Delight

You know, I've never used the work "delight" in my everyday vocabulary, but I found a use for it today.  The sun finally showed it's face for more than 2 hours this week and I decided to go on an evening walk with Miss Kate.  The sun was low enough that I was able to lower the sun shade on the stroller and car seat to allow her to look around more.  As we were walking I looked down at her and noticed a HUGE smile on her face.  She was looking up at the trees that we were walking and every time we walked under another tree her entire face would break into a huge grin. Simple delight is the only way to describe what it looked like she was experiencing.

As any of you who are reading know, I am not what we would call an "optimist".  I tend to find the difficult, the injustice and the downright annoying in many situations and this little stroll helped me realize that I need to find more delight in my everyday life.  

So here are my "delights" for today:  

My 5-year-old nephew, Josh, absolutely adores Kate.  And likewise, Kate adores Josh.   Anytime they interact Kate is tickled pink.  What a blessing to have such a fun cousin so close by.  

We went to Wheeler farm this afternoon.  I haven't been there since I think about age 10.   It was so nice to see that some undeveloped land still exists in Salt Lake.   The pigs are still my favorite.

Fruit tree blossoms smell SOOOO good!

Creativity

I've been thinking about creativity lately.  I loved President Uchtdorf's talk to the women about creativity and found a great little snippet  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhLlnq5yY7k  It seems to be a theme this week with my friends talking about feeling they aren't really adding a whole lot to the world since they are running around feeling a bit worse for the wear with their young children.

Emily Watts gave me some things to consider when I feel like my creativity is lacking:

Are you good at having a clean house? If so, you are creating order. Joseph Smith even defined the Creation of the world as organizing.  (Ooh, need to work on that one!)

You have children, you say. Creating them in the first place was an ultimate act of creativity, but the fact is that creativity is the order of the day when you have children. Problem-solving is just another name for creating solutions. And if you're teaching those children to love and serve one another and to be friends, you are creating connections that will last through eternity.

Do you hold a calling in your ward or branch? Whatever it is, chances are you're helping to create testimonies.

I have a friend who is always bringing others little treats or looking for ways to serve them. Another calls me from time to time just to say she was thinking of me. These friends create love in my heart.

If you're reading your scriptures and saying your prayers, you're creating a place where the Spirit can dwell. That may be the most important creation of all, and no proficiency with a glue gun is required!

Perhaps we just need a reframe sometimes.