“Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.”
-Robert Brault

Photo: Tamara

We tend to take things for granted and overlook the small blessings in our lives.  When we take pleasure in the little things, we live a more graceful life.  We have a more joyous heart.  We tend to live a richer life – full of the beauty that is encapsulated in everything around us. As I contemplate the multitude of blessings in my life, these are some of my favorite little things that really are the big things in life:

• Hugs and kisses from my two little boys. It is amazing just how quickly they grow up!  My youngest is still a kissy, huggy snuggler, but my oldest son has grown up into a “big boy” and isn’t much of a snuggler anymore.  Although I am very blessed that my older son still gives hugs and kisses, just not constantly like he did two short years ago.

• My boys taking turns sitting on my lap while I read them books. I know that all too soon, neither of them will want to sit on their mommy’s lap.  I relish each moment that I have now!

• Reading books to and with my sons. I absolutely LOVE books!  To be able to share the joy and knowledge that one can gain from a book with my little ones is such a privilege!  I love the fact that I get to share in the adventures they embark on when they enter the world of books.  Another cool thing is that my oldest son can sound out and read rather large words, but still prefers me to read aloud to him.  I treasure this time of him wanting me to be part of his intimate world!

• Observing my sons helping each other. Watching them interact in a kind and generous manner without external interference is heartwarming.  I cling to these moments to help me deal with the much more often bickering that occurs.

• Holding hands with DH. So much intimacy is communicated between us when we hold hands.  The reassurance that we are sticking together through the good and the bad with God’s help and guidance and hearts full of love and devotion to one another.

• Spending time with extended family. We take those that we love for granted as they have always been a part of our lives and we expect them to always be there.  Spending time with my grandparents and other extended family last weekend refilled me.  Simply being in their presence brings me reassurance that all is right with the world.  Spending time with our parents is a gift that we don’t take as lightly anymore as they live over 1,600 miles away.  When we do have the opportunity to spend time with them, we cherish it greatly.  It is amazing just how much you miss being able to hug your parents!

• Chatting with my best friend. I am very blessed to be able to talk to my best friend almost daily on the telephone for extended periods of time (thank you, unlimited long distance!!).  We are able to talk about all aspects of our lives and find support in each other for the struggles we are facing.  Even when we don’t have any “news” to discuss or issue that needs debate, just hearing her voice brings a smile to my face and joy to my heart.

• Praying as a family. We say grace before meals.  We all say a bedtime prayer together as part of our nightly bedtime routine for the boys.  The feeling that I get listening to them recite the prayers is indescribable.  It feels as if the Holy Spirit is filling me up to over-flowing.
  

• Watching the children get excited about something. I wish that I could capture their joy and amazement when they discover something new or are enthralled with something!  But I have found that I enjoy life more fully when I am experiencing it first hand, instead of through a lens (which is what I used to do).  There are many times that I wish I had my camera in hand in order to capture those moments to be relived many times over, but alas, it just isn’t the case much anymore.

• Falling asleep next to DH. The warmth and security of DH laying beside me at night isn’t so much physical as emotional.  Knowing that he will always be by my side is comforting.  When we are apart, I have a hard time falling asleep.

• Hearing “I love you.” Sometimes we hear this phrase so often that it seems trite, but isn’t that what life is really all about – loving and being loved? I know that I am touched every time that someone tells me that they love me – even if it is off-handed.  Just because the phrase can be said by anyone doesn’t mean that they don’t care about us.  And, well, I enjoy being loved!  It makes me feel, well, loved!
  

I am going to make a more concerted effort to enjoy the little things and bask in their pleasure!

What are the little things in your life?

Please check out Amy’s Finer Things Friday for more little/big things.

I love my home, but you wouldn’t be able to tell it from looking at the piles of paper clutter than have accrued.  (I have a hard time letting go of papers as they represent information and knowledge to me.  I am working on internalizing the fact that most information is readily available on the internet thus I don’t have to keep physical copies of articles and such.)  So, today, I am going to show my family and my home just how much I love them by clearing all of the piles of paper clutter.  I am going to be vicious!  Can I live without it?  Yes!  Great – meet the recycle bin!  My home will be singing by dinner as it won’t be littered with papers!

Check out how others are making their home’s sing at momstheword.

Today started off on a very bad note.  To begin with, my alarm clock woke me up.  I know, I know – so many of you use an alarm to get up every day, but I am spoiled in that my normal alarm comes in the form of one or two sweet little boys trying to climb into my bed to give me morning hugs and kisses (and hopefully at a much later hour than this morning).

I was able to wake the boys easily and they were both in good moods UNTIL Little One decides that he does not want to get dresses PERIOD!  Now, the reason for the alarm being set this morning was the fact that I had an appointment to take my car in which in order to arrive on time we had to leave the house in less than one hour.  And, of course, this is the morning that a 2-1/2 year old chooses to assert his independence and not want to get dressed!  UGH!  Well, let’s just say that after much fighting arguing declaring my impending victory debate with Little One we made it out of the house just on time to make it to said appointment.

When we arrived at the dealership to have the needed work done on my vehicle, they gave us a rental car.  Now, I am not usually impressed by rental cars, but this was a brand-new 2009 Honda Accord – as in it only had 125 miles on it!!!  Well, that was a nice treat.

