Good Things

Some people step into your life at just the right time.  Like last week, after a bad day where my work life crept back into my mom life creating some stress I wasn't ready for, my friend Judy just so happened to send me a text asking what I had planned for dinner.  After some errands, I swung by her house and was greeted with homemade vegetable beef soup, pepperoni bread, some homemade, late night snacks to enjoy while nursing, some big brother books for Cruz, and a few cute outfits for Mila that her daughter Julia wore when she was a baby.  A mom to two little ones herself, Judy went out of her way to take care of us for a day and her act of generosity and selflessness spoke volumes to me.  I drove home that day thankful for good friends, but more importantly, thankful for those much needed reminders to keep my own stress in check and look for ways to be there for others.  Because when you turn your sights on the good things, the joy in that tends to outweigh the stressful things. 

We've had a lot of reminders of that lately, like the old couple who brought us a meal as part of our church's "Soul Food" mission.  They were so sweet - dropping off a meat loaf, potatoes, homemade gravy, and cookies, helping me carry it from the door to the stove top, and handing me a matchbox car to give Cruz and a sweet little summer outfit for Mila.  I had never met this couple before and yet, they showed nothing but genuine care for me as a new mom.  They gave me a hug, reminded me that I should sleep while the baby sleeps, and left our house with big smiles on their faces.  Their joy was contagious and I've smiled every time I've thought of them since.

More good things from our past couple of weeks...

125. Saturday night movie nights.  Pjs and popcorn well before bedtime. 

126. McDonalds' Happy Meals and Shamrock Shakes.

127. Family story time before bed.  It can be a bit of train wreck, but always leads to lots of laughter.  And there's something about the four of us curling up in Cruz's bed that makes me feel like I'm living in a dream.

  
128. Bath time.  And a little brother who loves to help.

129.  Our family trips to Kindergym.  We walk into the gym and Cruz immediately starts running.  While most little kids are taking turns on the many obstacle courses, our child runs laps around the perimeter of the gym.  

Can you spot him?

130. Tiny baby smiles.  And Tea Collection.  Anything from Tea Collection.

131. Watching the three of them together.  And babies with strong neck muscles. :)