The Keil Family: Day 3

So, what was the assignment for December 3rd, you ask???

Well both the picture and writing were on the topic of "Joy".

SO for me, "joy " is a little more mental and emotional rather than physical so picturing it is a bit more of a challenge.

However, if you are a 5 year old little girl, not feeling all so well, stuck at the elementary school so that your mom can take some pictures of the spelling bee for the yearbook, then perhaps a small moment of joy would be when you finally get to play on the playground slides. Because normally your mom is really mean and won't let you play on the playgrounds because there are so many other kids on the playground and technically you are not a student at the school (even though that surprises the majority of the teachers and staff because you have been going to the school since you were born. And you are bigger than half of the enrolled kindergartners.)

And it doesn't hurt that Arizona weather is generally fabulous!!!!!

So here are a couple of pictures of 'joy".

Now as for the prompt....... It says, "What does the word 'joy ' mean to you? Does it play a part at the holidays?"

Some time ago, my dear friend "G" sent me a quote that I try to think of daily (if not more often) about joy. It is as follows:

"....it is not joy that makes us grateful; it is gratitude that makes us joyful."

-David Steindl-Rast

So much of life is difficult at best, and we really could choose to see only the negative in our lives. But that only leaves us bitter and wanting. It takes real courage to see the "joy" in our lives no matter what the circumstances we are facing maybe at the time.

In my life, I have tried to find the joy in the everyday. Just as there was "joy" on Tegan's face as she played on the slides, there was "joy " for me as well.

There is great joy in being a mother. There is great struggle and great heartache and great responsibility as well. But every once in a while, it is nice to sit back and feel the joy I have in my family.

For example:

Our medical insurance costs seem rather high, but 1) we have medical insurance, and 2) we all seem to be relatively healthy and have not made many trips to the Dr's office (barring broken bones, etc.)

Or, our kids schedules seem to be crazy and keep us going all the time, often in two different directions (or more), however, we have the means by which to allow our children opportunities as they learn and grow; Opportunites to discover and develop different talents that they have been given.

And, we have the flexibility of schedules to be able to attend most, if not all, of their activities and support them and cheer them on. We can watch them succeed in their endeavors, or help them to value the disappointments and use them to learn and grow and become better and stronger.

We could linger on the fact that one of our children is not currently with us in this life, but we choose to find "joy" in his celestial glory and the blessings that is ours to be a family together again, forever.

We could focus on the things that we "want" for this Christmas holiday season, or we could find "joy" in the things that we have been given by our Savior, and celebrate His birth.

Alright, enough of my ramblings...

I am sure you all have better things to do.

And as for what I have been "making"..........

I am taking a class called "Inspiration Everywhere" and have been making an Art Journal.