Giving Thanks {even when it's messy}



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I saw this picture a few weeks ago on Pinterest, and it got me thinking.  Should I really be thankful for dirty dishes?  They are like the laundry, a constant in my life and in my world.  But if we take a minute and really think about what dirty dishes and laundry mean, it can change our perspective entirely.

Dirty dishes in fact mean that we are eating.  That we have made breakfast or dinner.  That we have something to serve ourselves or our families.  Sure they pile up in and around the sink.  If they sit too long they smell and sometimes require superhuman strength to scrub.  In the end though, a sink full of dishes means that we are fed. 

Laundry, which is literally a daily constant, means that we have clothes to wear.  More than one shirt for our backs.  How many can truly say that?  Piles of towels and PJ's, tutu skirts, and skinny jeans represent more than a procrastinating housewife.  They are symbols that we have something to wear, some place to be. 

Toys all over the floor means that I have children.  And that those children play.  I'm very thankful for that.  Sure I hate to step on Barbie shoes, blocks, or crayons, but all of those things mean that my girls are playing.  They are happy and enjoying a great blessing of toys, many of which I didn't buy.  My messy living room is proof that life is happening here.

I was thinking about all of that and more, when I came across this pin,

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Could we really be thankful for taxes?  If it means we have a job, then yes.  What about that far parking space at Target.  When you just need one thing?  Well we can be thankful that most of us can walk, a few extra spaces or two.  What got me the most was the alarm going off, because it means we are alive.  How many of us curse our alarm clocks?  But if it means we are alive, that's a different story. 

This Thanksgiving I'm going to be thankful for the messy, the inconvenient, and the annoying.  Darn you dirty dishes, scattered toys, and alarm clocks.  Darn that last parking place at Target on Black Friday.  I'm going to be thankful for you, despite you.  Because I have kids who relish the joys of messy living rooms.  I have laundry that never ends.  Because last nights dishes are still sitting in the sink.  All proof that we are embracing this life. 

Happy Blogging,

Megan

You aren't alone

{Found here}

I am sitting here tonight as I write this.

Fighting back tears from all the touching comments on received on this post.

You learn something in the midst of pain. 

You learn that embracing life when you are hurting can be hard.

You learn that you aren't in this alone.

& that gives you some small hop that you can embrace the pain.

Because it is apart of this life.

Stepping away from My Phone

Sunday was exactly the type of day I needed. 

It was filled with Family, Friends + Football! 

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From about 2:45PM until almost 7 I barely even gave my phone a glance. The only time I pulled it out was to snap a few pictures and upload one on Instagram because it was too pretty not to share right at that moment. Sunday was my husband's nieces birthday party. There were tons of family & friends. Being social was refreshing. I am a stay at home/work from home mom - needless to say I don't get out much so it was so nice.

I also spent 1 1/2 hours outside with my boys and the other kids at the party. I didn't care that all the adults were inside having conversation, all I cared about was spending time with my little's having fun! Something we don't do often enough these days. I pushed little kids on the swing and threw around the football for a long time. #ifeeltheburntoday

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But it was completely worth it. Sometimes we just need a day to unplug and have fun with those that we love.

Embracing the messy part of life

Once upon a time there was a mom. Who spent every minute she could with her babies. 

Who cleaned house and made dinner. Who's husband was happy and she was happy. Her kids were always good & they were always clean and dressed.

& they all lived Happily ever after.

The end. 

Okay now that we got the fairy tale out of the way. Let's talk about Embracing the mess of life which is reality. Let's face it, I can no longer spend every minute with my boys, especially now that I'm working. But that doesn't stop them from climbing into my lap while I work & that's perfectly fine with me. 

Let's face it - our husband's and ourselves aren't always happy because that's part of life. No one is happy all the time and it is completely fine to have down days! 

My kids are in fact not always good and not always clean. They like to get as dirty as possible and make huge messes! But, that's part of having kids.

Are we living happily ever after - of course. Because we choose too. 

We embrace the messy reality of life. 

We roll with the punches & are thankful for the life we were giving. 

It's a choice and all you have to do is make that choice.

Do you embrace the messy part of life?

Relish in every moment of life

There are times in every persons life where things happen. Scary, bad, break your heart sad. 

It's been a long time sense I have had to experience any of that but now with personal things that are going on with my mother - I am feeling those again. 

{Via}

There is nothing quite like that kind of news that wakes you up.

It makes you feel things you haven't felt in a long time.

it makes you realize how precious life is.

It makes you realize how much you care about someone.

I have been trying to keep it out of my mind.

Trying to focus on other things and no matter what I do.

It fights it's way back in.

So for now, all I can do is pray & relish in every moment of life.