I can't believe it's already November 10th! I swear I start every new blog post with "I can't believe" because it's always been so long since I last updated haha. Time is constantly flying by. Halloween was a blast this year even if I almost lost my mind making Liam's spider costume. Fall took some time making up it's mind on whether it really wanted to commit to arriving yet, but after a few chilly days in a row, I think the transition has happened. I'm not complaining about how nice it's been outside during the day, but the nights do get quite cold.
It's always nice to look through a group of photos as one (like the collage above) and see just how much has been going on, even when it feels like nothing is happening. Photos of Panda enjoying the sun in the backyard, going bowling with Liam, trick or treating, taking a morning walk to coffee, Liam trying his best to wait patiently for his parents to crawl out of bed on a Sunday morning...or just David and I taking a good ol' fashioned selfie together. ♥ It's easy to overlook what is happening in the present and only see how sweet those moments were when you look back at the photos haphazardly taken throughout a busy day.
Living in the present is almost an art form. Something that needs to be practiced. I know that personally I can become so entrapped in what I'm not doing, or not getting done, that I completely ignore the small accomplishments that are happening all around me. Life is a long, long staircase which happens one step at a time. Most days I find myself focusing only on the very top of the staircase landing, when what I should be doing is taking a closer look at the steps I have taken that get myself where I am today. That's the problem with living in a world that is so dominantly portrayed through social media. We don't see the stairs, just the top of the staircase. We don't see how hard it was to climb up, we just see the end results. When I share these photos, it's easy to only see how happy we are, or how cute Liam is, but you don't see the arguments, the tears, the doubt. You don't see the struggles. You don't see the hugs that happen, not because we are happy, but because we need to be comforted so that we can feel happy.
That's not to say that we don't have those amazing moments. The genuine laughs. The hugs and kisses. The romantic gestures, and quiet nights. But it takes reminding. It takes constant work to glance back at where we are, and how lucky we are, and to smile at how great life is, even when it's hard.
So here's to living in the present. In taking the time to feel good about where you are at...right now. Here's to recognizing how far you have come, and the great things that will be happening in your future. Because even if you can't see them, I know that those moments are there. I believe that they are.
What are some things I'm excited about now? The little things that I can make into really big things?
Well, I'm excited that I just started with my 3rd Invisalign tray! I'm excited that next weekend we are taking a big step in our home renovation and knocking through a wall. I'm excited for the trips we are going to be taking in the near future. I'm excited about seeing David when he gets home from work. It's a good feeling, to be excited, to choose to be happy. ♥ Sending lots of love out to all of you!
