Some of you may get the slightly altered version of this reference from Friday Night Lights (you know who you are!) My personal take on it involves a (mostly) clear dining room table that is honestly bringing me SO much joy, after weeks of it being overrun. As per usual, I forgot to take a before photo, but I did just scroll through to find this photo I took of the boys last week, finishing off another dinner with no fuss, with the absolute disastrous mess in the background.

Even looking at this now makes me cringe so badly! But look at those clear plates and big smiles! Can’t lose! 🙂 After ignoring the horrid mess that was my dining table, and commenting to Marty that I’m going to have to eventually do it as it’s getting cooler and eating outside will not be an option for much longer, I put my big girl pants on and got it done before dinner tonight. Of course the job only took about 15 minutes all up, and now look at it!

Honestly, why do I put this stuff off for so long?! I know that so many of these annoying jobs, like cleaning the dust off the fan blades (which I also did today! Look at me GO!) take less time to do, than the time I take to consider doing them and then procrastinate on doing them. I know I know. I’m not the only one. I’m just so glad it’s DONE.

What I was actually going to blog about this evening, was this beautiful memory that popped up in my google photos today. This was from March 2019, not long before we moved out of Gran & Grumpy’s house into our very own house in Brighton. Trips down to our beach were a regular occurrence, and I happened to snap this moment in time, and turned it black and white, and I absolutely love it.

I mean can you even? So many special times down here with the kids over the years. This one stopped me in my tracks this morning, and I knew I would have to make an effort to blog about it tonight. This is the photo that came after that memory. All back home, showered and eating yummy things.

That time in our lives honestly feels like worlds away. I know I was there for it, every minute of it, but I also felt disconnected from so much of it. There is definitely a feeling of “then” and “now”. I make a big effort to see all the good things my life now offers us. I know that everything that has happened in my life, the good and bad, has lead me to this point right now. This time and place in my life surrounded by a loving family, beautiful friends, my amazing kids, and a loving partner.

As hard as it is to come to terms with the confusion and contradictions of my life being wonderful in spite of the tragedy of our family losing Frith, I can now accept it for what it is. No more, no less. Not unlucky then, not lucky now. Just a life full of love, in one form or another, every step of the way.

Clear eyes that see an incredible past that gave me my four beautiful kids; full hearts overflowing with love for my family and friends; can’t lose.