Oh So Happy

My life isn't perfect, but it's good, very good, and it's full of God's blessings and oh so many things that make me happy. So here it is...my happy list...
~Watching Kaleb fall asleep. Now don't read into that too much. Yes, I love it when he's asleep, but mostly, I just love watching him go into his own little world, he makes the cutest, and funniest faces, dreamy smiles as he drifts off.
~Listening to Kaleb laugh (could there be a better sound in the world than that of a laughing child?)~~Watching Kaleb discover the world around him.~~Hugs and Smiles. (from Jake and Kaleb)
(so, mostly life is centered on Kaleb and the joy he brings me everyday, but, it's not all Kaleb)
~~Date nights with Jake~~Girl time with my friends (my friend came over last night to sew and it was a blast eating homemade bread and not accomplishing any of my sewing, she got stuff done though)~~Being silly with Kaleb (and Jake)
~~Phone conversations with my family - Skype is the best invention ever! (who can argue with free phone calls to France and Austria?)
~~Reading~~Sleeping~~Scrapbooking~~Sewing and Quilting~~Playing the piano~~Playing in the rain (still waiting for that one)~~Jake's cooking (he made the best enchiladas the other night!)
~~Going on walks (especially with Kaleb and Jake)~Sunshine - outdoors in general~~Traveling (still waiting for this one too)~~Smelling flowers~~Listening to birds~~Feeling the wind~~Hot Chocolate~~Going to church~~Going to the temple~~$1 fish tacos (although I think they are $1.25 now)~~Snuggling with Jake and Kaleb~~Blankets and pillows~~Homemade Bread~~Car rides (even to know where)~~
Way too often I want to whine and complain about what I don't have, what I want, what I wish, if only. I need to remember how amazing life really is. I can get lost focusing on other things instead of enjoying this moment. I know time doesn't really fly, and I know kids don't really grow like weeds (despite what I think) but as I was rocking Kaleb (AGAIN) tonight I started wondering where my little wiggly baby went - oh - he's still here, I realize that, but he used to fit on my forearm, now he takes two arms to hold. I try not to blink too long, because every time I turn around I wonder, when did he start smiling? Where did that laugh come from? Kaleb will sometimes roll himself onto his back when we put him on his dreaded stomach (when did he start doing that?) I need to realize my blessings more often and really see what I have around me - I am so spoiled and loved! As goes the saying "In the end, it's not going to matter how many breaths you took, but how many moments took your breath away" Here's to those moments. As I'm rocking Kaleb to sleep for what seems the 50th time in one night I will notice how his eyes roll in the back of his head, how he'll open his eyes for a brief moment and smile his dopey, dreamy, crooked smile at me. I'll notice how he puckers his lips, and generally makes cute, silly faces as he drifts off into what can only be pleasant dreams. I'll hold Kaleb a little closer, for just a little bit longer instead of just quickly depositing him into his crib hoping he'll sleep for at least 2 hours this time. As Jake and I pass each other here and there (in our tiny two bedroom apartment) I'll give a few more hugs and kisses and 'I love you's' I want to stop caring that the dishwasher needs to be loaded and get down on the floor with Jake as he plays with Kaleb. One of my favorite poems:

Mother, oh Mother, come shake out your cloth
empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
hang out the washing and butter the bread,
sew on a button and make up a bed.
Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She's up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I've grown shiftless as Little Boy Blue
(lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
(pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo).
The shopping's not done and there's nothing for stew
and out in the yard there's a hullabaloo
but I'm playing Kanga and this is my Roo.
Look! Aren't her eyes the most wonderful hue?
(lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).

The cleaning and scrubbing will wait till tomorrow,
for children grow up, as I've learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down, cobwebs. Dust go to sleep.
I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.


by Ruth Hulburt Hamilton

Now that I have babbled on endlessly, I will just sum it all up and say - I LOVE LIFE!!!

P.S. Just before I posted this I went swimming with my boys - as I'm grabbing a towel to wrap up Kaleb I felt a very uncomfortable pinch in my armpit - when you have a bee crawling in your nether regions you can be forgiven for your state of mind as you quickly rip down the top half of your swimming suit to find the blasted bee that just stung me in my armpit! (I have just realized the humor in the show I just gave the guys painting the railing balcony close by, and the people milling about going to and fro) Can I just say, a bee sting in the armpit isn't too comfortable!