There are so many things that compete for our attention – work, finances, chores – that inevitably we lose sight of all the precious moments and wondrous beauty that fill our lives on a daily basis.  So, as I snuggle in to dream about plum fairies, I recall with great joy some of my favorite winter blessings.

Photo: Corin@ 2008

The Beauty of Winter

• The glistening of icicles delicately dangling from the rooftops.
• The peaceful beauty of new-fallen snow.
• The view of little ones enveloped in cuddly, footed jammies.
• The crackling fire flickering its soft, brilliant light in the fireplace.
• The tracks left in the snow by wildlife reminding us that we share this special place and time with other creatures.

Photo: Tiffany Washko

The Joy of the Cold

• Watching the kids play… and play… and play… in the snow until we force them to come in to warm themselves with delicious hot cocoa and mini-marshmallows.
• The warmth of my favorite mug warming my hands while sipping steaming hot cocoa.
• Cuddling on the couch with my husband to watch a movie after our children are asleep.
• The crispness in the air and the crunch of snow under your feet as you traverse through a world where the ice and snow have changed the landscape and life seems new.
• Snuggling with the little ones while discovering new worlds and revisiting beloved ones through the pages of marvelous books.
• The warm kitchen with the scrumptious smell of brownies baking in the oven wafting through the house.

Photo:  Michael Wade

Self-Indulgences

• The excuse that it is simply too cold to go outside allowing me to pursue my indoor pleasures while enjoying the beauty of the outdoors through the windows sheltering me from the frigid temperatures outside.
• My familiar, old, flannel nightgown protecting me from the chill of the cold, dark night.
• Thick, soft, warm socks caressing my feet and keeping my tootsies toasty.
• Being curled up in a cozy cocoon of my favorite throw while reading a great book.

Some of these pleasures are available year-round while others are truly wintry treats.  Even when our funds are scant, our hearts can be overflowing with joy and love as we delight in the wonders and beauty of the season without spending any money.

What do you enjoy during the special time of winter?

This post is linked to Finer Things Friday and Frugal Fridays.

What is your definition of happiness?

When you have more than enough money to fulfill your needs?
When your soul mate smiles at you?
When your child tells you that he loves you?
When an friend calls to just to say “hi?”
When your pet cuddles with you?
When you are traveling?
When you curled up with a good book?
When you receive a hand-written letter in the mail?
When the traffic was light on the way to work?
When you nailed the presentation?

There are so many aspects of life which we can base our happiness upon. Yet, it is a choice as to what we allow to affect our moods. We all have things go wrong during our day:

We just can’t get up when the alarm buzzes the first time putting us behind for the ENTIRE DAY…
Traffic was horrid making us irritable…
The boss picks the other guy for the special project…
The kids make a mess and are fussing about everything…
Our spouse had a bad day and all household tasks are left for us to handle…
The cat threw up on the carpet AGAIN…

The list goes on and on. But are these really reasons not to be happy? Yes, they put a damper on that moment, but happiness is a state of mind. One which we have control over. We can choose to let these things bring us down for the rest of the day OR we can focus on the blessings of the situation or other blessings in our life.

Many – okay, most – of my days are rout with minor irritants that dampen my mood:

The kids don’t want to get dressed…
Now, they want to get dressed, but refuse to actually put the cloths on their bodies or let me do so…
The boys are arguing over a toy…
The house is a mess…
The ability to put DH’s dirty cloths in the hamper has eluded him – although our 2 year old and 4 year old do so without prompting…
The cat has thrown up on the carpet AGAIN…
It is five o’clock and I still haven’t even considered what to make for supper…
DH is irritable after a long day of work and traffic…
Did I mention that the cat has thrown up yet again???

But, these things are only minor nuisances. They might cause me a bit of additional work and definitely help me to develop more patience and tolerance, but they aren’t life-threatening although our attitudes can be. So, when something annoys me, I try my best – which quite often is not good enough – to remain calm and focus the blessings:

The kids are learning to assert their independence…
The boys are learning the art of negotiation…
We are blessed with an abundance of earthly things…
The boys love being Mommy’s helper and taking care of Daddy’s cloths for him…
Our purring cats…
McD’s is on DH way home from work (LOL!)…
DH comes home to be with us most every night and enjoys his work…

Happiness is a conglomeration of all of the little blessings in life that we choose to focus on.  As I continue on my journey, I work on my patience and understanding. I try not to become angered by the little ones’ blatant disobedience (most often failing). I try not to impose my expectations on others (DH) unduly. And, each night I pray that God will grant me the patience and skills to be the best mom and wife I can be. It is a blessing to know that I don’t have to be perfect!  With God’s help and my determination to try to choose to be happy as much as I can by recalling my blessings and the small joys that bring me so much pleasure instead of fixating on the nuisances, I am beginning to be a much happier person!  Please remind me of that it is up to me to remember my blessing the next time I start focusing on the negative, okay?

The birds are singing me a sweet song.
The sun is kissing my forehead from between the clouds.
The breeze is ruffling my hair.
The squeals of delight from my little ones enjoying their outdoor play is filling my heart with pure joy.
The wind is playing a melody for me as it rushes through the trees.
The squirrel even come up close to bid me good afternoon while he indulges on a lunch of peanut butter and jelly crusts.

Ah, the pleasures and beauty bestowed upon us by the natural world around us!

Join Amy for Finer Things Friday to see what is shining in others people’s worlds.

Ah, yesterday was refreshing with the warm sun melting most of the snow and the kids being able to play outside without coats or even a jacket on! The boys enjoyed splashing about in the puddles and completely covering themselves in mud. I was able to air out the house and bring that fresh, crisp smell back inside. (Although, now, I see just how much dusting I need to do. LOL!) The sunshine seemed to linger longer than normal and following me where ever I went. The geese even cooed “hello” on their way to Canada. Ah, yes, spring must be here!

HA! Yesterday was just a treat – a harbinger of warmer times in the distance, as alas, today it is winter yet again. The wonders of winter! Winter always reminds me of what is important in life. It is when the warmth of our home and family seems to beckon us to tend to it even more – to enjoy the blessing of security it provides against the frigid temperatures and outside elements. It is when we most look forward to returning home to our families and we remember just how blessed we are to be in their warm bosom. Today, we will celebrate the return of winter by keeping one another warm and cozy while we enjoy reading books together and making a delicious treat to warm our tummies and our souls. It is the simple things that are the most rewarding.

Please excuse me as I cuddle up with my little ones while I read them book upon book under the warm blanket on the couch. If only DH could be here to share this time with us it would be PERFECT!

Enjoy your day – whatever the weather!

• The quick and easy recovery of my grandma who had a heart attack and splint put in a week ago.
• The boys giggling as they are playing in the backyard. Such a beautiful sound!!
• The unseasonably warm day.
• The presents of my wonderful husband who is working from home today.
• The peace of knowing that all that *needs* to be accomplished will be.
• Our loving and supportive extended family.
• The time to spending reading on topics of interest to me.
• The rich resources available to us at our public library. (Our oldest son checked a framed print out to display in our home – he wanted it for his bedroom, but we aren’t so sure it will be in one piece if left in there. LOL!)
• Watching our oldest go into the prints room at the library and see one that he said was “beautiful” and ask if he could check it out (we had never done so before). It was great to see in interest in art and appreciate its beauty.
• The geese returning from the South.

What has blessed your life today?