My Heaven on Earth

I am a stressful person. I get stressed over little things easily and have no qualms about publicly showing that stress to anyone who might be around. I know letting the little things go is one of the secrets to having a happy life and I'm working on it, but until then, I try to remember all the little times in my life that are peaceful and happy. 

Times like: 

Sitting on the rocking chair in Ashtyn's room right before putting her down. She sits in my lap and we're covered with a snuggly baby. Sometimes the candle on her dresser is going, and I try to have her room clean before she goes down. We read the books we picked out and then she snuggles into me while I sing to her for a few minutes. It's beautiful and serene and I love those precious moments with my baby. 

Waking up early. There's something so peaceful about being awake when everyone else in the house is asleep. I love getting up early while Ashtyn and Ben are asleep and getting some stuff done and, even though I'm busy doing stuff, it still relaxes me. It's one of my favorite parts of the day. 

Down time with Ashtyn. As a mom (and I'm sure all mom's out there can relate), I feel really busy most of the time. There's always food to be made, housework to be done, organizing that never ends, more food to be made, errands to be run, business things to finish (for me, that's all the writing stuff I want to do), and food prep to be prepared. On top of that is your full time job of taking care of kids--make sure they're fed, help them learn to share, change their clothes for the third time that morning, baths and toys and fits to take care of. You have to make sure they don't stick their hand in the toilet while you're cleaning the bathroom and that they don't fall asleep on the way home from the store. I feel busy with Ashtyn and I only have one. I can't imagine what it will be like when we have six! But it all seems worth it during those times when we don't do anything but sit on the couch together and sing nursery rhymes or play tickle games or name our colors (and by that, I mean, I name our colors and Ashtyn babbles about them). It's so fun to just hang out with little ones, in those rare, we aren't doing anything important (but really the most important thing) moments. 

Down time with Ben. If you think it's hard to find down time with Ashtyn, it can be harder with Ben. It's easier now that he's only working one job, but I'm still as busy as ever. We schedule times together (like right before bed and date night) that are just for us and I have to just let my to-do list go at those times. It's so nice to just relax together, though. It always leaves me feeling full to the brim. 

Our car trips between Vernal and West Jordan. I have to admit, the trip is long and sometimes, it's hard to visit because of that. But every single time we're driving through the canyons, seeing the trees and the winding roads and just how beautiful nature is, I get an overwhelming sense of the Spirit. Ashtyn usually does really well, playing with her toys, eating her snacks, and (hopefully) sleeping some. That leaves Ben and I three hours of time to really slow down together. Some of my favorite memories with Benjamin since we've gotten married have come from our car trips. I love when we talk, listen to music, or play an audio book. I love how connected I feel to him as the peace of our surroundings enter the car and we don't have to worry about his business or making dinner or trying to get Ashtyn to bed on time. I always come out of the trip feeling just a little bit lighter.  

These moments are small and simple, but they fill my life with so much joy. They remind me why I do what I do and really strengthen my testimony that we truly have a loving God watching over us. These moments, and many more, are when I catch glimpses of what heaven will be like.