February's Ten Things

I think I'm still trying to come to terms with the fact that every month for the rest of ever will be crazy.  That every month for the rest of ever will be busy and full of unexpected struggles and possibly overwhelming at times, but also full of unexpected blessings too.  This month, like the last and the one before that and the one before that has been a blur.  But I guess that's how it is now.  And I really think I'm learning a lot about loving it just that way.  

I'm grateful I have this chance to look back on things that made me smile this month.  Because having a baby in the hospital and then getting very sick myself, would make it easy to forget.  But really, so many wonderful things happened in February.  And today, I'm actually starting to feel better myself.  So it's a good day to smile!

1.  Oliver's Blessing Day

 2.  Todd's Birthday

 3.  Todd took out our old fluorescent light in our kitchen from 1993 and replaced it with 6 new can lights.  All I can say is MY KITCHEN IS SO BRIGHT AND AMAZING!  I LOVE IT!!!

4.  Ethan being Mozart for his school's wax museum.  Awesome.

 5.  My date with Madeline to get pedicures and then have Menchies.

 6.  Valentine's Day.  But mostly just this picture:

 7.  The fact that since 2015 began, I have lost 18 pounds.  EIGHTEEN POUNDS!  After months of being pregnant where the only thing I could do was lay on my bed and eat, I had a lot of work to do.  I still have a small ways to go, but I feel so much better.  So much happier.  So much more like myself and my clothes are starting to fit right again!  It has taken so much self discipline.  But it's totally worth passing on treats and cheese and being hungry for a few months…and it's awesome that I proved to myself that I could do it.

8.  Cooper.  Cooper ALWAYS makes me smile.  But he deserves another blog post all to himself...

 9.  Parent Teacher Conferences this month.  It's hard not to smile when you have kids that are basically awesome.  :)

10.  And of course, I will never stop smiling at the blessings that have been poured down upon Oliver this month.  Though it has been a rough month for my sweet little one, he was blessed beyond measure through his illness.

 I'm grateful his hospital stay was short.  I'm grateful he only had to be on oxygen a few days.  I'm grateful that he smiles at me every day now and acts like himself.  I'm grateful he's in my life.