First, I must start by wishing you all a “Happy New Year!”
I don’t know about you, but I love a good new beginning and the start of January always has me expectant and wishful all at the same time.
I’m not one for resolutions, but this year I want to learn to be even more grateful than I have ever been and I want to continue to see the beauty amidst the chaos is my mama life.
I am trying to teach these few values to my children as often as I can.
Over the Christmas break we have had ample opportunity to really soak in the beautiful life around us.
This past week there was seemingly even more winter beauty than ever before.
We
live in Southern Ontario, Canada, and our side of the world got the
biggest ice storm I have ever seen — in all my years. 😉
live in Southern Ontario, Canada, and our side of the world got the
biggest ice storm I have ever seen — in all my years. 😉
(The kids think that means lifetimes ago!)
Although,
gorgeous to see, the ice storm actually ended up causing a lot of tree
damage and many families were without power over Christmas.
gorgeous to see, the ice storm actually ended up causing a lot of tree
damage and many families were without power over Christmas.
We merely endured a day with flickering power, sadly many hospitals and cities were without heat and power for days. 🙁
As a leader to my little people, I decided to focus their attention on the beauty that the ice storm left behind.
I wanted to show them that even when terrible things happen there is always beauty during a storm, you just have to search it out.
Search it out and capture it.
Right
near our house we have beautiful walking trails and a pond; in the
summer months it is overflowing with bread crumb fattened goldfish.
near our house we have beautiful walking trails and a pond; in the
summer months it is overflowing with bread crumb fattened goldfish.
(Thank you Bread Machine combined with Mama’s Gluten Allergy.) 😉
Clothed
with boots and snow pants and armed with mittens our camera and some
hot tea, we braved the icy paths and the menacing ice filled trees and
set foot on an adventure.
with boots and snow pants and armed with mittens our camera and some
hot tea, we braved the icy paths and the menacing ice filled trees and
set foot on an adventure.
It looked like our whole world was covered in a shiny diamond icy layer.
The
forest sounded like a symphony of clinking branches and swaying
creaking trees. We swore the trees were dressed for a fancy ball and
were dancing slowly all together while tinkling their china glasses in a
celebratory way.
forest sounded like a symphony of clinking branches and swaying
creaking trees. We swore the trees were dressed for a fancy ball and
were dancing slowly all together while tinkling their china glasses in a
celebratory way.
I want my kids to adore the peace of nature as much as I do, and so far, I have discovered that this is happily something we all do adore.
There
is something about wide open spaces, swishing snow pant legs and
crunching snow that brings me back to a time of care free experiences.
is something about wide open spaces, swishing snow pant legs and
crunching snow that brings me back to a time of care free experiences.
My prayer is that these three little faces will feel what I feel when I walk into the big open air of the world.
When there is no ceiling or roof or other earthy inhibitors keeping me from looking right up through the heavens into Him.
I
pray they feel connected always, and that when they are walking on the
earth with the sky open above them they will notice the simple things
that will convince them, without a shadow of a doubt, that there is more to life then just them.
pray they feel connected always, and that when they are walking on the
earth with the sky open above them they will notice the simple things
that will convince them, without a shadow of a doubt, that there is more to life then just them.
I pray they will find themselves kneeling for a better view and kneeling with a heart full of gratitude.
I pray they will always choose the path less traveled by.
That their feet will go good places and their hands will do good things.
That they will see all the beauty in the ordinary.
Most
of all, I pray they feel peace always and that they are able to rest in
the knowledge that enduring the storms of life will reveal strength in
many many ways.
of all, I pray they feel peace always and that they are able to rest in
the knowledge that enduring the storms of life will reveal strength in
many many ways.
Wishing you and yours all of those prayers too for 2014.
Thank you for reading and supporting this picture and script adventure we call “This Little Estate” and for happily sharing and cheering us along in our projects and daily life.
It means more than you know.
xoxo
mm
January 3, 2014 at 7:57 pmYou are so positive and give such great advice to live by….I wish all people in this world could feel this way. It would be a lot stressful, huh? I always enjoy reading your blog. Your baby is growing up fast, and they are all so cute. I just wanted to send a hello from the states. Happy New Year!!