Keep Calm and Carry On

I've seen this expression all over the internet world over the last few months. I like it ~ sometimes it is hard to keep calm and it is often even harder to carry on. Sometimes you just want to go into a room in scream! These little ones are the reason I try not to.
Keep calm and carry on was quite fitting for my day yesterday. I didn't think of this until later so instead I kept thinking about choices. I think I've told you about the devotional we read together as a family most mornings. On second thought I don't think I have...will put that on my list to blog about. Yesterdays lesson was on making the choice to be happy. The gist was: there was a child in a wheelchair who radiated happiness because he loved the Lord. During our discussion we talked about being happy despite our circumstances so throughout the day I kept that in the forefront of my mind {thank goodness}.

Keep calm and carry can probably hold true for any mother any day, but yesterday was one of those days. It started out in the ordinary way with Stephen waking up before 6 o'clock. Not big deal ~ he was snuggly and sweet and wanted to go for a run with me. When Frank arrived back in the door, he changed his mind and decided to help cook breakfast ~ even better. You know I love getting to pound the pavement unencumbered.

I'd already decided it was going to be a no shower kind of day and was okay wearing my tacky exercise clothes all over town. And don't think I have cool exercise clothes. It's mainly just plastic shorts and a t-shirt around here. Go ahead shrug your shoulders and turn up your noses but sometimes it is the only way it {i.e. life} is going to happen.

I don't know about you, but the end of the school year is always hectic. There are always extra things that need to be done. And there are always extra gestures that I would like to do that often aren't in the cards. In the past it has always been meetings and parties. Well in recent years I have added swimming lessons to the last two weeks of school. {You know the logic ~ let's do it as the school year is ending because we will be ready for the pool to open. Good logic and it works but the process is somewhat gruelling.} This year we have added ballet to the agenda and yesterday just happened to be the rehearsal. That is after dentist appointments for all three big kiddos.
Back to the choice to be happy~

* when the truck arrived with sheetrock and it was apparent we weren't making it to WalMart before school I chose to be happy and make a memory with my boys ~ heavy equipment and a forklift ~ what more could two little boys want

* when we arrived back to a kitchen that I forgot I needed to clean, I chose to be happy but also chose to scrap everything on my agenda for the day to head to the nearest Sears and pick out a dishwasher

* when I slammed my sunglasses in the back of my car and cut my finger on a sliver of glass I chose to be happy and was thankful I had no one to blame or be angry at but myself

* when Walker and Betsy screamed the entire thirty {plus} minute drive back from the Galleria I chose to be happy and knew I would be home soon enough

Just the highlights folks...I'm sure I had the opportunity to chose to be happy countless other times throughout the day.

Here are some pictures from late in the day... Now aren't those cool stilts! Walker was mesmerized.