The weather outside...

....here in TN is cold. In fact, we are having our very first taste of snow flurries today. Which, of course, makes me miss our Thanksgiving digs just that much more. Emma, however, no matter how much she loves the beach, is a ball of excitement over everything and anything Christmas. No matter if it's a Christmas tree, a blow-up sixty-foot freakin' Santa decoration in a neighbor's yard or her most favorite baby Jesus from her Little People Nativity, all of it is cause for excitement. No matter where this child of mine is, life is fun, exciting and filled with laughter and joy.

I am beginning to think that God gives us children in the world so we are able to see the world again in wonderment. As we grow up, we just forget the magic sometimes of life and seasons and we start to complain....

....and we sometimes forget to be thankful and grateful for all that we have.

Instead of complaining that i have to clean a bathroom, i need to just stop and be grateful that i have one. Many folks in the world don't have a bathroom.

Instead of complaining that the water coming out of the faucet isn't cold enough, i should be grateful that i have running water unlike most folks in the world. Really, how amazing is it that you can go to a faucet in your kitchen and bathroom and clean water comes out all of the time?!?

Instead of complaining about how cold it is, i should be grateful to a husband who will bring me my cuddly socks and be grateful that i'm in a house with heat and a roof.

It's my goal to stop the complaining....heck, and even to stop thinking that way. For i am surrounded with things to be grateful for. I guess that i truly forget the joys, grace and excitement that God has given me in my life.

It's time for me to stop forgetting and learn to be more like my Emma.