I haven’t been feeling well at all the last couple of days. Yesterday I made a delicious Red Lentil Mushroom soup for dinner, complete with cornbread warm from the oven to go with it. Something I had been planning forever, but had just never got around to it.

I love soup and bread together. This combination was absolutely perfect! Both Craig and I agree that it is the best soup recipe that I have come up with so far. We gobbled up that whole pot of soup between the five of us. Serafina loved the lentil part of it too.

Later, I decided to make another pot of soup to have for dinner tonight while Craig was home because cooking with Serafina around is next to impossible and/or very stressful and we loved that soup and were sad that there wasn’t any leftover for today. I am so glad I made that second pot and second cornbread because I just do not feel like lifting a finger. I can instead relax, knowing that dinner is already ready and all I have to do is warm it up.

It has also been so rainy the past few days. The weather just continues to play tricks on us. Some days it is rainy, some days it is so cold and windy that we need our winter hats and mitts and some days it is so hot and sunny that the girls want to put on their swimsuits and play in their little pool.

Regardless of the weather, we still take any moment we can to be outside. This morning we had a nice walk in the rain and came back inside, put our wet clothes into the dryer and cuddled up on the couch to warm up while reading Dr.Seuss.

Serafina loves to be outside and is so content riding in the double stroller with her big sister, just staring at all the sights to see in the great outdoors.

She also just adores her swing.

Kesara is loving Serafina more and more everyday now that she is able to do more and she can see that babies might just be a little bit of fun. She enjoys pushing her in her swing and is growing into quite a lovely big sister!

Now that Serafina is going on nine months old, she is scooting around a lot more on her butt and trying to stand and crawl all the time. I can imagine how much more difficult it will be to get things done once she figures it all out. She is determined though, to keep up with her big sisters.

I wish I had more time for reflections like these. It is easy to just go ahead and post recipes, (which I do love to share) yet I also love to write and find it so helpful to me in processing my feelings and getting in touch with gratitude for my beautiful life, seeing the blessings that surround me each day and losing my fears and worries with each reflection.

I needed to take this time today to write this post and look back on some of these moments with gratitude. I find gratitude to be so freeing and comforting. These days I feel like I could use a lot more peace of mind as I continue to do my best to teach and raise my girls to be their best selves, keep a clean and comfortable home, prepare nutritious meals and snacks, as well as keep myself balanced, sane and healthy. I feel as though life is just flying on by and I never have time to catch up with it and live in each moment fully as it is happening. Life is never easy, even though I have been told I make it look as though it is.

So right now I want to take a deep breath of gratitude and reflect on some of what has been going on around me these days as my little one naps and the girls are content watching Angelina Ballerina. Here it goes…

I am so grateful for my big girl Autumn, who is always helping out her mommy with cleaning and taking care of her little baby sister even when I don’t ask her to. She is always tidying up and doing her best to make things easier for me. She is an absolute angel!

I am grateful for Kesa, who can drive me crazy at times acting like a baby, wearing her sleeper all day and refusing to get dressed. She is always so full of smiles and giggles and know just how to have fun. She is so beautiful!

My new plant that I got to bring some life into my room, some good books and my water bottle that I am never without.

Green!!!!

Going out for a walk everyday with my family, spending time together and getting to know each other.

Waking up to this smiley face each morning.

These words of wisdom hung on our wall.

My husband who is always so supportive of me, no matter what I am going through and is always willing to help with the tasks that need to be done for our home and family.

And these three beauties whom I get to be around 24/7. Sometimes I feel like I will go crazy because I am never without at least one child around me (even when I sleep) but I know that things won’t be like this for long and someday they will grow up to be little women whom I hope to have raised to be secure in who they are with kind hearts and gentle spirits.

God is always coming to you in the Sacrament of the Present Moment. Meet and receive Him there with gratitude in that sacrament. – Evelyn Underhill

Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life and the world. – John Milton

Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul. – Henry Ward Beecher

Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude. – Denis Waitley

“We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.” – Thornton Wilder

Wishing you a wonderful day! 🙂