Since the boys and I had gotten all of our bickering for the day out of the way with the dressing situation this morning and we were all enjoying ourselves, I suggested that we go and visit my grandparents whom we haven’t seen since before Christmas who live about 3-1/2 hours away.  The boys were elated!  So, we drove home and packed an overnight bag after getting the okay from DH to leave him alone overnight and Friday (he was suppose to have the day off) which I have to say caused him much anguish with the thought that he was going to have an entire evening and the next day to do whatever he wanted without interruption.   Anyway, with blessings from DH and our bag in the car, we started off on our trip.

We had a blast during the drive!!  The three of us sang along with the radio at the top of our lungs.  We pretended we were in a rocket.  We even enjoyed our pit stop which allowed us to have a race back to the car!  We were simply being ourselves and relishing each other’s company.

How can I top that?  Well, when we pull into my grandparents’ driveway and park, Little One keeps saying, “We are at Gamma & Gampa’s house!!  Get me out, please!!”  In the meantime, Big Boy unbuckles himself and exits the car is at Grandma and Grandpa’s door before I can even get out of the car!  (Note: Big Boy did wait until the car was parked to unsecure himself.)  It was heart-warming to see how excited they were to see Great-Grandma and Great-Grandpa!!

Being here with my grandparents is like being at home.  It really is a home-away-from-home for me.  Being in their house and especially in their presence fills me with peace and comfort.  I am very fortunate to still have my grandparents (actually, I still have all of my grandparents so I am extremely blessed!) who are in their 80s.  As I sit here writing this tonight, the only thing that could be better about being here with them is if I were still little enough to climb up in their laps to cuddle with them!  Spending time with my grandparents fills my soul.  I am so blessed!

Please join Amy for more Finer Things Friday.

Have you ever been out and noticed that you had deodorant on your top from when you pulled it over your head to put it on? Or what about when your lunch gets away from you and lands in your lap? When I worked in the corporate world, my appearance was very important.  I certainly couldn’t walk around the office with remnants of breakfast stuck to my clothing or deodorant on my top.  And, since most of my career cloths were “dry clean only,” washing the spot in the washroom was out of the question.  But, I had secret stashed in my desk – and in my car – to handle such situations.  What was it???  Baby wipes!  They are great!  They work wonders on most “dry clean only” clothing and aren’t so wet as to drench your clothing so the spot dries off rather quickly.  The only problem that I have run across is that if the article of clothing is dark (like black which I wore alot), you have to be careful on how hard you rub as some of the white fibers can transfer from the baby wipes to your clothing leaving you with a fuzzy whitish spot.

For more tips and tricks, visit Works-For-Me Wednesday.

Sherry at Lamp Unto My Feet asked, “What are you thankful to your husband for?” today which really got me thinking about the wonderful things about my husband that I am grateful for.  Considering we weren’t seeing eye-to-eye earlier this evening, I really needed to go over this list to help myself refocus on DH’s beautiful qualities for which I am thankful:

* He supports my dreams and who I am trying to grow into.

* He really listens to me.

* He loves me for who I am.

* He is outgoing. (I am not outgoing. He helps me to be more open around others.)

* He thrives on being a help to others.

* He is creative.

* He loves our family more than anything else in the world.

* He is humorous – even if we don’t always agree on what is and isn’t funny. lol. He enjoys making people laugh.

* He enjoys working on our vehicles which saves us money.

* He doesn’t mind doing handyman projects around the house which saves us TONS of money.

* He supports and encourages me in our decision to homeschool our boys.

* He will hold me and just let me cry when I need to.

* He tells me that I am sexy (and NEVER makes comments on my weight) and makes me feel very attractive.

* He is a good snuggler.

* He doesn’t mind doing yard work.  I really don’t like to do outdoor work.  I would rather clean the entire house.  So, this works out very well for us.

* He supports my love of books and doesn’t complain when he can’t find a clean table top due to piles and piles of books.

* He works extra hard so that we can afford to be an one-income family in order for me to stay at home and raise our sons.

* He has a smile that makes me melt.

Read the wonderful tribute that Sherry wrote about her husband in her post Thank you, honey!.  You can also read what other people are gratiful for today at Gratituesday.

Welcome to my party!  My name is Katherine.  I am a stay-at-home mom to two highly spirited little boys (2-1/2 & 4-1/2) whom I will begin officially homeschooling this fall (as the oldest will be five this summer).  DH and I strive to live frugally while enjoying the joys that each day brings.  I would love for you to join me on my journey of finding the blessings in our every day life!

Enjoy all of the Ultimate Blog Parties!

Join 5 Minutes for Moms as they host the Ultimate Blog Party 2009!  Come meet and mingle with other women bloggers while you enjoy the celebration!  I hope to see you there!

Thirteen things that I enjoy:

1. Hugs and kisses from my little ones with a special affection for those that include an “I love you, Mommy”
2. Snuggling with DH in front of a fire
3. Reading books to my little ones
4. Hand-writing letters to friends and family (although, I don’t do this often enough!)
5. Watching my little ones learn new things
6. Finding (and sharing) a good deal
7. Reading a good book – I always have several books that I am reading at any given time.
8. Staying up late
9. Watching my mom get excited about something
10. Reading dessert cookbooks that contain beautiful pictures of the scrumptious desserts
11. Dancing – even if it is just bopping around the house with the kids to whatever they are willing to listen to
12. Spending time at the library.  I absolutely LOVE books!  I love to be completely surrounded by them.
13. Playing sudoku

For more lists of thirteen, visit Happy to be @ Home.