Oh boy. We worked hard today. We cleared every bit of the patio and the pool deck of all the furniture and rugs and pots. Then we all worked so hard cleaning and spraying and scrubbing the concrete and the furniture. We pounded and sprayed the rugs and the cushions. We cleaned up spider webs and bird poop and sprayed out the waterfall. We washed out all of the light fixtures and the bbq island. We worked in the hot sun all day long, jumping in the pool to cool off and then continuing to work. In the end, we were so pleased with it all. Everything looked so great.
We crowded into the car and headed to In N Out for hamburgers and milk shakes. The kids were so happy. Then we came back and swam. The sun had set behind the house. And the evening was beautiful. We all had such a great time together. I love my little family. But let me tell you, I was feeling pretty under the weather. I was super sad to have missed out on the run with my group this morning. Another long run that I had to miss. Ugh! But I knew I would never have had the energy.
We finished the night with showers and then we watched "Cool Runnings". It was the show about the Jamaican bobsled team. I loved that show when I was younger. It is super funny. The kids loved it too. When we all finally fell into bed, we were so exhausted, but in a really good way. It felt great to spend our day together. I never know if I'm doing anything right, but the way the older kids worked so hard makes me hopeful that we are on the right track.
While in California, I pulled Anne Morrow Lindbergh's book, A Gift from the Sea, off of the shelf and read a few of the chapters. I've read it all before, but it reminded me of the simple message to rid our life of the complications. And to enjoy the things we get to do for our families, even if they make us busy. I came home really inspired. I want to tackle everything at once, cleaning, organizing, and getting rid of things, but I'm baby-stepping my way to a more peaceful life. My list of things I wish I accomplished is long, but when Greg pinned me down the other night and asked me what I really want to be doing with my life (and he wouldn't allow me to say cleaning!), all I could think of to say was that I want to be mothering. That is truly my passion, my desire, and my hobby. I am so grateful for every day as mother. So, like Anne said, I don't need all of the "stuff" to be happy. I just need my family. I am so thankful I have them.
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