Finding Joy

I don't want to jinx myself, because just when I gleefully thought I was caught up on laundry last week, James woke up from his morning nap and proceeded to puke his breakfast up all over me, my glider and his bedroom.  This resulted in lots of laundry, lots of cleaning, lots of snuggles, a trip to the store for pedalyte (why didn't I have some on hand?), putting eggs back on the high allergy list and off our menu, and just throwing our whole day week off course.  So is the life of a mother.

So I really don't want to jinx myself by being excited that our Holiday Cards are already ordered (pictures taken, design picked out, wording selected, click here for final payment - ordered), groceries are bought for thanksgiving and dare I say a load or two of laundry away from being "caught up."

I'm learning to be a little more low key and just get things done.  So instead of trying 150 different holiday card layouts with different pictures, we picked one and went with it.  For our holiday party this year, we are sending an online invite vs paper. And having a smaller crowd for Thanksgiving this year.  It's just nice to check things off the list!

So glad to be getting things done, and with a joyful attitude.  The theme for the mothers ministry that I am involved with is Joy in the Journey, and it's taken a few months, but I am finally finding it.  While I haven't found time for devotions everyday, our speaker a few weeks ago suggested just leaving the bible on the kitchen counter and grabbing a verse here and there.  I can't tell you what a HUGE difference this has made in my life. I was starving for scripture.  James and I pray together every morning at breakfast.  We love praying for daddy, our friends and God's guidance through the day.  Am I joyful every moment of every day? No, but things are certainly better constantly reminding myself we are in the Lord's capable hands.

Now I still have a pretty long to-do list and only the few hours of naptime to get them done!  Highlights of the list include getting our tables and chairs for thanksgiving, ordering some very overdue baby gifts for friends and family, chopping lots of vegetables and figuring out how to post on friends blogs from my new iphone - that has been an epic failure- anyone know how to do it?  I write comments and nothing every shows on the other blogs - boo!

One thing I figured today is Google+ photo albums and Picasa Web are now the same thing, I think?  Been having the darndest time uploading pictures for the blog here.  And some actually disappeared from a previous post-crazy times.

Speaking of which-here are some out takes from our family photo shoot.  Hope this brings some joy to the beginning of the holiday season!

Love this little boy, and he loves his little doggie.

 Always laughing!

 Maiming Molly - hope she is able to keep all her body parts throughout his childhood-we are working on soft hands!

 Everyone is telling me he looks like me more and more, I finally see it here - he inherited my oh so serious frown.

 I love my family so so much!