The LOVE Challenge

^^^ earrings and necklace c/o Lavish Leathers ^^^

Are you feeling the love this month of February?  Or are you like me and still recovering from last month?  #truth
Coming off a ridiculously busy January (of which I mentioned over on Instagram), I feel almost a little traumatized.  Yes, I know how dramatic that sounds.  But really...I feel like I want to do NOTHING.  I don't want ANY commitments, I don't want ANY responsibilities, and I don't want ANY more time-intensive, laborious school projects!  Okay that last one is a whole other story, but still.   Clearly, I have January PTSD.
But life goes on and before we know it, February will come and go...heck who am I kidding?  It's going to flat-out fly by.  And then March is busy...blah, blah, blah.  Life is so short, and so very fast my friends.  How can I keep from waking up tomorrow with Bennett leaving me for kindergarten!?!  (7 months and counting---true story)  I don't have the answers, but I sure wish I did.  I think ultimately it comes down to putting your big girl panties on and doing your best, because there isn't a one answer for everyone to slow down the "busy".  Two things, however, that we are trying to do to help focus more on the time we DO have is spend more "fun" time together and taking on a "LOVE" challenge this month.
I got the idea from the 14 Day Love One Another challenge on lds.org.  Ideally, it started on February 1 and goes until Valentine's Day...but in truth, these "challenges" can and should be incorporated into our everyday lives, right?  Those busy everyday lives of ours.  Being intentional about showing love for others sometimes can take effort, but awareness is what we're striving for.  Hopefully our kids can be influenced and affected for the better as a result of this challenge...and hopefully develop more Christlike love in the process.  It surely can't hurt...and who knows, maybe the conversations it brings about will help slow down our busy lives and allow for February to mosey on by at its leisure.
If you'd like to jump on board, here's run-down of the challenge, or you can read its entirety here.  

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Generous Thoughts

It came to me the other night when nursing my baby, (as do many ponderous thoughts during that quiet time of evening), the remembrance of little things my friends and family have done for me, of which they may never know how great of an impact they made.  Sitting there in the dark rocking my little guy, I was reminded of the quote,

"Never suppress a generous thought."

I've always seemed to hang onto this quote, as there are often times when I am prompted to do something specific for another person...maybe even a simple call to say hello.  I don't always, but I really try my best to act on these thoughts (rather than suppress them), mainly because I have known and experienced just how deeply I've been touched by kind acts towards myself.

A few of these I thought I'd share...

-One winter day a couple of years ago, there was an imminent freeze in the forecast (which is not super common around these parts).  I was home with my then three children (one a newborn), when I saw some one walking around to the back of our house.  A little alarmed, I took a closer peek out the window only to discover my dad wrapping up all our outdoor faucets in preparation for the freeze.  I had been thinking we needed to do that, but had never actually told anyone.  My dad is one of the kindest people I know....this is only a small sampling of the generous acts of love from him.

-After just delivering my fourth baby, when everything was settling down from the hustle and bustle, all of my family left the hospital for one reason or another (food-run, naps for my other children, etc).  I was still in the birthing room and was waiting to be transferred to my postpartum room.  My sister-in-law stayed with me for the entire time (which was several hours), to keep me company and make sure I was settled in okay.  It was never a "I'll stay with her" or "Who's going to stay here with Kristen?".....she just hung back for a while and was the only one left.  I've thanked her for this before, but I don't think she'll ever know just how much that meant to me.  I will always remember those special first few hours after my son was born, and that she shared that time with me and him...the three of us.

-Between having my second and third children, I miscarried late in my first trimester.  I still had two children at home (such a blessing), but having to resume my mothering responsibilities right after my D&C was disheartening to say the least.  The next morning, one of my good friends showed up unannounced with my favorite kolaches in hand and was just there.  I couldn't really talk about it then without my tougue swelling, but it didn't matter.  She was just there.  That's all.  Again, I don't think she'll ever know how much that meant (means) to me.  I'm eternally grateful that she didn't suppress that generous thought to come visit a friend.

You never know when or how much the little things will matter to others.  I doubt any of the above examples were thought of as doing a remarkable favor or something extraordinarily nice for me....

But little did they know.