So...Word of the Day

PEACE

Today was just the kind of day that I have been in need of for quite some time.
A day in which I was able to find peace amongst the chaos.

I woke up to sunshine creeping over the mountain tops and birds chirping outside our bedroom window.  I am so in love with spring and all that it brings! 

The girls woke up happy and our morning routine went smoothly.
We were able to get our family scripture reading and prayer in before Husband left for work and the big girls ran out to the bus stop.  Third Daughter, Son, and I then had a little under an hour to spend together.  There was a feeling of peace in our home - a miraculous moment that comes every so often - and I was overcome with gratitude for our family and the beautiful life we are living.

We then headed over to my dear friend's house where Third Daughter and Son stayed to play for a couple hours while I went to the temple.  That is right - I was lucky enough to go to the temple this morning by myself and it was so wonderful.  It was just what I needed.  My mind and my heart have been craving some peace and today I found it in the temple.  I was able to let go of the stresses of life and enjoy a couple hours of clarity and focus on the things that truly bring happiness.  I loved every minute.

On my drive back to pick up my kids I heard Samuel Barber's Violin Concerto on the radio - a piece that is very dear to my heart.  It is a piece I played for my audition for the BYU School of Music, and that I studied more fully again later in college.  It is a part of me and I relished being able to listen to it undisturbed.  It was the kind of "me" time that I need to be recharged - something small that helps remind me that along with being a mother and the other roles I fill, I am also me.

We came home to find much progress had been made on our backyard.  The grass was in and the deck almost completed.  It has been amazing to watch our backyard transform into the yard of our dreams and we cannot wait for a summer spent together back there as a family.

After lunch the girls wanted to sit at the counter and work in their workbooks.  They completed page after page of word searches, dot-to-dots, mazes, letter pages, and more while I folded laundry and helped them when needed.  Another miraculous moment when everything was calm and pleasant and wonderful.  That's not how it always is around here so I try to relish it while I can.

Second Daughter was invited over to a friend's house for a play date in the afternoon during Son and Third Daughter's nap times.  It's great when it works out that way and I get the treat of a quiet afternoon for an hour or so.  I vacuumed downstairs, finished folding laundry, picked up, quickly chatted with a friend, wrote a thank you note, read a bit, and shut my eyes for a few.  It is amazing how productive I am in a quiet house!  It is a luxury I don't get much of, but again I relish it while I can.

When all the kiddos were home and awake (around 4:30) we headed to the grocery store.  I admit, I was dreading going shopping with all four kids - it is the opposite of easy or enjoyable - but I didn't have a choice.  We were out of a few necessities, plus we were in charge of hamburger/hot dog buns for a family dinner.  So we loaded up and headed out.  And let me tell you - it was the best grocery shopping experience with kids I've ever had.  Son didn't cry.  Third Daughter didn't cry.  Nobody whined for treats or the donuts I don't want to buy.  First Daughter and Second Daughter were helpful fetching groceries and twisty tying the produce bags.  We were working together and it was a beautiful sight.  One hour and one grocery cart full to the brim later, we were out of there.

We met Husband at home where we had just enough time to unload groceries before heading back out to a family dinner/family home evening.  We don't have much immediate family close by, but we sure enjoy having so much extended family.  We have extended family get-togethers a couple times a month and we love it.  I love any chance I get to connect with family.

We were in charge of a short family home evening lesson.  I chose to share a story about our grandma and her baptism.  She was baptized in a river in the dead of winter in Star Valley, Wyoming.  She always said that even though the water was colder than she ever felt, when her mother wrapped her in a blanket afterward she remembers feeling warmer than she ever had before.  We talked about the Holy Ghost being a Comforter and shared the scripture "Peace I leave with you.  My peace I give unto you..." (John 4:27)  The peace that comes from making and keeping covenants and staying close to the Savior is like being wrapped in a warm blanket.  It is a feeling of safety, security, peace, and love. It was fun to remember our grandma, feel the spirit of her testimony, and to feel connected through our family history.

And now we are home.
Our kiddos are in bed and our house is peaceful once again.
I feel so incredibly blessed and so incredibly thankful for today.
It was a much needed day.
I have been searching for some peace and today, through numerous tender mercies, I was reminded of the peace that can be found no matter how chaotic daily life may seem.



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