Happy Monday. . . again

So I believe it will be a happy Monday once again. Russell only woke up once last night (YAY). I did oversleep my window of outdoor running but it was raining anyway so it was just as well. I woke up with James at 6AM and made coffee, saw him out the door and had a reasonable stretch of quiet time which was spent Bible reading and Facebooking.

Russell decided to wake up around 6:30 and after half an hour of trying to put him back down I decided to let him join me. :) He's not a bad early morning partner. Once his belly is full he's content to lie beside me and wiggle for a good length of time.

This morning I am happy thinking about how Art and Music is being woven into our lives. We do not calim to be connoisseurs by any stretch but James and I have a common love of both. Furthermore we have similar , though not identical tastes in each. This is a happy surprise to me. Marriage is full of surprises. Many wonderful, many confusing, some disappointing (let's be honest). We of course have to accept these surprises with grace and love and even when they are hard. But this is something I did not even consider of great importance when we first got married. Now I see the incredible richness it adds to our lives and how it is pretty important that both of us see this incredible gift (Art) as something to place somewhat of an emphasis on. Just add it to the list of 1001 things I love about James.

Speaking of Art, this is the second time I have admired a painting of a friends and as a result had it gifted to me. 

I love it. :) This was done by my 12 year old violin student. She is talented in the Arts, no? 

I feel as though my life is very interesting. It's interesting to me because I get to do so many cool things like, watch a newborn grow into an infant-discovering new sensations everyday. I get to watch a toddler blossom into a little girl with all the delights and woes that accompany it. I get to attempt to train her "in the way she should go" all the while trying to remember to balance my "training" with the grace that is shown to me every moment. I am given grace upon grace. . I in turn should try to give as much to my children. Not in the sense of letting them do what they want but in freely forgiving, always loving, never tiring of their needs or KL's disobedience...always being ready to "start over" and forgive and forget the tantrum that just happened. . to not hold it against her in any way. This how I am treated by my Father.  How wonderful.

And here is picture of my favorite little boy just because it makes me happy.