at the start of handwriting, Micah's constant distraction during cursive time, and that time I needed to ask someone eight times to put their boots and coat and hat on.  Also those moments in which I growled at my children like some sort of a mama monster through gritted teeth to obey and listen and make good choices and work as a team.  

Sometimes I get it right, when I get down at their level, look in their little eyes, and talk to them intentionally and calmly about their behavior and about how their hearts will be happy when they make good choices.  And other times, I lose my cool.  I yell.  I become harsh.  My negative emotions bubble up inside me and they take over.  I become the mom I don't want to be.  The days can sometimes lean in one direction or the other, and yesterday, I concluded that the impatient mama took over more times than I would have wanted.

So as I awoke today, I spoke that truth to myself.

Today is a new day.
Yesterday is washed clean.
Grace abounds...yet again.
Time after time after time after time.
And this morning?
Well his mercies are new every morning.
Praise GOD!

Today, even though I am tired and not particularly motivated to make today fabulous, I am taking a moment to ask for God's grace today as I parent and mother and school and discipline.  As I toast bagels and brush teeth and change diapers and drive to karate and read geography and listen to readers being read and as I load the dishwasher and fold the laundry and remind my children to listen and obey.

More of you, God.
Less of me.

The kids and I just ran to the window to catch the glorious, orange splashes of the sunrise this morning while they were making beds.  What sweet timing!  As I am thinking of God's new mercies for me today, a picture of his beauty right before me as a reminder that He makes all things beautiful.

May your day be full of his abounding grace and his mercies that are new for you today.

Today, friends, is a NEW DAY!

Christmas Highlights

Although Christmas is now weeks behind us, I still wanted to capture some of our holiday highlights.  We really had a special December this year, busy in a just-right kind of way.  Lots of special events and activities marked our month, and for some reason, the month just wasn't stressful!  We were able to shop and wrap and celebrate in a fun, peaceful way, which isn't always the case, so I am celebrating that in a huge way!  I love Christmas, and I love all that comes with it.  I love celebrating Jesus's birth and the joy that his life brings our lives.  I love all of the music, I love the advent devotions, and I love the special baking and cooking.  I love our lit-up tree and our nativity set that gets arranged and re-arranged many times each day for the whole month.  I really love it all.  So thankful that we were able to have a sweet season of celebrating.  

The week after Christmas, we traveled to Minnesota to celebrate with Zach's family.  We arrived on New Year's Eve afternoon, so after the kids were all asleep, Zach and I went out for fish and chips and to a late movie!  So fun to be out on New Year's Eve!  We enjoyed our time in Minnesota, but we also enjoyed coming home to settle back into our routine after a busy few weeks.  We took last week off school, as well, knowing we would have just gotten home from our trip, and gave ourselves time to pack away Christmas decorations, organize and put away Christmas gifts, and start up our new activities for the kids.  I was ALL set to jump back into our schooling on Monday, and had spent time preparing our week and our curriculum.  BUT, of course, sometimes life gets in the way.  Micah woke up Monday with strep throat, I found myself with strep throat Tuesday, and Wednesday found Ella with the flu and Sammy with an ear infection.  Thursday was Sammy's day for a fever and today is Sophia's turn.  We've had quite the week around here, complete with four trips to the doctor and three to the Walgreens pharmacy.  We have a list on the counter of who's had what medicine so we can keep track of it all, and we have spent extra time watching movies, Little House on the Prairie episodes, and YouTube clips.  One night, our kids were all asleep before 6:30 pm.  It's just been one of those weeks.  But we are adjusting and making it through a day at at time!  All this to say, we are still not back into our "normal" after the holidays, but we are attempting to go with the flow.  So (finally!) here are our Christmas highlights...

Sammy and Ella both asleep after a most beautiful Christmas concert at church.  How precious is this??!!

A farm near our house had free pony rides and a time to meet Santa one Sunday in December.  The kids all loved it!

We loved our cooooold - but SUPER fun - trip to Brookfield Zoo to see the holiday lights and shows!

Santa's Model Railroad was the highlight of our zoo trip!

One of my favorite parts of the month...our family date night in the city!

I got to take this sweet girl out to breakfast for some Mommy-Daughter date time before meeting up with my mom, my sister-in-law, and my niece for our first girls' trip to American Girl.  Oh. My. Goodness.  WHAT a fun day!  Truly magical.

Savannah and Ella each borrowed mine and my sister's dolls from when we were girls for the day, and they loved every minute of it.  Here they are on the train.

Lunch in the American Girl restaurant was as sweet as could be.  Loved it all.

Christmas Eve morning!  Thankful to have been able to borrow Christmas dresses from their cousin, Savannah!

Christmas Eve morning at my in-laws...photo taken by Micah.

Christmas Eve at my Mom and Jason's...all 20 of us, plus our dear family friend, Tony!  It was such fun and such loads of happy chaos that I hardly got any pictures of the day!

Christmas morning!

Sammy with Nana before we got dressed and went to see the movie, Frozen, on Christmas afternoon!  SO much fun!

Micah's favorite Christmas present...the Harry Potter series!!!  He read the first book in three days and has since re-read as much as possible!  Zach is reading ahead of him to "approve" the next books.  They have both completed the first three books now, and guess who they got started on the series??  Yep, just started the second one myself and am loving reading what my son is reading.  It's so fun to be able to discuss it all with him.  I am not super into the sci-fi/fantasy/wizard-type genre, but my Star Wars and Lord of the Rings fan husband has persuaded me more into appreciating and enjoying this unique genre.  

Christmas at my dad's house with his family 

Christmas with the Schmidt Family...Zach's Grandpa and Grandma Schmidt with all the kiddos

Christmas in Minnesota at my in-law's.  Sophia LOVED her new horsie!!!

The bag was a hit, too!

Celebrating my sister-in-law, Leah, at her bridal shower in Minneapolis!  My mother-in-law, Lois, Leah, Ella, and me.
Ella's first shower!  She loved it!

AND we loved our game time in Minnesota...Twister with Paul and Mary Kay, my in-law's best friends who are basically family

And my boys LOVED the game, Aggravation!  So fun!

Hoping you and your family had a most splendid of holidays, as well.
Happy 2014!!!
Here's to a new year with more love, more joy, more grace, and more gratitude!!!

Love to all!