The grass is always greener . . .

There is no noise in my house besides the sound of me swallowing Starbucks and my fingers on the keyboard.  That doesn't happen to me very often.  Maybe never.

I needed to work today and really couldn't bring myself to drive to the office.  My extraordinary husband volunteered to take our kids to a museum in San Diego so I could work at home.  God Bless that wonderful man.  What may seem like an insignificant gesture to anyone who doesn't know us or our situation right now it is the equivalent of him flying me to Paris for dinner on a private jet.  It is grand and leaves me speechless and completely humbled with gratitude.

There is a quote that I came across somewhere recently that reads something like

"the grass is greener where you water it"

That doesn't seem like much, but in a world where marriage is increasingly disposable it says everything.  Good things only grow when you make the time to tend to them.  When the opportunity presents itself, watering the grass could be a grand romantic gesture or a generous gift.  When the need is there, it is an afternoon with a laptop and coffee.

Our grass is green and glorious.  My husband is wonderful and I am grateful.  Thank you Lord for all of it.

Time to make the doughnuts

Remember that Dunkin Donuts commercial 20 or 30 years ago when the little man would leave in the dark and go to his shop and he'd get home in the dark and then go do it all over again?  I really liked that commercial.  At that point in my life I am sure the true meaning was lost on me.  A lot can change in 20 years and I TOTALLY get it now.

Earlier this week I was in my office until 3 AM and I am in the office by 6 AM a few days a week right now.   In between office hours I am desperately trying to keep up with laundry and bedtime prayers.  I fully understand and empathize with the bleary eyed little guy mumbling "time to make the doughnuts".

My schedule won't be like this forever and I have a really terrific new team that is talented, committed and kind.  Our business' most high profile, high pressure events are happening now and there's no time to dwell.  We leave for a seven day trip today and have one more just like it seven days from now.  That's an awful lot of doughnuts, but I know I'll make it through.

When I am home, I am the proud owner of the loveliest family around.  My husband deserves some sort of never heard of trophy for the amount of responsibility he's taken on for our gang.  He has more than compensated for my absence and hasn't complained once.  I am beyond grateful for his support and love for us.

And these kids.  These kids make all the doughnuts in the world worth it.  I am so blessed they're mine.

Now, it's time to make the doughnuts.

Bucket Filler

We've been talking about filling each other's buckets at our house this week.  I LOVE IT.  According to our first grade population here is the definition of a Bucket Filler:

Offering a kind word, a smile or something nice to someone else fills up their bucket.  When you're nice to someone else it feels good and their bucket is full and your bucket gets a little filled up, too.

I just love, love, love this.  Every chance I get I am asking my kids and E whose bucket they filled today.  It is so wonderful to hear my family talk about what they did for someone else and how it made them feel.  I can't say enough about how much I like this analogy and the positive impact I see it having on my family.

There is also a bucket dipper.  Again, according to my favorite first grader the definition of a Bucket Dipper is:

Taking a big spoon and taking someone else's good to fill up your own bucket.  It doesn't make them feel good when you take away from them and you don't feel good either.  No one wants to be a bucket dipper.

Isn't that the truth?!?!  I never feel worse than when I am unkind or unnecessarily harsh with someone.  We talk some about being a bucket dipper but careful analysis shows that none of us dipping from someone else, that we know of.

In the spirit of being a bucket filler I am staying on track with the Thank You Project and trying to be extra careful to show my family how much they mean to me.  I got this text yesterday after someone unexpectedly received a thank you note from me.

Seriously, that might be the nicest card I have ever received.  Thank you for making my day :) xo

Her bucket was filled and my bucket was filled.  Wouldn't it be nice if life was always so easy and fulfilling?!!?

And the little buckets I want to fill the most have just started spring break and need some extra TLC. I "decorated" for them before I picked them up at noon.  They were so excited about this and their buckets were certainly filled for that moment.  My bucket, of course, is overflowing.

Little things are big things to little people.

Be kind to your children.

The world is harsh and they deserve to know how much you love them.

Ten Things to Smile About: March 2012

Enjoying a Saturday afternoon - just me and my guy

Watching the Princess sleep with a PILE of animals and pillows to comfort her.  It looks like asthma is part of our past and I am so grateful for my healthy, feisty little Miss.

Girlfriends who are funny, love their families and mine and have great big hearts. 

The happy dogs who live here

Spring Flowers

A spur of the moment evening with our family and, of course, a performance

 

Indoor soccer starting and the Princess finding her place in the spotlight again

The Athlete and his sweet little dance partner winning the "game" at Cotillion

Amber's suggestion for the Thank You project

Having conversations about God's love with my children, their teachers and my friends

Linking with Emmy before it's too late - yay!!