Welcome, May!

April was a busy month with work, Easter, and trying to get out and enjoy the nice weather in between all of the rain. As usual, we celebrated Good Friday and Easter with lots of family time and traditions. No Easter Egg hunt this year, but definitely next year. I think this year it would’ve been more for me. He doesn’t need that much candy (he got plenty from the Easter Bunny, Nana, Grandma, and GG). I’m also not certain he really gets the whole searching for eggs thing yet.

This month was super rainy but had some beautiful days mixed in between. The project in the basement is now done and we have a beautiful new living space, just in time for Summer. It will be great for those hot days when we don’t want to turn on the air conditioner but need to cool down somewhere. We got in some great walks and outdoor family time, which was much needed after a winter of being stuck indoors. It’s amazing how some sun and fresh air can really change how you feel. Every day, I feel more and more calm and happy now than in the winter. Just because I can open some window and let some fresh air and light in! Crazy, isn’t it?

Why a monthly grateful living post?

So often we get stuck in the day-to-day hustle and forget to acknowledge what’s really important. If someone were to ask “What’s most important to you?” we would be quick to respond with things like family, friends, being a good person, and so on. Unfortunately, we allow ourselves to get sidetracked a lot and temporarily “forget” our priorities. Unanswered emails clamor for our attention, deadlines and “to-do” lists clutter up our minds and steal our attention. As a way to temporarily silence these outside distractions, I like to look back over the past month and remind myself what is beautiful in my life. I try to identify three things that have happened in the past few weeks that I am grateful for and recognize them. I remind myself that these small moments are what make up my life and have value. And for them, I am grateful.

Let’s get into what I’m grateful for this month…

3 Things I’m Grateful for in April

1. A new roof!
   We’ve been in need of a new roof for a while. It was pretty moss covered and damaged from all of the trees that used to be hanging over our house. This past fall, our living room ceiling started to leak right after we’d gotten some quotes to reroof it. Talk about timing! Of course, that was right before winter, so we had to wait until Spring. It was fixed just a few days ago, right before a nice 10 day stretch of expected rain. So nice to not have to worry about it anymore! Now to just fix the damage it caused in the living room ceiling…
2. Exciting news!
   I received some very exciting news this month, but I can’t talk about it until next month, unfortunately! I know, so disappointing!! Let’s just say that it’s something I’ve been working on and am super excited that it is working out. Lots of life changes coming in the next few months!
3. Our Easter egg decorating tradition
   For as long as I can remember, my mother’s family has gathered on Good Friday at my grandmother’s home to decorate Easter eggs. It’s one of those memories that stands out in my mind when I look back at my childhood. (Funny how most of those memories take place in her house!) This year, it was the first time Zachary could join in on the fun. He’s still a little young to fully participate, and I wasn’t letting him near those dyes. Little fingers are fast and I was not going to be responsible for dying Grandma’s carpet purple. But I gave him an egg and some crayons and he was excited to be able to color all over it and put stickers on. He got bored pretty quick, but not before he got to decorate with Grandma and Mama, and Dad was able to get some good pictures and video!

I hope you all had a fantastic month as well and have lots to be grateful for. I’d love to hear what some of those things are!

What are you grateful for last month?

Link up to your own gratitude posts below!

-To your Better Life-

Kira