I find it hard to believe we are in the FOURTH week of January already! Really?!
How ever did this happen? And trust me, my shock is not because I've been sleeping like Rumplestiltskin. It's more like I've been running wide open and haven't had time to register the dates of the days as I've slashed them off my calendar. Oh, well.
You will cheer with me over a choice I made this past Saturday. I woke up tired and sluggish so by 10 AM, I knew productivity was not in the cards for my day. While scrolling through some of your pictures on facebook, I decided to give myself a snow day and suddenly felt much better.
Listen, we lived in NC for 25 years. I know all about the wonderful mental health break opportunities hidden under the title Snow Day. We loved those. You know, a little surprise day off since it wasn't smart to be out and about on the slick roads but you still felt well enough to get a few things done and watch an entire movie, just because? Snow Days . . . those were just the best.
The only equivalent we have here in FL would be hurricane days (monster storms) that are downgraded to tropical depression days (serious rain event.) And those come with a whole lot of tension because you aren't sure if your roof will blow off or if you'll be without air conditioning for days and days in the middle of summer. Not really the same at all.
Temperatures did drop to unusually low points last night. This was the beauty that greeted us this morning.
And here is one more through my husband's artistic lens:
No, that isn't snow in central FL but it is frost and we enjoyed it immensely. Seeing our breath is another novelty in these parts. The kids especially love it.
Speaking of kids. We're trying to be more purposeful in spending time with our grands, especially the older five. Over Christmas, we realized that we most often are around them in large groups because we don't want anyone to feel left out.
So beginning this semester, I'm back to picking them up after school. Only this time, it's just one child who then spends a few hours with Noni and Papa doing nothing special. The kids got very excited about the idea and so far it seems to be going well.
Today is Noah's day since we went by age.
The afternoon Spencer came over, he and I ran errands. This is him sitting in a gaming chair at Sam's Club. Apparently, these chairs are a dream item on every guys' list. Most of his time was spent playing with a football in our huge backyard while I cheered for his amazing throws.
Then on Abby's day, I taught her to make a sour cream pound cake the same way her great grandma taught me. My mom would have been proud of the final outcome.
Bottom line is this, these visits are more about time together than about gifts or entertainment. We made that clear from the beginning and they hopped right on board. Besides, when you are part of a family with nine grandbabies, one on one time is a rare commodity in itself. Papa and I are loving it, too.
We began our year just as we always have with a time of dedicated fasting and prayer. The sweetness of my "one on one" time with Jesus was enhanced because of this new experience with the grands. I gained a fresh appreciation for what it's like to talk quietly and to listen intently.
Don't get me wrong, we love the loud and rambunctious times when we're all together. But there's also something special about walking slowly, holding hands and hearing entire thought processes with a child.
That's how it is with our Heavenly Father. He loves when we all come together with our church families worshipping, singing, celebrating but He also responds to alone time with us. Listening to our heartaches and fears, our joys and dreams then responding in ways that make the journey better.
Have you been carving out time for that this year? If not, let me encourage you to start. It will be the best "mental health exercise" you've ever tried.
How about you? Do you get to enjoy snow days as an adult? What are some memories you have of time spent with your grandparents? We'd love to hear about your experiences in the comment box below. . .
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