This Morning

Hello! After 3 month break from posting blogs I thought it was time to get back into the groove :-)

It has been a busy couple of months - I'll do some catch up postings - but in general: we moved, kids started school, had some wonderful visitors, took a trip to Calgary and Banff, Ross has traveled to Israel, I've been working consistently in 100 Fold, Selah started hip-hop and Kiera started ballet.

This morning I thought I'd write about this morning. I have been getting up earlier in the morning so that I can have a few minutes of quiet time to read, shower, plan day... before the kiddos get up. I find that this sets the tone for my whole day and helps me to be more loving and patient towards the kids. Normally the kids get up at 7, so I get up at 6:30. Great idea, right? Wrong... It worked for a few mornings, but now they get up with me. They sit at the kitchen table with me and ask me what I'm reading, what I'm doing, what I'm writing. They tell me they are hungry, they fight, they complain that they are tired (even though they are the ones who got up so early :-) This morning I was smart and I set my alarm for 6:15. I'll get up even earlier today, I thought. But guess what? They both got up at 6:15 this morning, also - so today, I stayed in bed. I prayed, I planned my day, I snuggled with my husband. I just couldn't start my day that early with fighting, whining and questions.

Once I did get up it was a internal fight to keep a good attitude and remember that I am thankful for my 3 wonderful blessings. I took a picture to show you what was going on at our house before 7:00am.

It actually was great - Selah was teaching Kiera how to make scrambled eggs, Mason was stirring the oatmeal and I was getting lunches ready. No one was fighting (at least not when the picture was taken), everyone was contributing and all I had to do was stay calm.

Now, with everyone at school, I'm taking those much needed few minutes to myself. Mason and I leave for the preschool field trip in 5 minutes and I'm so excited to spend the day with he and his classmates. Thank you God, for a few minutes of alone time each day - even if it didn't look like what I wanted, at the VERY beginning of the day. God is teaching me to be more flexible, to not be so set on my expectations. It is a good lesson, but a hard lesson.