Just as if we'd settle around my kitchen island for a cozy winter's chat to talk about "just life," here are a few little things that would likely come up over tea.
What I'm reading:
Parenting is Heart Work by Dr. Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller. It's technically a reread for me, but I'm generally on board with rereading a good book. I tend to glean so much the second time around. This has really encouraged me to slow down my parenting, to be willing to delve deeper than the annoying behaviors that disrupt a peaceful family life, truly getting to the heart of the matter. The Lord is working in my heart and I'm confident He is using that work to do good things in the Blossoms as well.
What I'm snacking:
Mmmmm, I'm enjoying sliced bananas, sprinkled with peanut butter powder, loaded with whipped cream, and doused with a smattering of mini chocolate chips. I'm also enjoying Quaker Mini Rice Crisps as well! Oh, and the Honeycrisp apples that Blossom2 snagged while she was out and about the other day have been delicious as well. I feel so much better when I grab better snacks when I feel like munching!
What I'm sipping:
Irish Cream Black Tea has been my cup of choice in the mornings lately. Although, there's a cup of chai beside my laptop right now. For something cold and tasty, I steep 4 green tea bags, 2 fruit herbal tea bags in a gallon of boiling water. I love a glass of it over ice with a splash of good lemon juice! Refreshing! I did hear that my favorite coffee shop is releasing their St. Patty's Day drink menu soon, so I'm excited about that!
What I'm enjoying:
Reading Anne of the Island aloud to the Younger Blossoms. As always, our lunchtime read-aloud is such a time of happy togetherness for us, even if the Blossoms do have to do a little simultaneous lunch cleanup. When we tackled chapter 14, in which Anne walks through the death of one of her chums, I did manage to read the whole chapter without crying. It took a lot of effort. That probably seems like a tough topic to deal with in a light-hearted read-aloud and it is. However, it's actually one of my favorite chapters. Anne comes away from the whole experience, challenged to live for Heaven, rather than for the empty, temporal things here. How beautiful that a fictional character we love and respect can help teach us about a bigger, eternity-minded life than the deceptive vanity of this world.
What I'm growing in:
How I respond to my family members is an area that always needs work. Yes, it's true that I have a million decisions and logistics going through my head at any given moment, but the Lord has called me to kind and gentle words. This seems especially important when my family asks for my help. I'm finding that often when I weigh my response, I CAN actually take a minute or two to help them out. A willing attitude and a servant's heart make such a difference in my response. I feel like the Lord is working this in me, helping me to stop, to find a way to say yes, instead of snapping out a nasty no and letting frustration and stress snowball.
Hoping you are doing well, dear friends!
PS - Photos from the Younger Blossoms recent road trip down south with their grandparents.
