A fun things of sort (mingled with some 'housekeeping')...

There's a lil' orange button I click here for a "new post."  Sometimes that daunts me, sometimes it excites me - today it's more like when I hear an old hymn sung at church, kinda makes me want to cry.

I think I cry at those songs for the nostalgia, joy, suffering, steadfastness, faithfulness and mostly for the hope in them.  Lost souls found, blessed assurance, wandering hearts bound, souls made well and so on.

I have a confession, I've not been putting "first things first" in many ways of late.  It's amazing how your soul integrity can start to disintegrate under the weight of misplaced priorities.  There's a lot more to this that I likely couldn't articulate even if I tried.  It's a condition of the heart & experience has taught me those are best given to Him in moments of confession.

Experience has also taught me I need this space, this blog, to keep that perpetual "cup" that fills with so much every day from just spilling all over the place.  I don't like messes - real or figurative.

I made a "shame on me" declaration last week to Mimi.  Saying I've become really bad about taking pictures.  She consoled with the whole "2nd child, life getting busy" reality.  I couldn't accept that b/c I know it's not true - I have intentionally (and it's intentional b/c I think of it & deliberately don't do it) not taken pictures here in a while.  My ugly confession was that I don't want "this time" in pictures.  I don't want this apartment "in the background".  I'm not capturing moments because I don't really want the memory.  That makes me cry to put that in words again - it's so ugly and so prideful.  Because we're in this pause of life in one way, I've allowed it to cast a shadow over all the other beauty & blessings happening day in and day out - shame on me.

I used to write a lot about 'intentional living' and my belief in it - I think I need to go back and study up.  I certainly need to put it back on the forefront.  Like I said, "first things first", living outside of that sure does muddy the water.

So, I'm going to attempt a "fun things", some snapshots of the weekend (backgrounds be d*****).  The centerpieces of the moments are still as amazing as they ever were (big heart sighs)...

family dinners

dining with self-proclaimed royalty

my boys ♥ bubba's up to the hip now, we'll blink and he'll be up to our shoulders (sigh)

play dough fun

lucy's 'masterpiece'

bubba, always lookin' for a tree to climb

a regular johnny appleseed

chalk fun ~ always

chillin' & grillin' apartment style (enjoyin' another man's grill, garage, peanuts & beer)

date night ♥

post dinner spirits & cards

crockpottin' on saturday

chicken tortilla soup

relaxin'

post church, pre-nap hoarding, notice the bulge in those britches :)

unloading her 'wares'

 

double checking - she's a thorough one :)

 

heading out for a walk - we take lots of those

lil' miss 'I hold the door'

walkin' bevs (essential)

 

'walk in the stripes' a mantra of apartment living

 

sunday evening fun - candyland

a lil' sassy before we start (shocking)

notice the new mani/pedi :)

 

let the game commence

i'll let you guess who won her inaugural game

i suppose the thrill fades once you've won

So, there's a bevy of extraordinary ordinary.  It feels good to put it out there - feels right.  The background may have changed, but what matters hasn't.  (head shaking) I know I've covered this before - amazing how we lose focus, isn't it?!

I alluded to night time prayers in my last post - that truly is a blessed pause in our day.  Sure it's some wrangling to get focused, sure there's some silliness, sure there's someone passing gas out of one end or the other but there's always a moment of simple enlightenment.  Most times, it's bubba in his 4 year old faith and understanding of God and goodness.  The other night it was his prayer, "please help us keep on the sunny side" (sigh).  I echoed that prayer when it was my turn.  That's one of my kids favorite songs - Ella often lays in her bed singing it.  We hear "keep on the sunny side" a lot around here ♥

So, with that, I'm going to try and do more of that.  Like those old hymns, allow the words and message in this song to permeate my way of living...

Let us greet with a song of hope each day.
Though the moments be cloudy or fair.
Let us trust in our Saviour always,
To keep us, every one, in His care.

Keep on the sunny side, always on the sunny side,
Keep on the sunny side of life.
It will help us every day, it will brighten all the way,
If we'll keep on the sunny side of life.

Letting first things be first, keeping my eyes/heart "fixed upon" and letting truths, learned & remembered resonate...

He does, He will - He doesn't care about the "background", just what we fill the frame with ♥

.....

The Lord has been mindful of us; he will bless us. Psalm 115:12