The good stuff.

We are kicking off April with some down time at home tonight. When I think about all that is going on this month I can get a little overwhelmed but tonight I tried to consciously soak up these moments of a quiet family dinner on the porch enjoying the end of the day together. I hope to carry that practice through the rest of the month as well, so many great things going on this month, I don't want to get lost in pre-planning or worrying for what's next on the list and not appreciate and live in each moment as it comes. That will be easier said then done but worth re-directing myself each time, as something struck me as I looked through these pictures that this is the good stuff, this is our life, this is living the dream and I don't want to miss the precious moment that is now. You can let the good stuff pass you by or you can grab onto it with a firm grip and give it your full attention. We often do that with the not so good stuff in our life, I want to do better with doing that with the good stuff...

Her "please mommy?" face...

So here's the run down for this month:

• First Tuesday Book Club gathering of my beloved reading group, I pick the book this month, this is tomorrow and I'm still reading reviews tonight, I just can't decide!
• Easter Weekend, also my mother-in-law and my Mema's birthdays to celebrate!
• Chicago trip - going for a training for work, AM and I are braving the big city with toddlers in tow, wish us luck!! Ava's first flight. The unseasonable warm temp trend I hope will stay in place and be much warmer than the last time I was in Chicago in April.
• Ava's 2nd birthday, planning a family day of fun, just our little family.
• Ava's birthday party a week later, decided I wanted to make her cake this year and lots of other handmade touches. Decided to still keep it small this year just our family and a few family friends.
• Also this month finish training and run my first half marathon. I can't tell you how excited I'm getting about this actually seeming possible, don't get me wrong I have some real fear too but I've been working for months towards this goal. I will have to do a whole post on this journey of doing this, but think I will wait till after the half.

So there it is, a packed month, it will be great, Lord willing, one day at a time, each day I'm sure will have the good stuff and the not so good stuff but reflecting on a favorite quote from a favorite books is "two women looked out from the behind the same bars, one saw mud, the other saw stars". Here's to grabbing hold of the good and giving my full attention to the stars.

April 2012, lets do this!