Our daughter Ciara (7) is a little writer... everywhere she goes she has a pen & notebook or paper,  she's either writing or drawing all the time.   (Sound familiar Mom?)  Once in a while while I'm cleaning the house I come across her little scribbles, either letters to friends, "love" notes to her dad or me or prayers to God,  those can be the sweetest. We get papers she has written sent home from school All the time, some I keep, some I don't, if I had kept them all I would probably have a huge bookful already! What little treasures. This is just a short little one that she wrote at school about somethings she would like. It's cute so I took a picture & it's one that I will be keeping, it says:

"I Wish"

I wish we had three recesses. I wish it was summer. I wish there were only Saturdays. I wish I was a doctor. I wish be a figure skater.
Ciara

I haven't sat down & written in a while now..life's been busy! It's slowing down a little now (that meaning outside the home stuff, there's always stuff that could be done at home!) at least before all the Christmas activities start, but who's ready to think about all that:)
Sometimes our lives can be so busy with things to do & places to go, but I think most of us don't want to miss out on those little things in life.
 Like  the phrase "life is what happens when you are waiting for life to happen"or something like that;) I think about that a lot. Maybe because of different situations we have already faced or maybe just getting older year by year and realizing how fast it continually keeps  going. If you are like me at all anyway once I hit 19 ,20 it just hasn't slowed down since! Mark & I had our 8'th wedding anniversary a couple weeks ago, that seems crazy along with us having had 4 babies and both getting scary close to 30 makes us realize it's going to keep moving. We both have high hopes & dreams that may or may not  happen, yet and we plan & work towards them, but while that's happening our birthdays keep coming, our kids keep growing & our chance to make a difference in this one life time here on earth keep's getting smaller as time passes.
There are  just a few little things I try to stop and enjoy through my day, even if it's something that seems minor to other people, but it might help  to slow me down, or take a moment and enjoy it, I need the reminders to enjoy the little things maybe you did too:)
One of my favorite things every morning are when my kids come walking out of their bedrooms/into the kitchen, usually still sleepy, rubbing their eyes but Always dragging their blankies behind them..every morning without fail, it makes me smile.
What makes you smile through the day?:)

l can't help but think of my Chloe  this week as we have another girl in our house... I get to sit & watch Ciara and her good friend as they dress up together, make crafts together or just snuggle on the couch and watch a "Princess"movie.  It's so sweet to see 2 girls so close in age interact with each other. Yet it seems to pull at my heart a little when I think of how close in age Ciara & Chloe would be, how Ciara would have that sister and Mark & I would have those 2 girls to grow up together. It brings tears and I always feel the "empty"spot. We miss you everyday  baby girl. xo

My baby started sitting up all by herself yesterday, suddenly she seems so much older as she's just sitting there playing with her toys. Reminds me again how time keeps moving... so often I can tend to think in the "some day"way like someday I'll have better habits, someday I"ll do my devos everyday, someday I'll have it all together for my kids..the list keeps going.
In our little family we are learning not to live in the  "someday" as much and live in the  "today."  Life keeps moving, the days go by, the seasons change, our kids keep growing & learning things from us by watching us and seeing how we react to everyday things. (that can be scary!) We've had enough reminders that tomorrow isn't promised, your whole world as you know it can completely change in just one day.
Ever since my cousins funeral this past summer, a young dad of 26 who left the house on another regular day but didn't come home again after a car accident,  since Mark and I sat through the service remembering his life with other family members, thinking back to our own situations where we faced it,  we have been touched and softened Once again to how fragile and fast life is and to live each day to the fullest and also  as parents to be all we can be for our kids.  For us that challenge has helped us in our everyday devotions with our kids, taking that time out to sit with them and try to teach them in the way we believe we are responsible to do. It's amazing the little things in life that can remind me of this, like seeing how my little girl is growing up, or hearing of a friend who another love one has left this world, so many reminders and yet Always a challenge to us to love those around us, don't take them for granted, take your time to pour into their lives, life is short lived.

My mom has often encouraged me to start writing again,  I use to all the time, it was the way I worked through my feelings I guess, I did for years, even after I got married, it didn't really stop til the accident happened, since then I've always struggled starting again, struggled where to begin, what  to say,  often I would start and get upset thinking through things and stop. 
I've come to learn everybody has a story, this is just part of mine, least the part's I"m willing to share about. It's good to share though, even if it's just to other moms in the same phase of life, maybe it will bring a nod or a chuckle, hopefully it can encourage someone who maybe struggles or feels the same way, anyway, it's just me, writing again..we"ll see how it goes.
Like I said  I've always loved writing... by the time I was 16 I had 20 journals full. Now they are stashed away in a box somewhere in storage, hoping no one will read them. :p
 This is a little different, obviously won't be as "personal" since it's being shared, might not even be that interesting, just tid bits of my journey.