Choosing Joy and Sparkle and Shine

I really wanted to be grumpy today.
Grumpy that it's still so cold. Grumpy that we still have this much snow.
Grumpy with the weather forecasts that more of this hibity-bibity is coming.
Grumpy that spring seems to be taking forever to get here.
But then the sun started shining really bright.
And I looked out the window and saw a lot of sparkling happening on the white snow on the back
patio. And it just kept sparkling....while I stood there and stared at it with my Sugar Cookie coffee in my hands.
And these 6 little sweet kiddos keep laughing...and playing together so well...having so much fun.
Using their imaginations and acting as if they don't have a care in the world.
And a certain sweet little Baby Monkey...that really isn't a baby monkey anymore....went
to the dryer and started pulling out towels and wash rags and folding them....and all the while,
she was singing and dancing around. Her blond little curls were twirling around as she stood
there and folded all the laundry without me asking.....and she was singing: "Jesus loves me....Jesus loves me....Jesus loves me." It was her own little made up song that she kept singing over and over.
My heart just melted......And I couldn't do it.....I couldn't be grumpy.
Because right now? I'm surrounded with too many reasons to smile and be grateful for.
There's a lot of joy and sparkling and shining going on....and that's what I will focus on today :)

MONKEYSTORY #722

Gabe: Mommy! I can't find my chapstick!
Me: Hmmmm....well did you look for it?
Gabe: Yes! And I can't use the girl's chapstick, I can only use boy chapstick!
Me: Ok....well we can look for it again when we get back home.
Gabe: Well I really think that Daddy went in my room and he snook my boy chapstick cuz
he's a guy and he wouldn't want to use your chapstick Mommy!
Me: {laughing} Did you just say snook?
Gabe: Yes! Daddy is so sneaky! He goes in my room at night and sneaks out my
stuffed animals so I don't suck my thumb at night and I'm doing so good with that!
So that's how I know it was Daddy that snook my chapstick because he's so sneaky!
Me: {laughing so hard} Gabe...let's have a grammar lesson :)

I just want you to know this:

Things will get better. The light will keep shining even though it feels like it's the darkest dark.
It will get brighter...just when you think you can't take anymore.


I know the storm feels strong...I know some days you feel like you are drowning...like
it's never going to stop beating on you.
I know your heart is hurting....and it feels like it's being crushed into a million pieces some days.
I know you are weary....you don't think you can take one more step on this path you travel.
I know you want to give it all up because it's just too hard to move forward anymore.


But what if I told you this? What if I told you that heaven is just around the next corner?
That the hell you are going thru now is just temporary? It's just a season?
That the dark will only last for the night....and joy really does come in the morning?
What if I told you that the Captain of your ship is really still up there...guiding your journey?
That He really does love you more than you can imagine?
That He sees every tear you cry and really does hold you tight?
That He believes in you when no one else does?
That He still hasn't given up on you....and He never will?


What if I told you that the Anchor really still holds?
It will hold on for you when you cannot.
That it may feel like you are standing in sinking sand.....but the Rock won't move?
Hang on mighty warrior.....I promise you.
It's not the end yet. There are brighter days coming...keep fighting the good fight.


You are so much stronger than you know....just keep on keeping on.
You can do this! You are enough! You are a mighty warrior! You've got this!
Don't give up...Heaven is right around the corner....
The sun will shine...And the best is yet to come.

MONKEYSTORY #721

Monkey #1: I'm a secret agent. I need cold air outside now.
Me: And why exactly is that?
Monkey #1: Well I am tired of doing my school work. I want to go outside and play.
Me: Well get your schoolwork done, my secret agent, and you can go outside after that.
Monkey #1: But I'm a secret agent....I need cold air right now. I'm a hot secret agent.
Me: Wow.....


Monkey #2: Curse you Gabe! You broke my toy!
Me: Um....come here right now....what did you say???
Monkey #2: I cursed him! He broke my toy!
Me: Do you have any idea what cursing means? Do Daddy and Mommy say this??
Monkey #2: No! But he did something bad so that's what you say!
Me: Um...no you don't....let's have a conversation about this.
Monkey #2: Well it was in the movie Peter Pan and Hook!


Monkey #3: *Singing* "Dumb dog why are you following me!"
Me: {Seriously!?!?!?} Come here....what did you say?
Monkey #3: Repeats the song.
Me: Dumb is not a nice word, please use the word silly instead.
Monkey #3: BUT ANNIE SINGS IT, WHY CAN'T I!?!?!?!?!
Me: I know you love that movie, but that still isn't a nice word.


I've concluded that movies provide much more educational moments than I realized.

Dear Trace Adkins...

I do love your song that you sing about:


"You're gonna miss this
You're gonna want this back
You're gonna wish these days hadn't gone by so fast
These Are Some Good Times
So take a good look around
You may not know it now
But you're gonna miss this"
But what you don't know...there are the things I'm not really going to miss!!!


Like being the bathroom police....reminding certain little monkies to:
1- FLUSH IT EVERY SINGLE TIME!!!! No one likes the stinky presents!
2- Put the seat up when you go pee sir! This isn't art class!!
3- WASH YOUR HANDS EVERY SINGLE TIME!!!
4- Seriously......I'm not gonna wipe your hiney forever....if you can figure out the art
of rigging up booby traps for your siblings, well then you can figure out the art of proper
bathroom etiquette!!


Sincerely...Mama Monkey

Blessed

Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill His promises to her.

- Luke 1:45

MONKEYSTORY #720

The monkies are all playing together and getting along great.
Baby Monkey runs smack into a sharp corner in the hallway.
Lots and lots and lots of loud laying-flat-on- the -floor dramatic crying.
The older 2 monkies spring into action:
"Quick get her blankie!!"
"Quick get her a Band-Aid!!!"
They surround her, rub her back while I hold her and speak in the sweetest
voices (the same sweet voices that they all had a hard time finding today!)
"Oh Aubrie, you are gonna be ok...it's gonna be ok...you are a tough girl!"
She promptly stops crying and proceeds to squeeze her eyes shut, scrunch
her little nose up high in the air and proceeds to "sniff" very loudly.
Gabe springs into action and grabs her a Kleenex.
I sit here and think this is the best free Friday night entertainment one could ever watch.
One of the older monkies says, "We really should pray for her ouchie now so it gets better!"
The other one quickly agrees. BabyMonkey says: "Yes! Pray for my ouchie!"
They look at me...."Go ahead guys....you can pray for her" I say.
So they put their arms around her and start.
Ellie: "Dear God, thank You that You make all our ouchies all better. Thank you that
we have been so nice to our little sister tonight. Please make her leg all better. Amen."
Gabe: (a jumping bean that can't sit still)
"Ok, my turn....Dear God....Please heal Aubrie's leg.....ooooooohhhhhhh"....BAM....he falls right on top of the injured leg...........time freezes.....the older 2 monkies stare at Aubrie to make sure she's ok.
Baby Monkey just sits there and sucks her thumb with her blankie...never bats an eyelash.
(at this point I just begin to giggle uncontrollably because the youngest has totally duped the older ones.)
Gabe: "Mommy! Don't laugh! We are trying to pray here!"
Me: "I'm sorry...you are right...ok go ahead."
Gabe: "Ok, Dear God, please make Aubrie's leg all better. And THANK YOU SO MUCH God that we have been so kind to our little sister tonight and we have been the best kids ever. Amen."
Aubrie hops up....."Ok guys! Let's go play cowboys!!"
Seriously.......a day in my life.....I wouldn't trade it for anything ;)