{ What contentment looks like }

First and foremost, I have to give you all a big shout out, the responses that my last post received were amazing, and it just reiterated what I was feeling and thinking.....that there are so many of us out here just wanting to blog about our lives and stay true to ourselves.  You ladies are amazing and one of the many reasons why I continue to blog :)

So contentment....I think it goes hand in hand with feeling comfortable in your own skin and where you are, and in the home you live in.

It's not always easy, I've struggled with it through the years and there have been times that I felt so lost and so helpless, like I was stuck in a place and time I didn't want to be, without a way out and not quite sure how to get through it, or past it.

As I've gotten older I've learned what contentment was for me.  Something as simple as being fine with where I'm at, knowing that no matter what the future may hold or where it may lead me, this moment in time is where I'm supposed to be and I will for sure make the best of it.

And so I have!!!

What does contentment look like right now?  Let me show you in a few pictures the few moments of my day where I truly smiled and felt content, like there was nowhere else I would rather be.

Looking at the sky and seeing the darkness coming our way and being content that rain was about to start.

Knowing that with the rain came the humidity I really dislike, but being content in the fact that it also meant water for the plants and the animals, and without it, I wouldn't be surrounded by all this beautiful greenery.

Whipping up a batch of Refrigerator Pickles, knowing it takes a bit of time to put together, but being content that I'm doing something I love, cooking, and taking care of my family.

Standing in my kitchen and watching this pot boil, seeing the mess that is surrounding it, but being content that I'm creating this mess while making a home cooked meal for my family. 

Seeing my husband driving up in this beautiful car and knowing that we now have another car payment, something we didn't want, but being content in the moment knowing that we also have a reliable vehicle that will get us from point A to point B without worry of being stranded on the road.

Holding this key in my hand and feeling pure and utter joy, and pure and utter contentment for what it represents and knowing that our move to Texas, albeit difficult, has continued to open doors for us.

I'm in a beautiful big house, in a beautiful area.  My husband has a great job that he loves, my children are loving Texas and growing and becoming amazing young adults, and I'm absolutely content in where I am in life.

It's not an easy feeling to come about, I remember many years of feeling unhappy with what was around me or the circumstances we were in, and I'm sure you all knew it, I'm not exactly the best at disguising my feelings.

Often, I would post on my blog and then read it the next day and think "Oh gosh, I sound terribly depressed and unhappy".  It was like I had lost my oomph, but boy am I glad to have that back.

As I get older, it's almost as if my spirit gets younger, I refuse to let age dictate how I should be feeling, but most of all, as I grow into my skin, and trust me it's taken almost 41 years of life to do it, I'm learning to be happy no matter where I am.

Embrace it.

Those dirty dishes in the sink?  Be content for the fact that you had food to feed your family.
The kid's toys all over the house?  Be content in the fact that you have beautiful little beings in your life.
The house that is not exactly what you wanted?  Be content that you have a roof over your head.
The mundane every day tasks that seem to be on a constant repeat loop?  Be content that you're a mom and a wife and a homemaker and that what you're providing for your family are memories and a stable platform from which they will catapult into this crazy world.

Look outside, enjoy the nature, take in the little things that we tend to overlook when we're rushing around.

Just be content, no matter where you are in your life, because, and even though I can only speak for myself, I've learned that if I'm content and I don't fight it, things go so much easier and life seems to be not as difficult to tackle.  A positive attitude can do so much, it's why I am the way I am, laugh through things, maintain the faith and smile every chance I get.

So yeah....that's what contentment looks like to me, and I end this post with a big smile on my face because I love my life and I love my blog and I wouldn't have it any other way, truly, wouldn't change anything for the world.