lessons

My life has been full of lessons at every age I've lived, however the things I am realizing now as a 36 year old woman are the most valuable.

Here's a few of those valuable lessons I've learned lately:
* Every moment my children talk to me is a chance for me to listen, really listen to their hearts. And if I don't slow down and turn the radio down I won't ever get a chance to hear what they're saying again. That's a sad thought.

* My kids are amazing people and I get the chance to spend every day with them. Wow.

* Friends are still friends, even if we've been out of touch for a long time. Friendships aren't a result of how much time we spend together, it's simply a connection through some life experience and even if we don't understand why the time has passed since we've last visited, we'll still always be friends because we shared an experience (or several, with the old friends). And God has put those people in our lives for a reason.

* It's okay to be together and not talk. Sometimes it's in the quiet moments that we say the most.

* There are a lot of things I don't understand, but it doesn't matter if I understand it. I serve a God who sees all and knows all so I just have to trust Him. That's so comforting.

d

To celebrate Independence Day, Catherine and I made shirts for us and the kiddos to wear. They turned out sooooo good! I love spending time being creative and making memories.

technology

So, I obviously haven't figured out how to post several pics at a time yet! The older I get, the sad realization is hitting me that I do not get along with technology as well as others. That being said, I am determined to learn. My day must go on, but I will try again tomorrow to figure out how to post several pics at a time on one post! My goal for the rest of the day: to have a great time with my kids and best friend tye-dying shirts for the 4th. Maybe I'll post a pic tomorrow!

One of my favorite pics I've taken so far!

Time

Today I had a change in my planned schedule and it made me realize this: we all have the same hours in a day and how we choose to spend each moment affects so many things, including those who are precious to us. I hope I remember how precious my loved ones are to me and put that at the top of my list of things to do! My daughter turns 10 today and I took time to make her feel special. Nothing big, just little things like giving her breakfast in bed with a candle in her breakfast sandwich, stopping and eating lunch with her, and letting her plan the menu for dinner and help me in the kitchen. A friend needed to talk so I took time to chat with her to try to cheer her up. While I still got my "to-do's" accomplished (most of them), I also feel much better about my day because I feel like I made a difference to those around me. And that is a successful day, in my opinion!

My first post on my new blog, which was created to share the pictures I take and some of my thoughts as I continue my journey to become the person God created me to be.