Saturday Celebrations...Time

I want to thank Ruth Ayres for providing this space for celebrations.  

This week, I celebrate time, because this week I've had time to slow down and savor the things that make me happy.  I've had...

time with family.  All 3 of our kids are home and when they are together, they make me laugh.  They are so different in personality and yet, they are the best of friends.  We were able to celebrate Christmas with grandmas, grandpas, aunts, uncles, and cousins.  What more could you want?  My husband had the week off, so we've been able to do some spur of the moment things that aren't always possible.

time to  bake.   I have a small sickness when it comes to baking Christmas cookies.  I go into a manic mode (my sister's words) and I keep thinking of "one more recipe to try."  Usually, I run out of time or steam before I get everything made that I want to make. This year was different.  I planned ahead, utilized my freezer, and made ALOT of cookies.  All in all, counting the biscotti I made for gifts, I made 26 different kinds of cookies.  (See, I told you...it's a little bit weird).  However, I had so much fun and I've given most of them away.  

time for solitude.  Someone asked me what I wanted to accomplish over break.  My reply was to be quiet and listen for myself.  I've felt disconnected from myself lately because I've let outside pressures take over.  After I read Heather Rader's blog post last week, I knew what I needed to do.    Every day, I spend some time quieting my mind and doing nothing.  It's very hard to do, but it's so worth it.  I feel calmer and happier and more centered than I've felt in a long time.  I'm also finding time to read daily devotions and spend time in prayer.  These practices are helping to fill a void that's needed attention.

time to read.  I discovered Kirby Lawson this week.  How did I miss her?  I read Hattie Big Sky, which has been on my Kindle for a long time and immediately read Hattie Ever After next.  I'm currently reading The Quirks:  Welcome to Normal by Erin Soderberg and Donalyn Miller's Reading in the Wild.  It feels so good to carve out that time for myself.

This is my favorite place to read.

time for discovery.  My family has explored some new restaurants in Columbus this week.  We had dessert today at Dane's Desserts, which is owned by the mother of one of my students.  Delicious! After that, my husband and I walked through a downtown park that we hadn't been to in at least 25 years and then ventured to the North Market.  We bought homemade pierogi and Polish sausage, which I'll be making for dinner tonight.  (Why isn't it as fun to find different ways to cook broccoli?  It'd be much better for my waistline.)

time to create.  My children surprised me with handmade gifts this year.  Nothing means more to me than something that is homemade with love.  Molly and Annie taught themselves how to quilt and Zach taught himself how to knit.  I received a beautiful quilt and a scarf for Christmas.  Before I got busy raising three children and working full time, I used to be quite the crafter.  I sewed, made baskets, crocheted, etc.  I decided it's time to get back in touch with that side of me.  I've got knitting needles and a skein of yarn ready to go.  Zach showed me the YouTube video he watched (what did we do before YouTube?) and my night is planned.  Who knows, maybe next week's celebration will be hand knitted socks!  Ha ha!!

Before I end, I want to say thank you to everyone for their kinds words in last week's post.  They meant so much to me.  I saw my cousin on Christmas and was able to give her that great big hug I wanted to give her.  

I hope you have lots to celebrate this week!