Lotion - Day 280

Living in a dry climate has given me an entirely new appreciation for something that I always used haphazardly in the past - lotion! I find that I can hardly last a day without applying it LOTS! And I rarely ever end up with too much on my hands by accident! The skin is thirsty!!!

“That awkward moment when you have to much lotion on and don’t know where to put it…” Unknown

Glitter - Day 279

Glitter makes everything more fun, don't you think? I mean - even the most boring items can become beautiful with a little glitter on them! It is so sparkly, fun, and happy! I know it makes a mess...but then it just spreads the magic a little in my opinion! I don't know if my husband agrees...but my daughters do!!!

“Some girls were just born with glitter in their veins.”    Unknown

Colorful organization - Day 278

It's amazing how much more fun it is to clean and organize things when you get to put them in pretty containers. Isn't it true? I love the bright and pretty colors on this cart - it is in my craft area, and filled with lots of fun craft supplies. And it makes me smile whenever I am crafting - or cleaning up afterwards!

“Colors are the smiles of nature.”   Leigh Hunt

Recollections - Day 277

I treasure so many of the memories these figurines hold for me! The first one I received as a gift from my husband not long after we met. During our courtship and engagement, I received several others - each with a special story or meaning to them. Then, it became the theme for our wedding...and has turned into quite the collection. I can look at them and smile - remembering all the special times they represent!

“The trick is to enjoy life. Don’t wish away your days waiting for better ones ahead.”

Plugged in - Day 276

Have you ever tried to run the vacuum, or some other appliance or power tool, and been greatly frustrated by the fact that it won't work? Then you realize...it isn't plugged in? Yeah...I've done that a time or two! Kind of like those days you wake up and your day is just going wrong, for no apparent reason, and you realize that you didn't take the time to do your devotions or spend any time with God that morning? Yeah...done that a time or two as well! I'm glad I can remember in time to fix it most of the time!

“If you realized how powerful your thoughts are, you would never think a negative thought.”   Peace Pilgrim 

Through Thick and Thin - Day 275

I keep wondering when life will slow down and I will actually be able to catch this up! But here goes another stab at it! 

LOVE this picture of the girls posing in front of a rainbow in the middle of a dark and heavy storm - see those clouds! I love how they are together in whatever storm they face - and how they are always able to find the beauty in the midst of it - like this rainbow! 

“Clouds may come, but clouds must go, and they all have a silver lining. For behind each cloud you know, the sun, or moon, is shining.”   Unknown

Chairs with wheels - Day 274

Gotta love a chair with wheels! They are just so much more fun, and a lot easier to move around it! We got these two pink ones for the girls to use as school desks, and I'm not sure if it helps them any - but they sure do love them!!! They are going places for sure!

“Worry is like a rocking chair – it gives you something to do but it doesn’t get you anywhere.”   Unknown

Wounds - Day 273

I love this little character! It was a gift a few years ago from our pastor to my youngest daughter - and she treasures it! Right now it sits by her school desk...I think this is how she feels after a day doing school. I sometimes feel the same after a day of ____(fill in the blank with whatever was hard that day) - so I like the reminder too! Thankful for the Greatest Doctor ever to tend my wounds and bandage me up!

“Turn your wounds into wisdom.”   Oprah Winfrey

Pink lamps - Day 272

One of the things we purchased to use here after we moved, was this nifty lamp, that the girls of course had to have in pink. The plan was to put it in their room, but there isn't a good spot for it! So...now it sits between their school desks, and provides enough light if the sun hasn't fully risen or is hiding behind a cloud. Obviously, they love the pink light - kind of makes me think of the sunrise!

“Slow buds the pink down like a rose from out night’s gray and cloudy sheath; Softly and still it grows and grows, petal by petal, leaf by leaf.”    Susan Coolidge

Pencils - Day 271

I love pencils! When they get dull, you can sharpen them. When you mess up, you can erase them. When you're bored you can chew on them (actually, I don't do that anymore...although I used to!).  I love that they come in all colors and sizes, but there is still something familiar and useful about the ordinary yellow number 2...

“The average pencil is seven inches long, with just a half-inch eraser – in case you though optimism was dead.”    Robert Brault

Eight years old - Day 270

Day 270 was very special - we celebrated my youngest daughter's birthday! LOVE her so much! Every day of her eight years has kept me on my toes, never knowing what she is going to say next!  But every minute has been filled with love, laughter, and fun! And now we are halfway to 16...YIKES!!!

“I’m glad I’m finally eight. This is the oldest I’ve ever been in my entire life!”  Unknown

Beautiful wood floors - Day 269

I love the floors in our new house - feels like miles and miles of beautiful wood. It is remarkably easy to damage though, so it does have it defects! But it sure is fun to walk on, dance on, live on...

