{ Hygge }

I recently came across a word that seems to be everywhere, at the moment.

The word is "Hygge"!!!

Do you know what it means?  Well it's a Danish word, usually pronounced as hue-gah. When I first came across it, I wondered what it was and why it seemed to be featured so prominently on Pinterest, in Vlogs, Blogs and just the internet in general. So I did a little digging into what it is, where it came from and what it signifies, and what I came to find out is that it is MY word for this year.

Hygge is a feeling or mood that comes from taking pleasure in making ordinary, every day moments more meaningful, beautiful or special. {Hygge House}

It is the absence of anything annoying, not nice, things that bring us grief or anger, sadness, annoyance or feeling overwhelmed. It is the pure act of being in the moment and enjoying your surroundings.

It was first documented in 18th-century Denmark, and it is now a very important part of Danish life.

Simple elements, small things that make your home look cosy. Lots of candles, and wood and nature themed.

Sitting by the fire enjoying the crackling sounds.....

Fairy lights and a homemade orange slice garland, just hanging there, letting the light through as if rays through a stained glass window.....

Or a simple handmade quilt draped over a chair, just sitting in the corner of the room.....

It's plain dried sticks in a beautiful, delicate vase that seems to be hand knitted.....

Or the tea set that sits on the baker's rack, waiting to be filled with boiling water and scented tea leaves.....

It's the crochet you so enjoy doing, the colors, the textures, the way it brings brightness and joy to a room.....

And often times, it's the cup of tea or coffee you sip in the afternoon when you need a little pick me up......

Or that simple candle you have lit.....

That is Hygge!!!

That is the pure joy of being in the moment and surrounded by simple things.  Letting all cares drift away, and for that single minute you focus on what is in front of your eyes.

I've been feeling this way for a long time, then my husband retired from the Air Force and our lives were turned upside down, nothing made sense, everything was different, and harsh and new, and we struggled to know where we belong.  In a sense, we still do.  In our hearts we will always be a military family, but to the world we are just every day civilians, same as everyone else.  That's not a bad thing, not at all, but when you've devoted your life to a certain way of living, it's very hard to be thrown into the open without knowing where to go from there.

When that happened 3 years ago, I lost my Hygge....I lost that sense of contentment and being in the moment, of seeing only the positive.

I allowed life and it's horrid phases to get to me, to blind me to what I have around me.

When I decided to get back into blogging, about two weeks ago, it was because that feeling had come back.  I felt like my old self again and that right there, that was pure joy.

So Hygge is my word for the year, and for the rest of my life, if I'm to be honest.  See, Hygge is not something you get, or find, it's something you feel.  It is our conscious choice to be in that moment, to stop, to smell the flowers, to let the world go by and to slow down enough to enjoy that

I'm going to take a page from the Danish folks, and really do my best to live up to this.  You'll probably see a lot more on this word and this concept coming up on my blog.

I invite you all to join in, live your life to the fullest, let 2017 be the year where you really enjoy *cozy* and everything it signifies. 

Living in the moment

And when they carve my stone all they need to write on it

Is once lived a man who got all he ever wanted

Tell me something who could ask for more

Than to be living in a moment

Lovin every minute

I was listening to Ty Herndon this morning, and his song "Living in the Moment" came on.  It's one that I have loved for many, many years but hadn't heard in quite a while.

As I listened to the chorus, I realized that I have forgotten how to live in the moment.   I have forgotten how to just *be* in a joyful mood even when things around me may seem to be stress filled.

And when they carve my stone all they need to write on it, it once lived a woman who got all she ever wanted.

Yes, yes and yes!

Because I have everything that I ever dreamed of.  A God who loves me unconditionally and is always there to wrap me in his arms even when I've been not a very good child, a husband who loves me just as unconditionally and who continually tells me I'm beautiful and he loves me, children who make my days even in those moments where they push my patience to the limits, a house in the country, food on the table and now family nearby.

So why is it that I tend to fall into the trap of focusing on the things that we don't have at the moment, or how different life is now, or the why's and how's?

Such a waste of energy and time.

I woke up this morning, stepped out onto the deck and saw the beautiful sunrise, and it dawned on me that I need to go back to that contentment, back to that feeling of living in the moment and soaking in every second of every day, no matter what may be going on.

I have so much going on around me, so many changes, so many new things, so much to adapt to and I've shamefully let some things go.....like my morning devotionals with God, my quiet moments with his word, the ability to see everything in a new light and to smile even if inside I feel like crying.

Because it's all in our attitude and how we act and react to the events around us.

First step is to admit when we're doing something wrong, and I have caught myself going about my days in the wrong way by allowing small things to tick me off, to throw me out of whack, to deplete me of my joy.

Fall and Winter are my time of the year, they are when I feel the happiest and most content.  I'm not so much a Summer person, I do enjoy the warm weather and wearing shorts and flip flops and having fun with the family but in a way, it also makes me lazy and boring.

Whether I'm staring at a sink full of dishes and lavender scented hot soapy water, or a bathroom that is needing a cleaning, the laundry that seems endless or a particularly difficult day with my kids...

Whether I'm standing on the deck in my pj's and slippers soaking in the morning fresh air

Every single one of those moments is a learning opportunity.  Oh I know, it's not always easy to see what it is when we're preoccupied with other things, but trust me, if you just take a moment you will often see that every single thing we do in our day is for a reason and to be enjoyed.

Count it all for joy, I say.

Live in the moment, dance like no one is watching, love as if it's your last day on earth and sing like no one can hear you.