The Sky's The Limit

There is something so warming about the cartoons on in the background, the smell of hot chocolate and dinner cooking, and the warmth of a nice, fuzzy blanket to cuddle in.
The girls and I have been taking long, evening walks as part of our "sound body, sound mind" theme.
Once their little noses are red and cheeks rosy we head back in as the street lights gleam and the air becomes slightly frosty.
Hand in hand we walk and talk about all the things we are seeing, digesting every bit of the outdoors we can get on our twenty minute trek around the neighborhood.

Once inside you'd think we were the "perfect" family. If you were to take only a glimpse you'd see me scurrying around to get dinner ready, the girls cleaning up their messes and laughing. In reality there is a lot of whining, shuffling of feet and grumbles, but that's the life with children isn't it?
As I finally sit down to take a bite of the delicious meal I cooked up there are screams of more water or more food, or I spilled something...anything to take me away from that first bite.
On the rare occasion we do not sit as a family and I allow TV time (such as tonight) I hear nothing but the low humming from the flickering screen.

I rarely have any down time to contemplate all the things I am so thankful for, but take for granted. For instance; silence. It is an amazing gift, which I rarely receive, but when I do I feel grace wash over me.
If only I took more time to silently pray, eyes closed, and nothing around me.
So much distractions, and very little praying is hard on the mind and soul.

As the hectic day is winding down to a slightly less chaotic night I feel the love all around me.
Two beautiful feet sticking out from underneath their eating trays as they watch a Mickey Mouse Christmas movie.
I sigh, I chuckle and then I begin to prepare for the end.
There's always an end, but with endings we gain a new beginning.
And with a new beginning the sky's the limit.