Best Day Ever!

As declared by Jasmine as she skipped into the house this evening :) And I must agree today was a great day!  Took the kids out with grandma to the religious store (Dominic's FAVORITE store) and proceeded to add yet another thing to their list of "items to get in their inventory" LOL!  I always ask for the most random things, I amuse myself... and they know me by name now haha.   Then the afternoon brought a few surprises.  Brian walks in two hours early with flowers :) And we are able to vacuum out the pool to get it clean.  As we are cleaning the pool we handed the hose to the kids on the other side of the yard.  Oh the joy a hose can bring!! Jasmine doused Dominic, Melanie got everyone, Dominic chased his sisters... oh the squealing and joy that were oozed from those moments.  Then the surprised they were not expecting today.  The pool is ready early!! Everyone rushed into suits screaming with excitement and running through the house.  The older girls are doing surprisingly well without any floaties (including jumping off the diving board and swimming across the pool). Dominic has discovered the slide already and Melanie is just happy to be a part of it all.  As everyone scoots into the house Jasmine announces to no one in particular (and I'm really not sure who even heard her): "Best Day Ever!".   And of course... me, you know the crazy lady always in some state of contemplation lol, thinks how much we can learn from kids.  In fact, I think we should all have as many kids as it takes to get ourselves set right LOL. In scripture it says we must be as children to enter the Kingdom of heaven.  And I could write (and probably will over the course of time) 50 blogs about the aspects of being a child that we should model after as we seek the Kingdom of Heaven. I am so thankful God has blessed me with 4 (going on 5 YAY) children to serve as CONSTANT reminders of this in so many ways.  But today, I think about what it takes to have joy.  Today, we were not at Disney World, we did not purchase any extravagant gift... the rules were not even bent :)  We just gave them a hose and let them swim with the family (and don't doubt that Daddy coming home early with flowers for Mommy didn't brighten their day as well).  The joy in what IS, and not seeking after more is something kids are SO great at. I've heard, and try to live "Live life as though you never need a vacation"... and in many ways I think today was an example of that.  How do you do this?  When you are working outside, don't be miserable in the work you have... squirt each other with the hose.  When you finish your work don't consider your swim in the pool something you deserve because you worked so hard.... but a fun thing you are blessed to be able to do.  The kids don't expect that they get to swim everyday just because we have a pool.  Being able to swim is SO EXCITING whenever we tell them they can do it.  They find joy in the moment, and are so much better at living in the present than adults.   And God is in the present. You will find Him and you will find Joy if you live in the present.  While kids do enjoy getting things (quite frankly mostly because we give them to them and they have learned this) their true Joy, their "best days ever" are having fun with people.  Laughing, and enjoying life.  Running at the park, picking flowers, helping Mommy cook, dousing their siblings with the hose....   And what, as adults are we so often seeking after?  We are often rushing through those moments, to be able to get to.... what exactly?? What IS it that is so important that we miss living life?  Quite honestly I can think of nothing.  And as I spent the day swimming with my kids, in a pool that desperately needs to be painted..   And an evening cleaning up the yard with my husband, and an evening swim with him, I couldn't be happier.  You could place me on any beach, offer me any material item and it would not make a difference.  Each moment of life is a blessing, and you are exactly where you are meant to be.  Embrace it, and make every day your "Best Day Ever!"  God Bless!!!