Sunday Sentiments

 

This week my brain has felt like a pinball machine with thoughts pinging everywhere. A million thoughts on a hundred topics. No rhyme, reason, organization, color coding or any sort of alphabetical order. While I generally prefer not to live in such a mentally scattered state, at least I haven't been bored! I tell you this so you'll know not to expect much order in today's post! In fact, I think I'll just bullet-point some of the things that have been on my mind this week!

* Ryan bought me some early-Valentine's-Day roses, and I have been adoring those so very much. I really love roses, and they're right underneath my Olympic-viewing screen, so I'm able to enjoy both at once. I know Ryan probably really doesn't care much one way or the other about roses, but he knows how much joy they bring me, so he always makes sure I have them on Valentine's Day. And each time I see them, I feel so loved, and it makes me smile.

* We actually got our first full family picture this week - all four of us, including Braeya. I probably would have put on lipstick if I'd known such an auspicious occasion was coming, but I didn't, so I look a little peaked. Even so, it's an excellent photo, and many props to Sarah, our coworker, for being quick on the draw with her phone to capture it before the moment ended. It will most certainly be framed and given a place of honor in our home!

* We didn't get to have Christmas with Ryan's dad and that side of the family this past year because we had to work on Christmas Eve, so they brought our gifts to us when they came to the fundraiser a couple of weeks ago. Though we loved all the gifts, this week I've been especially loving our matching pottery mugs that have our initials on them. I'm such a sucker for matching mugs, so it makes me happy to use them.

* My mind is swirling with a retreat talk I'm working on. So many ideas that need to completely circle and land this week so I can move on to the next phase of prep. I adore writing and don't get too many chances to do it in this season of life, so I'm really looking forward to this opportunity!

* As we make our way into our sixth week of having Lexi home with us, I'm understanding more and more why so many people encourage couples to have puppies before babies. It blows my mind how much like a child she feels with her schedules and habits and such. We're learning things like...when her craziness means she needs exercise and when it means she needs a nap. We're learning that having her on a schedule makes EVERYONE'S day go much better. We're learning what her whimpers/cries/barks mean. It really is like having a baby in the house! And that alone makes me giggle.

* Though this winter we're having is by far NOT the coldest we've lived - even in recent years - there is something absolutely delightful about crawling into bed at night after the warmer has been running. It is just like a cozy hug for the whole night, and I treasure it. It's the little things.

* Other cozy hugs I'm enjoying right now include my sherpa cowl, fuzzy socks, spiced chai, seat warmers in vehicles, and sweatshirts. I don't remember a year I've loved sweatshirts as much as I have loved them this winter. 

* And in conclusion today, I'm grateful for the Lord's sustaining grace. He and I are on a special journey right now, and I'm learning so much. Someday I'll tell you more about it. But for now, I'm just grateful.