Ponytails

This week there's been:

Lots of frustrations.
Lots of joy.
Lots of tears. 
Lots of struggle.
Lots of hard stuff. 
Lots of grace.

That's true every week, I suppose.

This week, in particular, these have been met with a stark contrast with one another, and I find myself needing to be extra intentional, getting out my magnifying glass to find all the joy intermingled with the hard stuff.

We can do hard things around here. Just takes lots and lots of grace.

Counting my graces today (1247-1271):

• Reading The Little Blue Truck together with the girls. 
• Their enthusiastic "Beeeeeeeps" at all the right moments. 
• Hadley's love for our new Babar book.
• The girls calling all elephants, "Babar". 
• The girls being so, so proud of their ponytails. 
• Mama and the girls posing with our matching ponytails. 

• This: 

• Seeing the girls dancing in the fallen flowers under the catalpa tree. 
• Brynne and Hadley bringing me flowers from that tree. 
• Going back through the house we're considering buying. 
• Melissa speaking truth to me. 
• The journey of figuring out this napping thing.
• Anna speaking grace into my life.
• A night of Mexican with the Community Group girls.
• My Fight Club Girls.
• A playdate with Shelly and Mr. Max. 
• Max and the girls running back and forth across our floors giggling. 
• Playdate with Alice and her boys. 
• Alice reading stories to the girls. 
• An opportunity to serve the homeless in our community. 
• Sewing with friends. 
• Enjoying SarahFae's homemade bread. 
• Winning MandyE's Usborne Children's Book giveaway!
• Air Conditioning.
• A husband who loves me, is patient with me, and works hard every day.