No matter what...

(Written last Friday, just not edited until now :P... It seems that all I ever do any more is short posts or just the rough draft. I have about ten in my drafts folder right now, haha ;)!)
It's 6:46. Supper is in the oven, and so are some muffins that I made impromptu while wearing the apron a friend blessed me with a couple of years ago. It was so fun to be baking again "just for fun". I haven't done a lot of that lately, we've just been making meals for the most part. It was wonderful... a counting lesson with the little girls, getting some more frozen fruit out of the freezer (less to move!), eating chocolate chips (chef's honors ;)...), coming a little closer to my goal of fifteen minutes from start to cleaned up (from eighteen minutes last time I timed myself, down to sixteen, haha :).).
The house is clean, and all the little ones are playing together. The Star-gazer lilies that our realtor blessed us with are sending their scent through the whole house. And we got a call not too long ago that we'll be having someone else come look at it tomorrow. We have one more load to throw in the washer tonight, and then we'll be almost caught up with the laundry. Bethi finished her hat this morning, and is extremely excited.
So many little things that make up a day.
So many blessings.
Yes, it can be harder at times. Instead of playing together, the little ones could be arguing. I could burn my muffins. The flowers will die; the house won't always be clean. Someone may become sick; things might not go as we would like. But even through these moments, the blessings still shine; God has given me the grace to get through those times. God has given me this life to live, these times to teach me lessons, and my family to learn these lessons with. The dishes may be piled; but we ate. The toddlers may be fussy; but we have them. The goals may not be met; but we can try again. Daddy may be in another state; but we are united in our love for Christ and each other, and God's plan for our lives, and we can trust him to bring us back together in his timing.
These past few months have been hard in many ways. They have been wonderful in many ways. I feel that we have learned a lot in many ways. But through it all, one thing is often thought of: God has a reason for this. We don't know what it is, but he does, and we know this is true. And, already, looking back, we can see that some of the things that didn't seem like something that we would pray for, have been used for good. Daddy being out of work and nobody answering his calls? I really think that that was preparing us for these months when we are having to go weeks with Daddy in VA.
It can be hard to keep seeing the blessings instead of focusing on the struggles. But when you really look for them, the blessings far outweigh, and are far more numerous, then you ever imagined. And I know, no matter what, I am truly blessed!

(And especially rejoicing today in the added awareness of my blessings as we rejoice in the celebration of our risen Savior's love for us!!!)