You Choose

No, Karen Carpenter, rainy days and Mondays do not always get me down.  
In fact, this rainy Monday has been just lovely.
Because of the nature of our business, rain usually means having my husband home with me.  I like that.  He's a pretty cool guy, and we like to hang out.


Overall it's been a pretty lazy day.  We took a drive this morning to look at a house.  Yes, I know.  We are some of the movin'est people around.  We're not moving just yet, but we're looking. :)


We took care of some mundane, pen-to-paper, checkbook and bill kinda stuff.  We rearranged the pantry- big stuff, I know.
Leftovers for lunch and then off to my massage.  
Massage= time for me.


A little time for me is a necessity.  
Happy is awesome, but it doesn't always happen by itself.  
Sometimes you have to work at it.  
Sometimes you have to make it happen.  
Sometimes you have to choose it.


Part of me being happy and high on life is dependent on making some time just for me.  I am blessed beyond measure to have a husband who gets that.  
It's easy for me to get caught up in the monotony of regular stuff; to just go through the motions.  When I find myself doing that is when I also seem to be too tired and too snippy to be and do something I'm proud of. 

I choose to be a person, a wife, a mama who is present.  I don't just want to be present with my family in body.  I actually want to do things with them.  I want our time together to matter.  I want my kids to remember that I stayed home with them while they were little.  And that we didn't just take up the same space together, but actually lived life together!


That doesn't mean it's always easy or instinctive for me.  I have things I'm expected to do, like cleaning and laundry.  I have things I want to do, like peruse Pinterest, read some totally fantastic blogs, and catch up on General Hospital. 


I guess the most important thing for me is to find the balance.
Make time.  
Make time for me.  
Make time with Chris.  Sometimes that just means sending the kids to play in their rooms so we can talk about our day.  Sometimes it means a date!
Make time with the kids, and make it count.  This does not mean that I spend every waking moment with them sitting in the floor singing Kumbaya, but it does mean making that choice to pay attention to them.  Look at them, listen to them, watch Dora or The Avengers, play Don't Break the Ice, draw, play good cars/ bad cars (Christian's latest favorite).  Sometimes they are fantastic, and other times they are total turds stinkers and we cut it short.  


Whether these turn out to be memory-making experiences or total bombs is not really even the point.  

She wants to move up from her tricycle to a bike with training wheels...but she's not quite ready.  She said maybe tomorrow.  Maybe so.

So, maybe it's weird that we have a giant rug in our garage.  That's ok with me.  It sure makes for a nice shady, covered space to hang out outside.

Somebody has a loose tooth.  

I'm trying to teach baby girl how to use the mouse.  It's slow going.  That's ok too.

I am thankful that God put me right here, right now.
I choose happiness.