Gratitude for the Trenches

(I want to eat him alive)

We are a little bit of a mess over here.

Cold upon cold is robbing us of the little sleep that was happening, Nick has one more work trip before the end of the year that I am dreading, and did I mention that I am being treated for potential MRSA?!?!

Turns out 7 weeks of "poison ivy" and not being able to move your hand isn't normal, so I finally relented, hired a babysitter so I could drag my sorry self to the doctor, and got some creams. (They wanted to put me on an oral antibiotic and I kindly requested that we try creams first, which are working beautifully. Don't mess up your precious gut flora unless you absolutely have to!)

This is all serving to say, it's not all gift guides and Christmas magic at this time of year. There is still a seemingly endless amount of work to be done, and sometimes I feel a little like I'm drowning in it all.

I read this this morning with tears in my eyes. Excerpt below, but go read the whole thing!

"When you trip over toys and step on Legos and the beds are unmade and the sink is crusted with toothpaste, just take a breath and think of the days when your house will look like no one lives there and you'll want it filled with children playing and the comfort of knowing all your children are in their beds safe. Do you really want to put away those toys forever? I bet not...

So treasure it all - the kicked ribs and sore back, the messy room, the quick meals, the tripped over shoes, the sweet little squeaky voices even if they are whiny, the work that seems endless.

It's not endless, that's the thing. Pay attention, be filled with gratitude for it all, and simplify your life enough so that you can take the time to deeply love it all."

Happy weekend, friends. I hope to spend mine being grateful that I GET to wipe these noses, change these diapers, serve meal after blasted meal. It's not always easy, but when I think about the days when I DON'T have to do those things anymore, I know I'll miss this.