'tis so sweet....

today was what sundays are all about :) The Girls, Laura and I got up early (a bit too early for me...but the girls 6 a.m. internal clock ticks strong!!!) and headed to church. I'm not much a "hymn" type of gal, but lately I have really been loving when there is a good old fashioned hymn thrown into the mix. We sang "'tis so sweet to trust in jesus" today, and I have been humming it all day long, and just really feeling an overall thankfullness about so many things in my life. It started out with the little old couple sitting in front of me in church, holding hands, and singing with their whole hearts. It made me so thankful for my own Grandmother, who until the day she passed away really represented all things beauitful. It made me thankful for Mammaw and Pappaw Stickley, who have represented the same to the Stickley family. Having these truly beautiful people in our lives, who have shaped the generations below them, is one of the things i am most thankful for.
After church we made our usual Costco Sunday grocery run (always a highlight!), and then headed back home for some SERIOUS play time! It was a "play in the pool in your underwear" kind of day around here! I am only slightly embarrassed to admit that the girls spent pretty much the entire afternoon running around in the backyard (it's fenced! so the neighbors won't be juding us!!) in their underwear, having an absolute blast with eachother. The girls played sooooo happily together today, and watching them play so well together was really what i needed to refresh me before i start into another busy work week.

it seemed like a perfect time to pull out the paint and paintbrushes, and the girls quickly created a little art studio!

they LOVED playing with the paint (this is really the first time they have gotten into painting), and it was so fun to watch them create tons of pictures!

a little bubble time thrown into the mix.... after playtime came bathtime, and then Laura and I took the girls over to a beautiful little park with a lake for a jog. I had never been to this park before, and it is really, really a nice place to spend the afternoon. Our jog wasn't really very fast (or long!), the altitude has been severely limiting my running (and my motiviation since it is pretty much PAINFUL to run!), but it was nice to spend some time outside on a Sunday afternoon.

Another thing i have been so thankful for today is that in the face of a very difficult year, I have found not only an amazing childcare provider, but also a friend. Laura has transitioned perfectly into our family, and if I had a big, gigantic list of all the things i was hoping to find in someone to help me with the girls this year, she would meet everything on my list and more. I am so thankful for her committment to helping the girls through this year, and also for our developing friendship.
anyway, after our run we came home and made salmon, with spinach ravioli, which was totally delicious, and the girls and I snuggled up on the couch and watch Aladdin (which is actually kind of scary, by the way! i totally forgot about all the scary stuff!)

I've had to totally readjust our bedtime routine (and my own mindset about bedtime) after several truly terrible nights with j-bug. the girls have always been ridiculously good at bedtime. we tuck them in, turn out the lights, and they just go to sleep. as i mentioned in an earlier post this week, however, Juneau has been having a really hard time at night. I finally decided that we would just throw our old bedtime routine to the side, and I have been laying down with them until they fall asleep. I think this is already making a huge difference for Juneau, and that she really needs this time to be close to me, and reassure her, and I'm really glad that I didn't try to stick to my guns about bedtime. It's a tough time for their little 3 year old minds to grasp (mommy's gone for a long time, then mom comes home, and then dad is gone). Last night I asked Juneau what would help her to keep from crying at night she said "just give me a hug, and then snuggle me for 10 minutes". Well, that pretty much sealed the deal!
So, we had a great little snuggle time tonight, and a great end to the weekend.

All in all, there is a tough year ahead, but there are so many things to be thankful for! I know there are some rough days ahead, but i am glad to have some wonderful days like today to help get me through the tough ones.