Quest with A Camera 3

Mornings are always met with a mixture of "glad it's a new day," and "darn, it's a new day." Sometimes all the STUFF of the oncoming day is more than I want to handle right when I wake up. I'm one of those people who's brain starts into overdrive the minute I become conscious. Sometimes it's right as I wake up when the alarm goes off, but most often it's an hour or two before I have to get out of bed. So with that being said, most mornings are spent with me lying in bed till the very last possible second, but having woke up an hour prior to that. There's just something so very delightful about laying in one's own cozy bed, amongst one's favorite sheets, with one's favorite person. It makes getting out of bed very hard sometimes. I usually wait until Doug is out of bed before I decide to get a move on the day.

This particular morning found me downstairs. Doug was still in the shower getting ready for his long hours at the office, Teaghan was getting ready for school, Collette was getting ready for work and driving my daughter and her friends to school (Yes, she's a trooper!)..... the other three were nestled under warm covers waiting to be woke up.

I began my early morning ritual of opening of the blinds and the drapes. I have this need for sunlight in the morning. It just makes me feel all cheery and content. But this particular morning I just wasn't feeling it.

I was up a bit earlier than I usually am, most likely due to the fact that my brain kicked on at 6:15am, and I figured I would get a jump start on the morning. All the things that I needed to get done for the day, the activities I needed to get kids to...really, everything that demanded my attention came to the forefront of my mind and I found myself feeling very weary.

As I was about to open up the blinds, I realized that it was still dark outside. This made me feel even wearier as I wished that I could've been in bed still. I know, cry me a river, but this chica needs sleep to function. I am a total bear without it and I covet my sleep time:)

I decide to open up the drapes on one of the sliders that lead out to the backyard. As I pull the cord to open the window to my view, I am greeted with the most amazing sunrise.

I hurried and grabbed my camera.



Sometimes I have these amazing moments of clarity, and they usually come when I need them the most. Usually it is something in nature that I feel like Heavenly Father is putting right in my path and saying "See! Isn't this beautiful? Stop and look and count your blessings for they are all around you."

What I needed to do that day didn't seem like a heavy load anymore. The lunches that I pack every morning didn't seem so mundane. I once added up the number of lunches I pack in a school year and it was just an insanely funny number. I was reminded of that number and smiled because of the fact that I COULD make school lunches for my kids. Baseball practice and games became fun again because I know a time will come when I won't do that anymore, and it may be all too soon. Kissing my sweet hubby goodbye knowing that I won't see him till sometime after 8p meant that he has a great job to go to, one that he enjoys which I think is even more rare.

I looked at that sunset and felt blessed. It felt like it was there just for me and my heart strings were pulled and I stood there for a few more moments after taking the picture and just breathed it in.

There are great advantages living at the top of the hill. My fence line cuts right around the rest of the neighborhoods roof lines, affording me the perfect scenario for sunrise watching.

Perfect start to a PERFECT day.

It NEVER Disappoints!

Conference.

Every year it's good. Every year it seems to get even better. Every year I find myself feeling totally uplifted about those things I'm doing my best with, and lovingly chastened by the reminders of what I need to work on. It's somewhat my "climate" control if you know what I mean.

I cannot for the life of me remember who gave the talk on parenting during Sunday's morning conference, but it was spectacular! What a relief to know that I haven't been flunking Parenting 101, but that I've actually been enrolled in Parenting 505!!

What a huge difference that makes! :D

Somehow my frustrations with my more energetic child lifted. I found new perspective. I realized that yes, the speaker was right, that those energetic children we have are ours by no mistake or chance, and no matter the reason, our children are OURS to teach and learn from. And when those days of chaos and bedlam come, it's not because they want to torture us, or make us feel crazy...it's just that it is that time when the Parenting 505 class has issued a rather difficult exam. That's it. It's just a hard exam day. :)

So amongst a few interruptions from the "bedlamites" (wasn't that genius of him to coin that phrase), and yes, I will admit, falling asleep for a moment once or twice, conference for me was phenomenal. It always seems to be the PERFECT beginning to spring, a chance to start fresh, and take my spiritual "temperature." A chance to either pat myself on the back or give myself a pep talk. It's almost like doing New Years Resolutions, but in the spring. :)

Thank you to a loving Heavenly Father who knows exactly what we need to hear, even when we don't know what that may be ourselves.