Refocus

A lot of my posts lately have chronicled the craziness that is the H-- household, and its various stresses. Some triumphs, some continued challenges. There is a distinct lack of acknowledgement of the huge amounts of blessings that present themselves in the midst of the chaos, though, so I thought I'd take some time today to list a few:

The sun is out today. It may be 4 degrees, with a windchill of -12, but the sun is shining for the first time in weeks. We have had clouds with or without precipitation since just after Christmas, so an actual sunny day is fabulous!

We have a vehicle that still works and gets us whereever we need to be.

I have a wonderful husband who works hard and deals with a lot of junk at work to provide for his family. He is also a good Christian man who has his responsibilities and priorities in order and acts in his family's best interests, even if it means some sacrifice on his part. This in and of itself is probably the biggest blessing I have been given.

I have two great kids -- both of which present their own challenges to the job of parenthood -- but both of which really are good kids. My son is very sweet, and my daughter is too, when she's not being mischievous. They make me laugh several times a day at something they say or do.

I have a great dog, with blue eyes who is nice and big and fluffy. He has the absolute softest ears, and I love to rub them. It's a great partnership, because Mischa loves for me to rub his ears too.

We have a fairly snug house that keeps the elements outside and us comfortable on the inside.

I have a bathroom that works, inside the house. I know people that live out in the country that still use an outhouse.

I have a piano, and have been enjoying writing more music. I have five more songs that are in various stages of completion, and it's always a joy to tinker around and discover new possibilities.

Dr. Pepper. God Bless whoever invented the stuff! That is my one vice, I have a can nearly every day if it's available. And since my husband likes it too, it generally is in the house.

My picture window in the living room -- it's like an ever-changing art display, with its own frame. I can see the mountains and watch the seasons change on them. They start fall and winter just before we do, and you can see the colors changing gradually down the hill before our trees start changing. Then it reverses in spring and summer, and while we're enjoying full-fledged spring the new leaves are just starting to creep back up the mountains. Fascinating!

We live in a small community -- which brings with it a nice, old-fashioned style Fourth of July celebration and a very low crime rate. Yet we're within 10 minutes of any amenities we would want, in a larger town of about 70,000+.

We have a fantastic church family, which have been (and still are) a support base for us mentally, emotionally, and at times fiscally and physically when the need has arisen.

I have the ability to pick up a $3 bunch of flowers at the grocery store when we have a little extra. That seems like such a little thing....but how amazing is it that we can get fresh flowers when it's 4 degrees outside with snow on the ground? I'm glad we live in modern times and in the country that I do, to have this ability.

Speaking of, I am also blessed to live in the U S of A. Despite all its current problems, it is still one of the best places to live out there. I have enjoyed living in other countries, too, but I'm glad this is my home.

There are other things, of course. Every day brings its own special highlights and joys, woven in the middle of the normal chaos. But these are just a few.