~ThisStartToJanuary2015~

Sunshine in January is about as good as Christmas.

We had 3 whole wet, I mean, wonderful days of rain, clouds, rain, clouds, and more rain.

So on this first day of school 2015, to wake up to bright blue skies was a gift.

It's 5:45 p.m. and this is my view out my side door:

The sun, and the fact that it comes up every morning is evidence of God's power and faithfulness.

Any time I start hand wringing, or fretting over the state of the world, 

God reminds me of the sun, the order of nature, the power of a storm, 

the smallness of humans in the middle of a hurricane 

and I remember that there is an omniscient, omnipresent Being ruling over the universe. 

I just love that.

He knows when a sparrow falls to the ground.

I love the fact that He is so big and yet so small.

And now it's 6:10 and look….

I'm in awe.

Every.

Single.

Time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Last night, just before sleep found me, I told Brad:

"You know what I learned this last two weeks?"

"hmm." he said sleepily.

"I learned that 

A. You work a lot. 

B. I don't see you that much in 'normal life' and 

C. You are stressed out a lot."

~Awkward silence~
(because that is a WHOLE lot to process at 10:30 at night. He's no rookie….this is NOT his first rodeo) 

Then he says, (with as much sarcasm as you can imagine)

"Well that's just great, Stacey."

I can't lie….it's not like he's the only adult in this house that succumbs to the stresses of life in overdrive….
and it's not like I walk around upset that he keeps long hours.

I just wish we could find some happy medium.

Not vacation but not mock 80 either.

I've yet to find that middle ground but when I do, I'll be sure to let you all know.

But two weeks with him home for days at a time…..

It was heavenly.

Time enough to relax AND to be productive….

It was SO nice.

He 

played ping pong and shot squirrels with Jake

jumped on the trampoline with the kids

organized the basement for me

helped me sofa shop

took us out to dinner

I could go on but my point is made.

Maybe two weeks of vacation is enough. 

Maybe it's that mid school year reprieve that is necessary to get you through til summer.

We would get pathetically lazy if break went much past two weeks I suppose.

I am optimistic about this new year. 

Winter and short days are not typically my favorite but I'm unusually light hearted this January.

I think it's partly due to the fact that every single year goes faster than the one before and I'm really learning to enjoy each moment as it comes. 

My kids are fun.

Fun ages.

Fun personalities.

So incredibly different.

I love the odd simplicity of a child's Christmas list:
A stuffed giraffe~
A jack in the box~
A Barbie with a unicorn~

He believes in being active.

A lot.

Daddy's home made gum drop tree. 
Does Christmas come without a gum drop tree? 
I'm not sure.

A Bamboo Forest right in the middle of the mountains~

 Unloading the mess of firewood Brad cut and brought home from the mountains.

Yep.

It was a good year and an especially good two weeks.

Today, Jake went to school.

The girls did school at home.

We shopped for jeans for legs that keep getting longer.

We bought a $12 tutu dress because I couldn't resist the "please" from a little blonde four year old.

Brad was home before 6:00.

Grandpa is here and fixed a prized, broken jack in the box.

Tonight, we all ate supper together at the kitchen table.

It was a good day.

Hello, 2015!

~stacey