My Little Black Rain Cloud

I feel like all I have been doing here lately is complain. I imagine you must be getting pretty sick of reading my posts as I moan and grip about this, that, and the other. To tell you the truth, I'm pretty sick of myself too. I'm being so negative, and worst of all, I'm letting circumstances rob me of my joy. I am going to do my best to try and ignore the little black cloud that is following me around and focus on all the reasons I have to be thankful for...

Like the time I went to check on the children because I heard them laughing hysterically... I held my breath as I peered around the corner, because I can just imagine the mess they must have made. Seriously, the more fun a child has = the bigger the mess... Right?

Actually, this is what I found! They thought they were IT! They were sitting in their "princess throne's". And yes, I tried explaining to Ansley that Eli would be a prince... She quickly informed me that, "No, Eli's not a prince mommy. He's a pretty princess. You're silly mommy!"

And then, they decide they want lunch... On their thrones! So that is what their majesties received!

Or how about Ansley telling me that "Mommy's glasses are cool" as she sports her new look for the camera.

How about the fact that I am so incredibly blessed with a husband I love with all my heart. I don't have to wonder if he loves me, and I most certainty don't have to wonder how he feels about our children... Just take a look at this picture.

And my children LOVE LOVE LOVE their daddy. They sleep with his picture when he is away with the Marine Corps.

How about the time I found Eli watching Veggie Tales with his teddy bear and hippo. They all looked like they were having a grand ol' time!

And, I love being able to see the sparkle of delight in the eyes of my children.

I love that I can bribe my son to stay on his potty seat with a lollipop and a bottle of water.

I think it's adorable when Eli gets messy and tries to unsuccessfully clean himself up. He always manages to wipe the only clean area he has left on his body!

What about the day when I just couldn't get Eli to take a nap because he wasn't tired... and then found this when I came back to clean up his plate!

And you can't forget about all the times I've caught the kids doing something they knew they weren't supposed to be doing... Eli looks REAL concerned about getting caught, doesn't he?!

I really have so much to be thankful for.

I don't need to say how much I wish I had pictures to share with you of things Wyatt is here doing... Although physically, he isn't in any of the pictures, we carry him in our hearts everywhere we go. He is still a part of everything we do... Ansley still talks about her baby brother, and joyfully announces that her baby Wyatt is in heaven! I can't tell you how comforting it is to hear the certainty in her voice. She knows beyond a shadow of a doubt where her baby brother is... we all do.

So there you have it. Just a couple of quick, random events from the last week or so that made me smile. I am so thankful for every member of my family, and I will make it a point to share more moments with you in the near future. There is always something exciting happening in our household. In the meantime, I will be ignoring my little black rain cloud in hopes that it will get bored from lack of attention and go elsewhere... I'm done letting things I have no control over, ruin my life... Really, I have so much more to be thankful for if I only open my eyes and see.