Loving What Is

Today I am excited and a little edgy because it's Day 2 of our new window installation. Turns out, out with the old, in with the new can come with a price. No, I'm not talking about how expensive it is to purchase storm windows that will withstand hurricane-strength winds coming at us with speeds of up to 110 mph. I'm actually referring to being displaced and moving everything around that's got me slightly off keel. That, and guess what we totally forgot about when we ordered new windows? Yep, blinds. The original Levelors that we've been using since we moved in twenty years ago just aren't going to cut it anymore, so out goes the old.
{Didn't I hear somewhere that old is the new new?}

Today I'm choosing to focus, with intention, on loving what is.

Loving what is working.

Loving what is positive.

Loving what is joyful.

I'll start with this Sweeter Than Sweet exhibit.

Joshua worked on this at the Houston Museum of Natural Science when he interned there two summers ago. He researched how much artificial sweetener it would take to equal 10 four-pound bags of sugar. See the beakers in back? There's your answer! He also put together the chemical compound models and it is now an actual exhibit in our Museum. Super cool, right?

I'm also loving this darling new book,

about love 

and the circle of life

and letting go

and loving what is

and then rediscovering love all over again.

It's one of those books that you might give

to a new mom at a baby shower.

Or maybe to the mother of the bride (or groom?)

on her wedding day.

One of those classic gift books.

Not only is the story super sweet, but I love the way it came to me.

As a gift, from one of my fourth grade leaders.

Who used her own money.

Who put a pick for herself on hold because 

she didn't have enough to buy both.

Love is ...  

I love that she would do that for me.

And I love that Emily Arrow made a song out of the book!

I may have to learn this one on my ukulele.

I love this Kindness Tree ...

and this box of crayons, both on display at Ward Elementary.

And I love the TeRRiFiCC entrance markers that welcome people to

Clear Lake City Elementary. 

Wouldn't you love to be a part of these State Schools of Character families?

I love that I have a friend who would craft six year's worth

of my special one little word choices on these crosses at Camp.

Thank you, Annie, for your thoughtfulness.

And though I'm home and locked in a bedroom with my cat,

trying to escape the noise and the dust

and needing to shop for blinds online,

I'm loving that our youngest is in Hawaii with his band

and sending an occasional picture our way.

They're going to be playing patriotic music in their concert

on the USS Missouri at Pearl Harbor later this week.

I especially love that they'll be uniting with a neighboring band from Dickinson High School to play a few of the songs together.

I'm also loving that Kaitlyn is hiking in Colorado with friends

and Jacob is in the Hill Country camping with friends.

I love that they have good friends

 to travel with,

to hang out with,

to do fun stuff with.

And I love that I get to work with this passionate leadership team.

Here's what we give to our staff on their special celebration day,

along with a birthday pencil and a chocolate bar.

Oh, and I love my husband, 

who just popped his head in the bedroom,

to see if he could bring me a diet Dr. Pepper.

He also offered a pedicure, but he left to get the soda before I could answer yes!

And so, dear reader, the point of today's post is this:

When things feel a little askew,

and it seems like life might go awry, 

{like, say, blindly ordering windows

without even thinking about window dressing},

try loving what is

instead of what isn't.

Make a list.

Say a prayer of thanks.

And move onward.

Here's to loving what is.

 And on that note, I must move on for my dentist appointment;

gotta love that annual spring break check up!