Day #20 - Time flies when...

I can not believe that it is November 8th already!!! Can. Not. Believe. It! I totally missed the entire month of September and October somehow... How does this happen!?! I don't feel like I've been real busy with anything out of the ordinary. I guess I need to try to make a more deliberate effort of blogging. I always feel so much better afterwards. (like I've purged my mind, and readied it for more of my endless nonsense? maybe???)

Well it IS November already, regardless of if I'm totally ready for it or not. We are coming into the holiday season, which is a wonderful (albeit fattening) time of the year.

The holiday calendar is already filling up, unbelievably quickly. While I am looking forward to spending time with family, and I thank God daily for giving me all the new opportunities and friendships I have... There is a part of me that wonders why I wished all the quiet, alone time away so quickly.

If you know me at all, you know that I can appreciate each season of my life... I say, "I can", because there are times that I seem to choose not to, or forget to, or just get so caught up in the future and what's to come, or the past and what used to be, that I fail to remember God's hand is on everything and in everything.

For the first time in my life though, I can honestly say, I am so content with this season... I'm happy with my little family. I love that God has blessed Michael and I with such beautiful, warm, fascinating little hearts to watch over. I know that I'm where I'm supposed to be right now - learning more of God's Word, staying at home with my phenominal little babies, being the best wife I know how to be to my amazing husband, actively participating in my new church family, and learning to be a good friend to some wonderful ladies in my life. I'm ok here. Finally. (can you hear my sigh of relief?)

I can't say that I don't still have my moments of insecurity. They come, but now they also pass. I can't say I don't have envy or jealousy still residing within me. It's there. I'm just learning to recognize it for what it is, and working hard to shut the devil and his lies out. There are things about "Stephanie" that I can't see ever totally changing... Although even in typing that, I realize that's reallllllll naive! God can perform miracles!!! I'm just along for the ride.

So my blessings this time -

127. A booked calendar
128. The weekends that aren't booked
129. Turkey dinners for the next three weekends (gobble gobble!)
130. My little brother's suddenly more frequent phone calls
131. The wonderfullness (is that a word?) of prayer
132. The new family devotionals we've been working on
133. The overwhelming feeling I get when I hear my 4 and 2 year old girls recite the Lord's Prayer.
134. The overwhelming feeling I get when I hear my 4 and 2 year old girls recite the Lord's Prayer.
135. The 2 weeks of vacation my husband receives effective December 1st.
136. Kate's improvement in preschool, and Sunday School
137. Lauren's new Sunday School class
138. Madeline's new found independence
139. Another successful Halloween experience
140. The great deal my husband got at the Hillsdale Auction on my new wagon wheels. Love them!