Monday

Well, ladies and gentlemen, I seem to be in a rut. I'm finding it a little hard to be a stay-at-home mom. It feels a little like the movie Groundhog Day--I'm living the same day over and over again. It's easy to focus on all the negative things that happen every day instead of the good. And so I'm challenging myself. This week I will take the time every day to share five blessings with you. If a week isn't long enough to get me out of my rut I'll do it even longer. So here goes:

1. I love our small group. I've said this before but it warrants saying again. It's the newest of all the groups so we're still working on getting comfortable with one another but already there is such an intense feeling of family (possibly because half the group is related!). I cannot wait to see how God will use this group to bless all of our lives.

2. Right now one of my favorite people is Cassi. She and her husband host our group but that's not the only reason I consider her a blessing. Almost every Sunday, Cassi takes Jackson during worship. She plays with him, walks around with him when he's fussy and holds him while he sleeps. She gives me a chance to focus on the worship. As you moms out there know, you can't put a price on that.

3. We have nine young Americans visiting right now. They are all such a breath of fresh air. I won't lie; visitors are a lot of work. But they are also such a source of encouragement for us.

4. Today I got to spend some time on Skype with my parents. It was an unexpected blessing on a Monday morning. I love that we live in a time when communication with the folks back home is so easy. It's wonderful to see their faces and to share Jackson with them.

5. This afternoon Russ and I got to watch Jackson discover that he could get his foot to his mouth. He was so into sucking on his toes and we just sat and watched him (and took pictures, of course!). Even though sometimes being at home with him is boring and lonely, I love getting to see all these firsts.

There, that was five. I already feel a little lighter. See you tomorrow!