A "perfect" rainy Sunday...?

As I lie here in bed, I just can't keep from smiling about how happy I am in this moment.  I couldn't sleep because of it, so I decided to write about it so I won't forget these memories! Today would technically be considered just another day, typical and to be truthfully honest, kind of boring, but to me it was so much more than that!

No new activities, like painting, today. Just a
"boring" old Sunday.

It was unlike any other Sunday in that we didn't have to sing for choir, so we only had to be at one service, which starts at 11:30.  So right off the bat we got to sleep in.  Which was nice since we didn't get back from Philadelphia, where we were celebrating a dear friends wedding, till 12:30AM!  Hagen slept till 9:30, AWESOME!!!  The Mr. got up with him and I actually slept until 10:00am!  We are notorious for being late, but something made us think church was at 11, not 11:30.  We got dressed super fast and Andrew even made us breakfast-eggs AND bacon sandwiches.  Normally trying to get 3 people dressed and fed quickly is stressful and we usually end up acting rather short with each other until the middle of the service.  For some reason, that didn't happen this morning, and we just naturally were at peace with the hurried state.  We were EARLY for church (since it didn't actually start till 11:30) and The Mr. did a great job as cantor/assisting minister, and the only down side of the whole set up is we don't get to sit next to each other during church.  Sitting together as a family is important to me so it's always hard when he is serving the church in whatever role he is called to do.  Don't get me wrong, I am thankful he has a heart to serve our church with his gifts and talents.  It's just hard to not sit next to him during our time of worship.  I digress...  Continuing on.  The sermon today was one of Pastor Bill's best sermons (in my opinion) he has done in a while.  It was a really strong message about not finding someone else to blame when times get tough.  We are messy, broken and often in the wrong.  We need to own up to that, and when we do God is able to use us more efficiently.  (Sorry P.B., I hope I'm not misinterpreting your words to your dissatisfaction.)    I also met a new mom at church and I may have a new mom to be friends with out here!  YAY!

After church we came home and changed and fed Hagen and he was VERY ready for a nap, since yesterday was such a busy day.  We put him down and we were going to take a nap ourselves.  Instead we spent a short time just picking up the house and having a good conversation with each other.  Again, it was a very pleasant event and we didn't feel like we HAD to clean, it just felt good to pick up.  We then had our tea/coffee and sat on the couch and played Mario Kart!  After the first round Hagen woke up after only a 30 minute nap.  He was more than happy to sit in our laps instead of getting down to play 'cuase he was still sleepy. One played while the other held him, and we switched back a forth a few times.  Hagen LOVED watching the game and it was fun to "play" together!  I actually don't really remember how the rest of the afternoon went as it wasn't memorable.  I played on my phone, The Mr. played some more video games, Hagen played, Hagen ate, Hagen told us GREAT stories for about 30 minutes!  Then Hagen was ready for a nap again (or to finally finish his!).  He slept for probably 45 minutes and The Mr. and I just lazily watched tv, and I started a paper folding project I found on Pinterest.  However, it is in another language, so I can't figure out how to finish it with the pictures alone... Can anyone translate?  After Hagen woke up, we got bundled up to go for a walk in the cold rain.  I LOVE rainy walks.  I think they are always my favorite!  Hagen looks so cute is his yellow rain-slicker!  After the walk we ate up leftovers for dinner, fed Hagen, did our nighttime routine, put Hagen to bed and we watched some more tv.  Then we got ready for bed ourselves and just had some great intimate moments with each other.

I don't really know why today felt so relaxing and so perfect.  Even as I read this, I think how boring.  We weren't doing something productive.  We weren't doing something to make new memories with Hagen.  We didn't help others.  We didn't learn.  But maybe that's what made today special.  We were just US.  We were content with our messy house.  We were content in sweatpants and no make-up.  We were content with imperfection.  I wasn't striving to do this or that; to have a perfect house; to be the perfect mom; to plan the perfect day for Hagen; to be the perfect wife.  I wasn't any of those things today, and I was CONTENT.  But the funny thing is, I think because I was content with myself today, I was a better mom and a better wife.  I wasn't worrying.  I wasn't pretending.  I wasn't thinking about what I can't give them.  I wasn't thinking about what I would do in the future.  I was messy and broken.  Because of that, God used me to serve my family and, in a way, myself.

An old photo of Hagen "helping" me stuff his diapers!

I can't write a blog and "sell" it as a Top 10 list of ways to have the perfect rainy Sunday.  If I did, you would never find it.  There were no lists crossed off today.  There were no books read about how to create today.  It just happened.  We were just us.  Yes, you would come to my house and it is still messy.  But today I didn't let that consume me.  I did a little here and there when I felt like it, and that was good enough for me.  In the midst of our crazy WHERE THE HECK ARE WE GOING TO LIVE saga, I didn't worry about it today.  (First, I knew nothing would be done about it since today is a Sunday).  I didn't plan lives here, in TX and HI.  I just enjoyed my small moments with my boys.  I enjoyed laughing with The Mr. when Hagen's diaper turned into a poop-covered-changing-pad-need-to-get-the-kid-into-the-tub-now kind of a diaper.  I enjoyed the miss-matched supper we had that reminded me of several past days of love put into meals for my family.  I enjoyed sipping my tea listening to my boys chasing each other and the dog through the messy entryway.  I enjoyed "folding" clothes with Hagen as I watched every article of clothing I just folded taken out of the basket, unfolded and thrown onto the floor.  I enjoyed listening to The Mr's crazy voices as he told Hagen a made up story.

So why was it a perfect day?  I don't know.  It just was.  I was content and I hope that as you read this you are able to find time to take a break from the stress and worries and question marks of life and look around you and basque in being content with what surrounds you at that moment!  You may be like us and are far away from friends and family, far away from the life we thought we'd be living, full of many uncertainties.  It may be even a way more stressful life and more challenging obstacles than I will ever know in my lifetime.  There are still things to be content with, and I hope you find them.  I hope you find yourself having the "perfect" rainy Sunday sometime soon!