the flu - part deux

Brooke now has it. fun! Poor Brenna started the other night at 1:50 am and less then one minute later Brooke was standing on my bed throwing up too.

Boy I cleaned like a maniac all day yesterday! It seemed to be out of their systems within 24 hours but, oh the poor babies! I made jello and soup and let the ginger ale go flat just like my mom did for me when I was a kid.

Something happened as I was carrying Brenna to the bathroom. I gave thanks. As in Lord, thank you that I get to be a caring nurturing mother to these babes. Thank you for these children. thank you THAT I have the privilege of cleaning up this mess. I am so grateful that I have these girls, grateful that I had no problems conceiving, and that they are the perfect little creatures that they are. While about a year ago I would have been complaining under my breath, giving thanks felt right.

I find myself giving thanks through out my day and life has become wonderful. I know or knew I was blessed before, but I came to the realization that if I'm complaining about "having" to clean the house or "having" to get the kids ready or fed or whatever, well, it just doesn't sound very thankful. And I am most definitely thankful. I've started reading a wonderful little book that was the icing on my "trying to be the best Christian/wife/mother/sister/friend" I could be - cake. When I read that one line "Eucharisteo always precedes the miracle" it clicked. I got it. Ann Voskamp is a poet, a Christian poet and her words have been sewn into my soul.

Now, back to the regularly scheduled programming. Scrapbooking. Yay! More candy shoppe, more layouts. Today when Brooke napped, I came down and got one layout done that I'm loving. It's about a 12 year old me. Ha! I don't have many of those and well, I'm glad I did it!

Here it is!



and one about this girl, who has my heart and who I adore!



and I wanted to share this sweet picture of Brooke. She's actually resting, which doesn't happen too often.



It's usually a little more like this with her:


She keeps me on my feet, this one!

Well, it's time to start another day. Brenna is off from school on a vacation day and it's pjs and waffles to start!
Hope you have a blessed day!
xo
Chris