things I love

Sometimes the grey dreary days of winter threaten to get the best of me.  Today would be one of those days, and being  exhausted from a string of bad nights with my little one and fighting a stuffy nose and sore throat aren’t helping much.  Instead of focusing on all the things that aren’t ‘right’ in my world at the moment, I decided to make a list of things I love. 

In no particular order…

These faces: 

And, of course, the older ones too (of whom there are no current pictures…yet).  They bring unbelievable joy to our home!

Sunset, as seen from the bow of the ferry in mid-December:

If you know me, you know that one of my all-time favorite things to do is ride the ferry.  No matter the season or weather, I’m outside standing in the bow, enjoying the view and the wind in my face.  This particular ride was about a week ago at sunset; the return trip was about 8:45 at night.  It was COLD but amazingly gorgeous standing out in the bow…

Mint brownies:

This nativity set, made and hand-painted many years ago for us by my brother in law and his wife:

And the things without pictures:

• My big guys home for the holidays, whether it’s for 3 weeks (like Emily) or 3 days (like Brent).  Hey…I’ll take what I can get!!
• New friends.  We had a great time hosting some new friends for playtime and lunch on Thursday.  Can’t wait to have them over again!  And the other new friends God has brought us…SO special!  It’s fun to be at the beginning of these new relationships, looking ahead to good times. 
• Old friends.  The shared memories.  The laughter.  The tears.  The tenderness and the ability to pick up where we left off, no matter how long it’s been since we were together last.  These are people I cherish…and never see often enough!  I was SO blessed by an old friend recently—I got a gift certificate for some time at a spa for my birthday.  What a treat!
• Friendships that are neither new (less than 1 year) or old (more than 10+ years).  Although there’s not the excitement of a new friendship or the shared memories of the long time friends, there is the joy of the journey and the hope of a shared future.
• An incredible small group.  We laugh together, cry together, and are challenged together.  They are a great group of people, and it’s a privilege to be part of their lives.
• My parents.  In a word, they’re awesome!  They live close enough to be part of our world regularly, and we see them often.   Everyone is looking forward to Christmas this year with Grandma and Grandpa.  :)
• The joy of adoption, and the depth of understanding about my worth to God it has brought.
• The challenges of adoption and parenting a special needs child.  Some days it’s tear-your-hair-out frustrating, but the rewards rank right up there with slobbery kisses and sticky hugs.  And the side benefit?  Refining our character.  (Or maybe that’s the primary goal!)

So that’s a start.  The list is by no means complete, but the blue funk that had captured me this afternoon is definitely gone.  (Now, if the sinus headache would move on, the afternoon would be pretty close to perfect.)  The hot cider is waiting, and I hear Ryan playing backgammon with Daddy in the background.  The girls are off finishing their Christmas shopping, and Logan is watching a Christmas movie.  I’m off to enjoy a quiet Sunday afternoon with my crew. 

How about you?  What are the things YOU love?  Is it time to put them on paper and beat the dreary grey hanging around?