peace

the snow beckons to my boys as soon as the awaken. i convince them to have breakfast so as to gain more energy for their outdoor play.

as soon as toast is finished, the quest begins for socks, dry mittens and hats, and any snow gear that you can squeeze into, providing protection from the cold.

with the boys tumbling over one another to get out the door, it is just me and ayla jo. i snuggle her in for a nap and quickly try to put my house back together from the tornado of snow preparations. i sneak a peek at baby blue still trying to settle down, then don a warm coat, hat and boots myself to check in on maxer and bear.

o the cute.

snow angels.

they are tracking "elk" tracks in the field. now i am not a wise woman in the ways of outdoors, but i am quite sure the boys found bunny tracks, not those of an elk. regardless of who was correct, me or max, our hunt ended when we were all distracted by a plowed snow hill.

we made some letters in the snow, and then i ran indoors to ensure cupcake was asleep only to find her doing gymnastics in bed. so i bundled her all up and we joined the brothers for more snow fun.

we focused around the park: bear serving up the finest snow spaghetti i have ever had. he asked to eat outside for a picnic. tempting... but wet.

max gave ayla jo the ride of her life on the swing. wow. that girl is tuff.

in the midst of all the fun and wild, i found peace. the beauty of the snow, the stillness of the day, the sparkle of the sun.

you do not need perfection to find peace.

it can be found in the middle of a field, outside, among children wearing mismatched snow pants and coats. while i am considering the need to quickly whip wet snow clothes into the dryer so as to have them ready for school, my heart is at peace in this moment.

while my house is full of piles of laundry and some bowls with yogurt still in them and half eaten poptarts laying on the table, i find peace with my babes.

in the midst of messes, there can be peace. our circumstances need not determine our peace, for it is found in relationship with the prince of peace. and he enters into our chaos with divine and transcendent peace.

thank you jesus for this blessing and this invitation. may our lives be lived filled with your peace.