I loved today.

                  So today stunk. It would give me great satisfaction to list the unnerving amount of ridiculous crud that filled my day. To throw myself a big ole blog pity party complete with cake pops and a side of woes and whining. To list the dreadful from the very second I woke up to the awful at the very last second of bed time. I'd love to explain all about my "bad day" so that you could drown me in empathy and encouragement, "poor you's" and "I'm so sorry's".

                   No I did not spend the day on the beach, not hardly, but that picture is to remind me of beauty. That is what I want to force myself to post about right now. I had actually already thrown myself in bed on top of the covers, fully clothed, because I couldn't imagine giving today another second of me. That's when I was replaying the events of my day in my head and shaming myself through my unchecked to-do list. An overbearing urge to write a blog post came to me and I thought, I have nothing nice to say (and you know the rest of that saying). Yet God told me, "Be thankful" "See the good". I sit here in front of the screen, rotten and warn down, and bitter. As I type this exact sentence, I'm thinking "God, guide my words because I'm still drawing a blank on where you're going with this post. There's not much to be happy about with the kind of day I had."

                  Today was a messy day full of failures, mishaps, sickness, emotions, hurts, and struggles. It wasn't anything catastrophic, just a Tuesday. March 11th 2014 I will never get back and can never do over, so do I mark it down as a "day to forget" or do I force myself to remember the good? I know that life is short enough, & I definitely don't want to lose a Tuesday. So I'm kicking out negative Nancy and I'm going to list the things I loved about today...

I loved my coffee. There wasn't too much creamer or too much sugar & it stayed warm all the way to Sienna's school for drop off.

I loved putting my daughter's hair up for school. I remember as a little girl dreaming of when I'd have a daughter to give a ponytail and dream come true, I get to do her hair every morning.

I loved my new printer that I got today. I wasn't expecting to have to buy a new one, but the print job I was needing to get done was so much easier once I got it.

I loved teaching my daughter a life lesson. Although it wasn't easy to see her cry or get embarrassed, it felt good in my soul to teach her right from wrong.

I loved my Shakeology shake. It was my first time trying it and I'm not keen on weird meal replacement drinks that taste funny. This, however, was a big nice glass of chocolate goodness.

I loved having left overs for lunch. Doesn't it just make it so.much.easier when you don't have to "think" to throw lunch together?

I loved that my son wanted me all day and was clingier than normal. I'm sad that I had to say "hold on" or "mommy's not done working" a few times, but still, I have dreaded him growing up and it's nice to still be babying him when I can.

I loved the finish product of the invitation set for my bride. It was oddly a super difficult task to get the stationary done for a current wedding because everything seemed to go wrong, but in the end the invitations are absolutely beautiful!

I loved the drive to pick up Sienna at school. I put on toddler music Pandora and we jammed.

I loved seeing my kiddo walk to me at car line. She was pretending to walk with her eyes closed and thought it was hysterical that I was amazed by her talent.

I loved how well behaved my kiddos were at the post office as they sat on the floor while I hand stamped 158 stamps and hand cancelled, licked, and stuffed 79 envelopes. 

I loved how my son decided to give me kisses all over my face (while his cute little hands grasped my face) as he sat on the counter at the post office.

I loved the God given gift of the iPad and movies on the go. (What did we do before them?)

I loved that I could give them ONE scoop of ice cream as a "good job guys treat" and they were completely satisfied. I selfishly would've been like, "don't be stingy woman". 

I loved sitting on the back porch talking to my husband while the kids played outside.

I loved that the many(!!!) times my son cried for no reason today, that he came to me with wide open arms.

I loved that I cheated from my "clean eating" & no sugar/carbs. schedule for dinner and had pasta and breaded chicken because I'm an emotional eater and it made me feel better. (and slightly guilty)

I loved that my husband read two books to the kids at bed time.

I loved that I got to begin packing for our fast approaching trip!

I loved that each kid took turns putting on "a show" for us in Sienna's room before bedtime.

I loved that my husband held my hand as he fell asleep.

I loved that my husband went to sleep early because he doesn't feel well at all and it's so hard to get him to take care of himself.

I loved that God took the VERY last moments of a potentially worthless day that I had almost condemned to be forgotten, and has miraculousy transformed it into something beautiful in my mind.  

I loved today.