Gratitude Friday...

How 'bout we start off with some pictures of Pumpkin?

So these are from this morning. Still begging to go outside. Seriously, can you resist that face?

These are from our walk outside last night. She has become all Miss Independent about walking. She doesn't want to and flat out won't hold Mommy's hand. So this is her Gotta catch myself before I fall down the drive way face.

Followed by her I totally got this smiley face.

She is pretty much walking all over the place now. There's some exploring going on around the house too. Good and bad comes from that. Good because she can follow me and as long as there's interesting stuff in the room, she's content to explore. Which equals significantly less whining.

The bad is all the interesting stuff she's finding in each room. Basically, it looks like a tornado hit the room by the time we leave. I may have made the bed or cleaned the sink but all the scrapbooks and everything off my nightstand has to be put back in it's place.

But here's the best part:

I stinkin' love it. LOVE IT.

Fairly certain ya'll don't remember but back in the Spring of 2009, I woke up one Saturday morning to a quiet, empty, ridiculously clean house and found I was so very, very bored.

(Here's the link in case you'd like a trip down infertile memory lane)

No longer am I bored. Now I spend more time laughing and smiling and mopping sticky floors where my daughter drops her peaches than I could have ever imagined.

Love. It.

I am so very grateful for our little family of three. Not all of my friends are able to say that right now. (The amusement park is still open) Things aren't always easy. Not always pleasant. Not always kind. We're human. Fallen. Selfish. Especially me. But no matter what, I am grateful.

Thank you Lord for my family. For my husband. For my daughter. Thank you for showing me Your love through them and our messy, loud, needs mopping life. Oh how You love me!