Ode to JOY!

I have been strongly encouraged to write an uplifting post. A post to bring smiles of delight....where exactly shall I begin? I could begin nowhere but in the next room! You see, I have a delightful family (my greatest treasure and blessing).  A typical day around here is filled with conversation, laughter and silliness. Our day begins when my husband and I get up, grab a cup of coffee and spend a few minutes with the morning news while we wipe the sleepiness from our eyes.  As the bottom of our cups appear, we grab our Bibles, spend time alone in prayer and Bible reading.  Around seven, our golden retriever, Dolly is gotten up.  It is her job to cheerfully wake everyone else up in the house.  She does her job well and rather enjoys it!  First, she runs to Brittany's room, placing her paws right on her bed.  If by chance her face is close enough to the edge, she gets several slobbery kisses before she has a chance to know what hit her. :) Once Dolly is sure she has done the job thoroughly, getting a moment of cuddles with Brit, she heads upstairs to find the rest of her beloved family.  Her happy, half-growls, half-barks bring cheer to our mornings!  Who can wake up in a grumpy mood with such a wake-up call? Once everyone has done their devotions, eaten breakfast and dressed for the day, the children and I crowd around the living room, ready for morning school devotions. For quite some time, we have been going through a set of character sketch books for our school devotions.  Everyone seems to enjoy this, for the most part.  The book goes through different character traits and how they are illustrated in nature, as well as how it is illustrated in the Bible.  This is always interesting! I did say that everyone enjoys it "for the most part" because sometimes there are animals that the girls don't really care to learn about...you know, the creepy, crawly reptiles and so forth.  But, the boys eat it up! :) And thus our school day begins!   If I am feeling well, I shuffle between those needing help and housework.  THIS is my favorite way to spend the day! I absolutely love being a wife and mother- it is the most rewarding thing I could ever do.  It is such a joy to have the opportunity to have my children around me, to homeschool, to spend time with them, watching them grow, learn and develop.