Just feeling blessed

I'm sitting here on a Friday morning, just having finished reading the Bible and one devotion. I accidentally woke up this morning at 4:45, which turned out to be a good thing because I had forgotten to turn on my alarms last night. Even better, because of accidentally waking up too early, I had time to read, and now I'm just sitting peacefully and listening to the birds.

The weather is incredible this week. It's supposed to be absolutely beautiful this weekend, and that makes me want to go out and do something or see something. But I had such an enjoyable day last Sunday. That good day is still carrying me through this week, which is a good thing because it's been a bit tough as we adjust to getting Griffin and Livvy to preschool in the mornings. By we, I mean me, since I have taken it upon myself to take all three of the big kids to school so that Daddy and Lilly can stay asleep.

... And just like that, it's Monday. I'm still feeling so blessed. This weekend the weather was so nice, and again, the weekend was relaxing, peaceful, and enjoyable.

... And just like that... Has it been another week already?! I'm so excited because I'm picking a friend up at the airport in two days. We're going to go to Prague together at the end of the week. Prague! It was never even on my list before she suggested it. I'm going to get my first vacation sans children in a long time (since 2016, I think, when I took my niece on a trip to the Everglades and Key West). I'm really looking forward to it and looking forward to hanging out with a friend for a while. I miss friends!!

When we get back from Prague, I'll be taking my friend to the airport. Then I'll have Dave and the kids take me to post where I have a government car waiting for me so that I can drive to Bavaria for work for the week. As soon as I get back, we're all going to Italy! As soon as I get back from that, my in-laws are coming for a visit (and just so you know, they aren't the typical in-laws to be dreaded. I am so excited to see them)! And the day I take them to the airport, I'm picking up my sister!

SO much to look forward to!

...And just like that, I'm in Bavaria. 

Prague was amazing. I'll have to write a separate post about it.

Full but pleasing weekend

I like to be busy. I do, and I know it. This busyness is often a source of frustration for my husband. I know that, too. Although knowing that doesn't always prevent me from making a busy schedule, it does cause me to slow down sometimes.

This weekend I had a "glow dance party" for Alex, and a "glow skin party" for the parents.  It was small but so much fun. But no matter how few or how many people showed up, we had a lot of work to do to get the house ready. My kitchen has not been so clean and clutter free since I've been here! It's wonderful, and good timing since I'm getting my first guest of the season in only about two weeks (and I can't wait!!)!!

But with our trip to the Netherlands last weekend, and getting ready for the party this weekend, when yesterday came around, I hated the thought of cutting 3.5 hours out of my one day of rest in about three weeks to go to church. Church is not that long, nor far, but for us at this point, it is about a 3.5 hour ordeal by the time it's all said and done. So I decided to have a true day of rest.

What a blessed day it was! First thing we did was talk about Jesus and read the Bible. There is not enough of that in our house, so it was good to make a point of it. We also had bacon and eggs for breakfast, cleaned up from the party, painted with Crayola paints, put together two Lego trucks, baked banana bread muffins, played outside, blew bubbles for Lilly, read The Chronicles of Narnia, and generally hung out together, while David helped a friend with some technology and went to a festival with a different friend.

All of that! I know it sounds busy, but I really got to hang out with the children with no other agenda, and it was so nice. How blessed I am!

What do you do on your day of rest? Do you make a point to take one every now and then?

It is a giant octopus hand sticking out of the water.

So much detail!

Bad Momma moment.  She really didn't want her picture taken.  I obviously forced the issue.

First time with watercolors!

Just hanging out.

Glow!

Dance Party!