Summary of my day

So, I was thinking about how to jump back into this blogging thing again and I decided the best thing to do would just tell you about my day.

If I had to summarize it in one word, I would use the word cozy.

I woke up and knew today was going to be a cozy sort of day.  I normally can tell in the first 2-3 minutes after I wake up how my day will go and, sad-but-true, it often has more to do with my mood than what is happening around me.  Now, there are days that start off great and end lousy and vice versa, but for the majority, those first few minutes are a determining factor.

But instead of going play-by-play throughout my day, I will just highlight the aspects that made it cozy.
1. I listened to my kids talking before I got out of bed and realized how this sound, even the bickering, is part of our healthy, happy family.
2. I ate cocoa wheats for breakfast.  - Some of you may be saying, "What in the heck are cocoa wheats?" and others may be saying, "Why would anyone voluntarily eat that stuff?", but they have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember.  I don't eat them much as an adult, but as a child, they were a regular on our breakfast table - with a good dose of sugar, of course!  They not only warm my belly when I eat them, but they sort of warm my heart as well.
3. I put on a hooded sweatshirt and thick socks and enjoyed the smell of the rain.
4. I held Bella and smelled her hair and felt her fingers curl around mine and thought about what a beautiful girl God made and dreamed of the woman she would one day become.
5. I had to punish Bella for throwing a tantrum after school and I felt complete calm during her bad behavior and as I sat with her and explained why she had to be sent to her room.  It not only didn't stress me out, I was thankful to be able to have the time today to confront the situation effectively, since I am fairly sure it is coming from her mixed emotions about school & growing up (She's told me multiple times lately that she is not a baby anymore.).
6. Elias and Bella were playing on the computer, while I made chicken and dumplings for dinner. What could be more cozy than chicken and dumplings? - Hearing Elias' comment about something Bella said about the game - "That person can't be a daddy.  Daddy's aren't lazy, because they are always playing with their kids!". It is such a blessing to hear their thoughts about things when they aren't even being asked!
7. Elias and I worked on his homework and it was fun to see him know things he didn't know just one month ago and to see how empowered he feels by it.
8. I sat and read a book under a blanket, while Josh and Elias were making miniature ramps for miniature skateboards and Bella was playing school.
9. During devotions Elias said, "When I meet someone new, I ask them if they go to church anywhere and if they say no, I tell them a little bit about God and stuff."

When I think about all that I wanted my life to be when I was a kid, about the home I wanted to raise a family in, this is it.  Everything wrapped up into one makes me realize how blessed I am, but most of the blessing is in being able to realize it in the moment. 

So, that is what being unplugged has taught me...