day27: tuning into {love}

Sitting here in my me and Kai's brown comfy glider/blogging chair, I contemplate all of the instances that I felt love today.

Focusing in on all the ways we experience love is a great exercise, you should try it!

It's unfortunate how at the end of the day, we often overlook the smallest of blessings...

I love the library! I never thought coming home with a stack of good books could trump walking through the door with shopping bags full of new clothes, but it does....(by the way, I'm still going strong on my committment to not buy clothes for a year...I started this in August, and I'm staying strong!)

I love exploring with Kai. He is so curious about everything, it is so fun to take him places and especially play outside. I can't wait for warmer weather! I got out his new (awesome) backpack and he loved it...I loved hearing him coo and babble throughout the whole walk, right there snug on my shoulders.

I'm two chapters away from finishing Kristen Hannah's The Magic Hour. Such a wonderful story. It especially touches my heart because it is centered upon the diligent work of a child psychologist. I have fallen in love with her subject, a neglected, hurting little girl...you'll have to read it to find out why!

I feel love every time Kai's face lights up with a smile. My baby boy doesn't just smile with his mouth, he smiles with his whole entire face. It never gets old and melts my heart every single time. We had to make a spur-of-the-moment trip to Safeway this afternoon, and he literally smiled at each and every person that he passed. Love his happy little spirit.

I feel loved by my loyal honey bear. She totally melts right into you when you snuggle her. I know I haven't paid her half the attention I did pre-Kai, but she loves me the same. We can all learn a lesson in unconditional love and loyalty from dogs.

I feel loved by my husband, who had a long day helping a buddy pour concrete and gladly took Kai for the night so I could drive up to Tri-Cities for a yoga class.

It's crazy how much I miss my baby boy when I'm only gone from him for a few hours....I missed not feeding him dinner, not seeing him splash around like crazy in the tub, not massaging his little legs with lavender baby lotion, not snuggling up with him in our bed to feed him his nighttime bottle, not reading our bedtime stories, and not saying our prayers and singing our bedtime song....He is in such good hands with his Daddy, but I love being his Mommy so much, I don't like missing one day!!!

Tonight I loved my body. I pushed my body, stretched myself, focused in  and really cleared my mind. Bikram yoga has a magic way of making you feel significantly changed when your finished. I literally felt as if I walked out of the studio on a cloud, and floated all the way home. Bikram is deeply spiritual for me, as I surrender my body and mind and allow my focus to turn solely upward. Quieting my mind and simply listening, allowing myself to open up and recieve God's will, encouragement, joy and love.

The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.

~Mitch Albom