17: Split peas

Okay. So, sometimes Owyn gets to be a little in the way...maybe even a little whiny. It happens most often right before dinnertime while I am preparing the meal. She is starting to get tired. She is hungry. She wants a snack. She wants me to hold her. Or she wants to sit on the counter and help me. She wants things that I can't give at the moment.

Recently, I found a great way to deal with her when she gets in these impatient and tired and frustrated moods: Split peas.

I take a small metal bowl and pour some peas into it. Then I give Owyn the bowl and a wooden spoon and say "here, give me a hand with these." She smiles (grins), takes the bowl, and plops herself down on the floor to stir and scoop and dump on the floor and put back in the bowl. Eventually, she starts talking contentedly to herself or to me and sometimes will sing a little. It is perfect for her because she loves that kind of thing! It lasts for a good 20 minutes while I finish dinner. Then, she hands me back the bowl and all is well.

Analogy: Sometimes I get a little impatient, a little tired, a little frustrated, a little whiny. I spend maybe a little too much time complaining to Heavenly Father about these little feelings that are very natural and easy to fix if I would just focus on my spirituality and on the services I have to do.

Still, he is ever so patient with me. And, ever so kind and loving! He is constantly blessing me with things I would never think to ask for; things that, really, would be ridiculous to pray for. But, nonetheless, things that help me stay focused, feel creative, and feel appreciated. Tender mercies. Temporal blessings. Small distractions. Split peas. Just because He loves me and he knows I just need a little bit of stress relief.

A few days ago, we did our taxes and found out we are getting a pretty good return. Then, I got a flier about a sale!

Yesterday, this came in the mail:

That's a Cricut! My own personal bowl of split peas!

I was so excited, I tried to take a picture of myself with it:
That didn't work very well,

so Mike took pity on me:

A blessing that I didn't need at all, but one that I am oh so grateful for! I am going to use it to create and meet my potential a little more. I'm going to use it to teach my daughters how to be creative. I'm going to use it to leave small messages of love around my home and maybe even send some out to my friends! I'm going to use it to relieve some stress and then I'll put it away and play with my girls, clean my home, make dinner, help Mike with homework, fulfill my church callings, get healthier, dance in the kitchen, sing, do laundry...and whatever else needs to be done!

Here's what I did today: (this, by the way, is what I'm happy about today because I have been trying to figure out how to complete this project for months!)

I took this picture:

And did this with it:

(The words are from the song we danced to at our wedding, which also happens to be the song that was playing in my car when he asked me to marry him.)

All it took was the Cricut and a little mod podge! (Getting the picture of me taking picture is my own special trick!)

What made you happy today?