Simplicity

Today is one of those days when I just love being a mom who is able to be home with my beloved boys. Maybe it's the grayish-looking skies that are teasing us with the prospect of falling snowflakes--making me want to curl up with my boys and read books and play every game that lines our game closet. Or maybe it's the fact that at every turn these past days (and weeks...and months...) I've been hit from every angle with the general question of "what am I doing with my short time here on earth?". Without going into too much detail and baring my intimate thought process, hearing and thinking along these lines has stemmed into making life more simple for me and family of boys; getting rid of those unneeded so-called "necessities", redefining priorities, downsizing and deleting distractions (or at least minimizing them), taking a hard look at "life" in general and by all means taking nearly every opportunity given to play those games and fill those black and white color book pages with some actual color! Who needs hundreds of toys when hundreds (well, maybe not hundreds) of cars will provide a wonderful creative outlet??

a car track...made out of cars! :)

As I look around our home, I see so much "stuff"...and call me crazy, but just the other day Carson and I spent some time going through our arts and crafts supplies. Yes, we went through all of our markers, taking the cap off every single one and seeing if it was worth keeping or tossing. Hey, we even did double-duty and used up some junk mail as our "test paper"! 

 It's a little thing, but there's no need to hang on to 50 markers that don't even work. So, we began to toss and "scale down" just a bit. My boys are awesome at helping me do that with our toys and what's really fun is doing the whole rotating of toys concept--you'd think it was Christmas morning all over again when they discover the hidden gems that they haven't seen in months and yet it's been in their closet all this time! :)

Austin's cross legos--I loved it!

It's been a great teaching-tool as a parent to show our boys that "less is more", to give things away to someone else who might actually need it more than we do. They have found the simplicity of getting out puzzles to provide great enjoyment...

...some markers and poster board get the creative juices flowing....

...an empty toilet paper tube...

  ...heading outside in the weirdly warm January weather gives no escape from finding fun....

Lately, it's really been hitting me that in a few months, I'll be down to just one boy at home. AGH!!!!! I remember when I only HAD one boy at home. I refuse to miss moments like this...

 

 ...and not take advantage of doing the simple things like making cookies with my boys. It probably feels like I post a lot of pictures of us baking/cooking/etc. but it's what we love. Simplicity.

 I refuse to over-complicate life and be so busy that I miss the little things. I want to live simply and allow God to use me as a mom....as a wife...as a sister...a daughter...a friend. I desire for the five of us to live in a way that He chooses to use us for His glory, for His service. I don't ever want to find myself so "busy", so distracted, that I miss what He has for me. And today, that's my boys. Yep, it's a day that I just love being a mom and a wife--and I get to be their mom (and my hottie-hubby's wife!!) Oh, I'll have "those moments" when I want to just run away and cry and wonder what in the world I'm doing...probably even this afternoon. But the overwhelming joy of doing and being exactly what He has called me to far exceeds "those moments."

The cookies are fresh, the decaf coffee is done, and my CJ is standing next to me holding the "Go Fish" cards. Simplicity. I can get used to this. :)