Beauty in the Mess ~ Edition 02.11.13

Beauty:

the quality or aggregate of qualities in a person or thing that gives pleasure to the senses
or pleasurably exalts the mind or spirit
{Merriam Webster’s Dictionary}

This week’s beauty:

Friends, who aren’t just great Bible study leaders,
but also bring food made especially for you to PWOC potlucks:

Painting session turned face-painting session:

Realizing that your kid has gotten smart enough to try painting in the lines:

Monthly Saturday date day with your husband, where you drive an hour away so you can see a 3 hour movie, then turn around and drive an hour back. Starbucks, Les Miserables, and Sour Patch Kids:

A second date a few days later, in the middle of the week because your husband is on leave,
when you drop off your child at the CDC, and sit in the library drinking lattes…

While your husband plays games on your computer, and you play on Facebook on your iPhone.

(Yes, there was some conversation involved.)

(Yes, this still counts as a “date” in our house.)

One very messy little boy’s room…the secret stash of toys hidden under the bed discovered.

This is beautiful because it’s been happening in the early morning hours and at naptime.

While mommy has been sleeping.

And Ezra has been playing, happily.

Without crying.

Family / Valentine’s Day photos:

(more to come)

Realizing to your chagrin that this is the 4th time you’ve had professional photos taken, and the 4th time you’ve worn red, white, and blue. (Here’s links to times 1, 2, and 3.) Then feeling glad for it, when you realize that all of the photos hanging on your walls are color-coordinated, even though they were taken at different times.

An early birthday present to yourself, a new piano book, the first you have bought in at least three years. A book of 56 “blended” arrangements…hymns blended with more modern worship songs. A way of giving yourself a “fresh start” with the world you used to love. A way to hold onto the wonderful and good things of the past while moving forward in a slightly new direction. And being able to play through the book with your son at your side, without him screaming or crying. And having him ask you to play on a daily basis.

And lastly, your son finally taking a serious interest in reading,
asking to “read more books” multiple times a day.

And reading all of these in the course of an evening:

Life is messy. But I am blessed with beauty.