this is more of a journal entry, so if you are interested, read on :)
(another picture from my adventures with my holga...so fun)
this month our family is working on perspective.
i had an experience during residency that i hope i never forget. it was a day. most likely a busy day not including dave, who was most likely at the hospital. i remember feeling weighed down with my to do list. i walked outside and dave's car was parked in the driveway. light was coming through his car window and dirty hand prints stood out all over the glass. i felt my head hang a little lower as i thought, "great. one more thing i didn't get done." then i lifted my head, looked past the car, and noticed what was causing the light... an absolutely beautiful sunset. if i would have only focused on the dirty window, i would have missed out on the amazing sunset.
at our house, as well as having gratitude, november is about choosing our outlook. we can choose to focus on the good things or the not so good things. every night we write on our window (with a dry erase marker) something we are grateful for and say something good that happened. it is getting pretty full. lately i have noticed that my perspective is better when i feel gratitude and then i feel content and i think being content is happiness. i really want to help my kids and myself to focus on the beautiful sunsets more than the dirty windows. we have so much to be grateful for.
i love
thistop five happy things this weekend:
1. dave. he had friday night and sat. off and he really focused on making the most of it. he picked max up from nutcracker practice on his way home from work. max is very patient through practice but it gets very long and he was so excited to have dad all to himself. then dave fixed dinner, then we got the kids in bed and watched pbs's new sherlock holmes masterpiece series. he woke up and made breakfast for us, we got to sit together during abe's b-ball game which is the first time we have done that all season, then he took the kids to a football game so i could take pictures and play with my cameras. it was the first time in a long time i can remember doing a hobby, by myself, for fun and not for church or something. our big date sat. night was going to stake conf. adult session and then to the grocery store...together. it was great. he is great.
2. playing soccer with max. he got himself all geared up with shin guards and everything as the other kids got ready for school. he told me after we dropped the kids off that he wanted to play soccer on the grass. so we did. it was so fun. he set the goals up with his goal about thirty feet wide and then set mine up on the other side about 8 feet wide. he looked at me and said very reassuringly, "they are the same size mom." i put up a fuss and he nodded and said, "it's ok mom." he won 5-1.
3. good teachers. abe's teacher has been so complimentary to him. she has taken interest in his artwork, and really gone out of her way to challenge him. most of all, i can tell she likes him.. the first thing she said in parent teacher conf. was, "abe is awesome." she thought he was going to be a quiet kid because he is well behaved, but she said his sense of humor is so funny and one time she turned on some music and he was spinning and showing his moves.
kai's teacher is so positive and kind. she knows he is sensitive, so she makes an effort to say things nicely to him. i love it. she told me he really stands out.
4. hard working kids. sadie just got her first report card in middle school and got a 4.0
she loves middle school and i love hearing stories from the day. she told me she got in trouble three times on friday for talking too much. i don't know why this made me smile, probably because it reminded me of me and i am so happy she has people to talk to.
the other day i said to abe, "give your best effort today" he looked at me and said, "i always give my best effort." what a great thing to be able to say.
5. stake conference. we had stake conference today. it was broadcast from slc and president monson spoke. what a blessing to have a prophet and hear him speak at stake conference. he talked about rescuing others and helping people in need. something i can work on.
bonus: kai is learning to read so during scriptures the other night dave told him to read part of his scripture. kai was not too excited, so i told him to read just the first word. he sounded it out, "bbb-uuu-ttt. but." immediate laughter and the hugest smile ever. so fun!
max goes with me every monday to volunteer in kai's class and the kids all love him. they want him to sit with them, stand in line with them, eat by them. they really take care of him and he fits right in.
