just another day?

so let's get right down to it—it's new years eve. but to me it feels like just another day. we have no plans to do anything tonight and no parties to attend. and ben and i were never into the party/drinking scene, so this holiday probably isn't as important to us as it is to other people.

and earlier this week as i was asked a few times if i was excited for new years, i'd say "no, it's just another day..." and at the risk of sounding exactly like my dad (which isn't a bad thing!) it is just another day. it's no different than yesterday or the day before. there really isn't anything super significant about this day apart from this: (and my dad's birthday—happy birthday daddy!!!)

it's another day that i'm alive!

it's another day that i get to enjoy my husband. my daughter. and my son.

it's another day that i can experience God's love, grace, and mercy.

it's another day closer to a new year, a new beginning, a chance to start fresh.

it's another day closer to Jesus's return!

so while it is, in fact, just another day, today i rejoice—for God has granted me yet one more day.

life is fleeting. it is a vapor, a breath, a blink of an eye. so not just today, but every day, take a moment to enjoy the gift of another day! that's what i'm celebrating today!

happy new year!

thankful thursday

new beginnings. second chances.

it's great to start a new year, isn't it? it gives me a fresh feeling. like i just cleaned the whole entire house and it's spotless. it's a spring morning and there's a nice warm breeze blowing through the window. it smells fresh and new. it's invigorating.

(if only that would actually happen -- at the stroke of midnight, the start of a new year, that my house would clean itself. man that would be nice. but i digress.)

with the wonderful feeling that comes with a new beginning, this new year got me thinking that i don't have to wait 365 days for that newness to come around. every day i get to start over again. God, in His graciousness, has allowed me to start every day fresh with Him. it doesn't matter what i did yesterday, last week, or last month. every morning that i wake up God gives me a new start, a second chance, to live my life pleasing and honoring to Him. of course every day i fail, but God doesn't. His mercies are new to me every morning!!

Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:22-23 NIV

happy new year...

we're back!! we had a wonderful trip to minnesota to spend Christmas and New Years with my family. (merry belated Christmas and happy belated New Year, by the way!) we left on tuesday, december 23rd and came back on friday, january 2nd. ben got time off work so he got to come too. it was fun! we were without high speed internet at my dad's house, thus my lack of blogging. however that won't be a problem on my future visits up north as my DAD GOT HIGH SPEED INTERNET! NO MORE DIAL-UP!!! good job, dad! :-)

-----------------------------------------------

i haven't done much since we got home. on saturday we took down the tree and that was about it. it's amazing how long it takes to get unpacked and get Christmas presents put away. on sunday i was sick with the flu. ryan had been sick on thursday before we left so i think i got a bug from him. i slept pretty much the whole day!

monday and tuesday we were all fine until tuesday night. now's the time to stop reading if you don't like to hear about people being sick.....

samantha had a bad tummy ache, but kept reassuring me that she didn't have to throw up. so she laid on the couch for a long time. i rubbed her stomach, got her a hot water bottle, but she still kept moaning and complaining. finally at 10:30 last night she threw up. thankfully she made it from the couch to the kitchen where the floor is tiled and not carpeted! after 30 minutes of cleaning everything up, i got samantha in the tub.

bad idea. she apparently wasn't done being sick and i had to get her out of the tub 3 times. she was so exhausted that she asked me if she could fall asleep while she was sitting on the toilet, holding a bucket, with her hair full of shampoo! after i got her all bathed, dried, and dressed she was sitting in my lap throwing up again and actually fell asleep for about 5 minutes.

**side note: my new years resolution is roll with the punches, be a little more flexible, and not worry about the stupid little stuff (like vomit splattered across the kitchen floor). i tend to get worked up when things don't go the way i expected or when something unexpected happens. i love God's sense of humor because when i said roll with the punches, i didn't mean rolling out of bed the whole night!!**

so anyway, i decided to let samantha sleep in my bed with me, as i would rather clean up my bed in the middle of the night than her loft bed. ended up that was a good decision because she was up every 15-20 minutes from 11:30pm to 6:30am with diarrhea, vomiting, and dry heaves. it was like clock work. she could hardly stay awake and there were moments when she was sitting on the toilet yelling at me because she was mad at me for not letting her sleep on the potty. lol. and at about 4:30am she said something like "i'm gonna be so thin." after 6:30 this morning she was a bit better but just thirsty. she's been hanging out on the couch today attached to her water bottle like it's an IV, watching some cartoons, and sleeping on and off (sleeping in between her moments of delusion, that is. at one point i asked her if she knew who i was and she looked a me weird for a few minutes and said i was a dragon. then she started crying because she couldn't remember who i was. it was cute and sad all at the same time.).

here's to hoping ben doesn't get sick... a sick husband is worse than a sick child. lol!

-----------------------------------------------

i'm sitting here looking at our living room which is still filled with presents and Christmas decorations to be put away. but i figured that could take a back seat to blogging for the moment. so that's my job to tackle for the rest of the week. then hopefully i'll get around to uploading pictures from our many Christmases and our trip to minnesota. but until then i'll leave you with this one....