Reflection

I'm in a very unique situation that I don't think will occur too often. Both of my girls and Michael are taking a nap and I'm the only one awake. I thought I would take advantage of the quiet, alone time and reflect on life.

Sometimes I get this incredible feeling of gratitude for all the many things I have. It hits me hard and reminds me to be humble. Three months ago, I had a beautiful baby girl. I have absolutely loved having her in our family. Because Annabelle was such a difficult baby, I didn't really enjoy much of her first year. Jillian is so much calmer that I can't stop looking at her and loving her. I think because I missed out on bonding with Annabelle as a baby, I'm not taking this time with Jillian for granted. She's growing so fast. Annabelle is a great big sister and helps me out so much. Although she can be very difficult sometimes, she just really wants to help and please everyone. I'm so proud of her and grateful that I'm her mom.

Michael continues to work hard to provide for our family. Not only is he working at the law firm 8-10 hours a day (or sometimes more), he is also teaching a 400 level Sociology class at the university here and spends many hours preparing his lectures. Add to that his calling as the Young Men's President at church and the demands of a growing family and you can see how crazy busy his life is. But I'm so grateful for him. He is a wonderful husband and father. It's hard to put into words how much I appreciate him and value his friendship and love.

I am enjoying teaching piano and love to see the progress of my students. I have a nice house and live in a wonderful neighborhood and am in good health. I love my family and when I really think about my life, there's really nothing else I could ask for than what I already have.