“When you dance, your purpose is not to get to a certain place on the floor. It’s to enjoy each step along the way.”   Wayne Dyer

Help for housework - Day 268

Getting used to a dry climate has led to some small changes in how I do housework. For instance - my hands tend to get dry more quickly, so using rubber gloves is a big help in that job! Especially since housework just doesn't go away...despite the inconveniences of doing it...

“You make the beds, you wash the dishes, and six months later you have to start all over again.”    Joan Rivers

Yummy dish soap - Day 267

I think doing dishes is so much more fun when you have soap that smells good, don't you? This soap is something we discovered recently - and it makes doing dishes so much more fun! I almost find myself looking for something to wash sometimes...

“There’s something wrong with a mother who washes out a measuring cup with soap and water after she’s only measured water in it.”    Erma Bombeck

A nice garbage container - Day 266

I know this may seem silly...but I really love the new garbage can we have! The cabinet under the sink in our new house is too small to hold a garbage can, so we needed an external one. So we figured, it might as well be pretty, right? Helps that it is functional too! Love not having to use my hands to open it and insert the garbage - and then it is all hidden away from sight!

“People say I’m extravagant because I want to be surrounded by beauty. But tell me, who wants to be surrounded by garbage?”   Imelda Marcos

Napkins - Day 265

Napkins are such a useful thing, don't you think? Granted, sometimes they feel a bit wasteful - and I know cloth napkins are a much smarter choice, but sometimes it is just so nice to wipe that dirty face that needs it, and toss the whole mess in the garbage and not have to deal with it! So simple, yet so profound and helpful at the same time!

“I have a simple philosophy: Fill what’s empty. Empty what’s full. Scratch where it itches.”  Alice Roosevelt Longworth

The sound of music - Day 264

Nothing makes unpacking, schoolwork, or housework more enjoyable in my opinion than music. I love to have music playing in the background for just about anything I am doing. I am really grateful for the way our new house is laid out - allowing for music from our main speakers to be heard from about anywhere. I also don't mind our fast internet that allows for streaming of music from online - opening a world of possibilities of music to enjoy!!!

“Those who dance are considered insane by those who cannot hear the music.”   George Carlin

Cozy Chair - Day 263

This is my new favorite chair...I bought it just before we moved, and it is the perfect combination between a bed and a chair. It sits right next to the fireplace, and is the perfect spot to curl up and read a book, cuddle with one (or both) of the girls, take a nap, or talk on the phone. Every house needs a super comfy chair!

“All I want is a room somewhere, Far away from the cold night air; With one enormous chair…Oh, wouldn’t it be loverly?” Alan Jay Lerner

Fireplace - Day 262

Ahhhh...the nights (and days for that matter) are getting colder and colder...and what is nicer on a cold day than a nice cozy fireplace?!?!?! Right now, until our furnace is installed in a week or two - this is our main source of heat, and therefore a place we spend lots of time right now! 

“There is no place more delightful than one’s own fireplace.”   Marcus Tullius Cicero

Near and Far - Day 261

Wyoming is so big and vast, that I am finding these binoculars to be very helpful. There are so many things in the distance that I can't see clearly, and these help bring them into focus. I am amazed though at how easy it sometimes is to be concerned with things far away, and miss the things that are happening nearby. These are my reminder to focus on the blessings, responsibilities, and joys that are near me everyday.

“It is easy to love the people far away. It is not always easy to love those close to us. It is easier to give a cup of rice to relieve hunger than to relieve the loneliness and pain of someone unloved in our own home. Bring love into your home for this is where our love for each other must start.”   Mother Teresa

Hot Water - Day 260

I love our little tea kettle! It heats up water so nice and quickly for coffee...tea...cocoa - or anything else I need! All with the touch of a button! Hot water is so useful...but it can burn you too. Most things that are helpful and good are dangerous and can cause pain. It's funny how those two things go together...

“Optimism is the cheerful frame of mind that enables a teakettle to sing, though in hot water up to its nose.”   Unknown

Perfect Timing - Day 259

I love pears - and we so enjoyed eating lots of these when we drove back to Washington - and bringing a box with us to eat and can on returning home. But pears are funny! There is not a very large window of opportunity to enjoy them! You have to get them when they are just perfectly ripe...and if you are lucky enough to achieve that - WOW!!!

“There are only ten minutes in the life of a pear when it is perfect to eat.”   Ralph Waldo Emerson

Pieces of Home - Day 258

Playing some big time catch up here! Life got in the way, and other things (like spending time with my family and working on settling into our new house!) took over and got me a "little" behind...okay, maybe a LOT behind! So, I will just do a few each day until I am caught up! 

These are very special to me, and hold an honored and special place in our new house. Our church family at Day Creek gave us these - so we could take a little piece of Skagit County with us to Wyoming. While these are a symbol of it - we carry so many memories in our hearts that we treasure. Despite the scariness of the changes, that hit us at the strangest times - we are so blessed by the treasured memories we carry with us no matter where we go...

“Making a big life change is pretty scary. But, know what’s even scarier? Regret.  Unknown