Sunday Sunshine: Birthday Girl

3 Years Old!

Practicing contentment by remembering the graces of the week and practicing gratitude through giving. 


Today, my baby girl turns 3.  She is a beautiful, healthy and thriving little girl and I am so thankful!  She loves the little things like balloons and streamers and snow.  She colors and plays and loves her friends.  She sings and dances and love her dance parties.  She's brought new challenges every day for the last three years that have made me equally stronger and gentler.  She's a gift and I'm so blessed to be her Mom!


Every desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven. The gifts are rivers of light cascading down from the Father of Light.” (James 1:16 -The Message) May the light of the Father brighten your week!

Watch Out - Mama's Organizing!

I can't speak to the driving force that has me sorting through piles, repulsed by cluttered areas of my home and organizing like a mad-woman.  I could theorize on a couple if instigators of this organizational force that has been unleashed on my surroundings.  In five short months, give or take a week or two, we'll be bringing a new little one into our home and family and there's quite a few things to do to get ready.  But really, it's too early for nesting, right?  I'm part of a book club this year that's reading through an "organize your life" book and we're responsible for before and after photos (this at least accounts for the kitchen chaos being attacked).  Short of those two items, I have no idea, because really, I don't like cleaning!

So this week I've gone after a couple projects as a woman on a mission.  One was to clean the pantry out.   The other was to organize the bins of children's kids clothing (more on this later).

The pantry project was instigated by the book club accountability.  On a recent Thursday morning I took everything out of my pantry, dusted, cleaned and replaced.  The honest words of G-Tot summed it up:  "Mommy, there's a lot of dirt in there!"  Yup, there was.  It was almost like it hadn't been completely cleaned out since we moved in or something.  Ahem.  I was concerned that there was going to be a lot of food that was going to have to be thrown out, but there wasn't.  And I was pleasantly pleased that there weren't too many surprises in my pantry either.

Organizing my spices was another project I tackled the same morning.  I had spices residing in two different locations in the kitchen and never really knew what was where.  So I sorted, combined and consolidated.  They still live in two different places, but I know what lives where.  Large bottles and bulk spices to refill smaller containers in the pantry and all the "normal" size spice containers are in the drawer.  It's a much better arrangement.

Here are some before and after shots of the pantry and spice drawer.

Spices Sorting:

Spices After:

Pantry Before: 

Pantry After:

Sunday Sunshine

Practicing contentment by remembering the graces of the week and practicing gratitude through giving.


Another week gone by.  A week with help from friends and opportunities to help friends.  Warm soups on cold days.  Hot cocoa after time in the cold snowy day.  Creativity for putting meals together when energy and inspiration had both gone missing.  Unexpected time of relaxation came on the heels of a particularly long few days.  Early bed times and healing rest have been enjoyed by all in our home.  The snow that fell was light snow -not heavy, wet snow.  Chances to spend time visiting with friends.  All these things were a part of this last week.   


I hope you can find joy in the little things today and turn your heart to a place of gratitude.


Every desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven. The gifts are rivers of light cascading down from the Father of Light.” (James 1:16 -The Message) May the light of the Father brighten your week!

Sunday Sunshine

Practicing contentment by remembering the graces of the week and practicing gratitude through giving.


There are so many things I'm thankful for this week, I'm not quite sure where to begin, so here's the rundown in no particular order:


::  For the chatter of an almost-three-year-old
::  For the health of our family
::  For work in all the shapes, sizes and challenges it come in (and the paychecks that come along with it!)
::  For the "planning gene" that I am been gifted with and the many ways that it benefits my family.
:: For my "mom's helper" who seems to have free days and afternoons when I need a break the most.
:: For a warm house on this sub-zero morning
:: For the leaps and bounds at which GTot is developing: language, motor skills, imagination and so much more.
:: For hot cocoa.
:: For dinner surprises.
:: For projects getting done around the house, and the means by which to complete them.
:: For a clean pantry.
:: For warm clothes in this winter season.
:: For a sunny day.


I hope you can find joy in the little things today and turn your heart to a place of gratitude.


Every desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven. The gifts are rivers of light cascading down from the Father of Light.” (James 1:16 -The Message) May the light of the Father brighten your week!