Embracing the Lovely

Today the floor is littered with pieces of bark from firewood in front of the hearth;
construction paper scraps, beads, snippets of pipe cleaners, and a few ornaments that have fallen off the tree
-or rather, the tree has been brushed past so often
that it's only lucky survivors which cling yet to the lower branches.
Dust bunnies scurry for corners, a lone doll shoe and string cheese wrapper appear to take up
permanent residence under my dining table.


My kitchen counters overflow with srippets of crumbs, a spoon or three that stirred coffee,
a knife with yesterdays peanut butter,  pieces of this and bits of that clutter every surface that was once clear
and where it wasn't clear, I just shoved the cheese and grater aside to make room for the bowl of
chicken Enchilada filling. 
Not exactly efficient, but workable.
Barely.

2 loads of clean laundry consume an indoor drying rack,
while 1 wet load washed yesterday waits to take it's turn by the fire.
A bag of dirty laundry, damp towel and shaving cream sit by the front door
where they landed last night when AJ came from showering up the hill at the neighbors house.
Two gigantic boots are also hogging that front door space, along with two daddy-sized boot liners
removed and placed beside boots, bag, and well... about 5 other pairs of boots.

Walking through the house feels like navigating an obstacle course.
It IS navigating an obstacle course!

Despite the gray, and rain, and chaotic mess in my home today,
there was a serene covering of peace and the sweet sweet covering of contentment.

The smells emanating from my messy kitchen
spoke the celebration of our new cousin Josiah Blaze!

Dinner for us, dinner for them, and chocolate chip cookies to boot.
Warmth  throughout the house because 2 boys keep me in stock of wood
- even if it leaves a trail of bark chips through my living room.
The shards of paper?
They are tell-tale signs that paper chaining came into vogue here today.
"The worlds longest paper chain?"  They asked.
"At least the longest paper chain our house ever had!"  Said I.
And it was.

The scent of warm cookies...
 Boquet of sweet baby-smelling new cousin...

Twinkling tree lights...............
 The glow and comforting heat from orange coals in the woodstove.
Lengths of colorful paper chain strung from the dining table work station
over the clothes rack, and around the corner into the living room.................

Happy content voices.
A full heart.
My heart quietly singing... it is well.

There is a mess. Or ten.
There is a maze to get through.
There is the occasional altercation:  "Mom.  I don't want to tattle... but I'm going to."
There is sometimes a lapse in patience or grace on my part;
but there IS so much to enjoy and relish and absorb
if I look past all the things that make life common
to take in the lovely things that fly past in the blink of an eye.

 And so I do.


What common things are you looking past to see what's beautiful?
Tell me!