A Good Day

It's funny how your definitions for words change over the years. It's all about perspective. When you're a kid "a long time" would be defined as more than a day. When you're a grown-up, "a long time" is at least a year. For a kid, "fun" would mean using the weeds in your backyard to build things on your playground (or at least that seems to be my kids' favorite pasttime these days). For a more mature person who has perhaps moved past college, "fun" might be described as a nice, quiet dinner out, a movie on the couch, and getting to bed at a decent hour.

At one point in my life, "a good day" might have meant that I got to eat a bacon cheeseburger from Hardees' and go swimming all day long. Later on in life I might have said I'd had "a good day" if I got to hang out with friends playing cards til midnight. My kids remember one of their best days as the one where we drove all over tarnation when it was 98 degrees outside and did a scavenger hunt with them, ending up at a splash pad. I called that a hot, exhausting day.

Now that I'm "gettin' on up in years", I'd have to say that I'm finishing up a good day. It's 11:04pm. I'm dog-tired. My back is hurting and I really should have taken my contacts out a few hours ago. But I've had a good day.

My kids are healthy (which I couldn't say 50-something hours ago...ambulance, emergency room, albuterol, Benadryl, and a nice hefty bill headed our way...you fill in the blank spots...apparently, Sam has decided that the way to celebrate holidays is with wheezing...Happy St. Patrick's Day!), the kitchen is almost clean, and breakfast is made, ready for those early risers.

I got to drive somewhere all by myself today, spend time with friends over tadpoles, give a bath to a laughing, crying, snotty baby, and serve my family a nice, healthy meal.

My husband cleaned the bathrooms!!! I got my short workout in and baked banana muffins with my quickly-growing girl.

I got a good deal on feta cheese for our Greek slaw tonight, read my Bible this morning, and saw my three older kids take such sweet care of their baby brother while he had to endure the dreaded breathing treatment.

I got to talk about God's Word with my kids and proudly hear them answer some deep questions correctly. I got most of the dishes washed up before we ate dinner. I just love it when that happens!!

These days, a good day can happen when you're least expecting it. I'd planned on a good, fun weekend. All those plans got dumped due to sickness here and there. Kinda disappointing, but lo and behold, just when you're right in the thick of life...a good day happens. And you realize how little the "good" part is about circumstances and how much it's just about perspective.

Thank you, Lord, for a very good day.

A little look at our good dinner...


Homemade sweet potato rolls with roasted chicken, homemade broccoli shells and cheese, Zoe's slaw, and fruit salad with the new addition (by Daddy) of mango.

Sam prefers to eat immediately, so Maddie took over for us while we finished up everything else. Why, yes, she does have paper clips hanging from her glasses. Why do you ask?


Luke was not a fan of the mango. Honestly, neither was I...or Chris. I think the word he used to describe the taste was "dirt." Then he changed it to "earthy" because that just sounds better.

Jack declared it to be the yummiest meal ever. He does that rather frequently. He gave me mixed reviews on the slaw, or the cilantro as he called it 134 times.