(I’m pretty sure you’ll only get that title if you are a fellow LOSTIE) :)

Husband and I had the most wonderful, relaxing, magical time in Hawaii. Reality has set in though and that looks like three babies who were well taken care of while we were gone…but very spoiled (as it should be!!! Thank you to both sets of wonderful grandparents for spoiling our babies while we were gone!)

Even days later, we dream of one day packing it all up and moving to the beach…of which that will never happen…but maybe when we’re old and retired a vacation home could be in our future :) If anyone would like to fund that little dream of mine…please feel free!

We don’t actually celebrate our anniversary until August, but it doesn’t really matter. We still feel like we were just married…and at the same time 10 years (about 15 together!) has given us a lot of experience and our love looks nothing like it did the day we got married.

I think the best word to describe it is, Comfort.

Yesterday morning I got my daughter to school 30 minutes late. Today she was 3 minutes early. It is amazing to me how two exact moments in the day, 24 hours apart can be so very different.

In my mind I want to blame someone for yesterday’s mishaps. Maybe it was the kids’ fault for playing at breakfast a little too long. Maybe it was Zach’s fault for insisting he pick out a shirt and that he did not want mommy’s help doing it. Maybe it was Jeremy’s fault because he’s out of town and not here to help me, maybe it’s the President’s fault because well heck, he gets blamed for a lot of stuff so I can blame him for this!!

I’m not going to say it was no one’s fault, because that isn’t true. It was my fault. All mine.

Zach has been going through some real fear lately. Fear that I am going to leave him, fear that I’m not coming back from the mailbox, fear that after I shut my bedroom door I will magically never come out again. Totally irrational, but very real. I make him repeat what my job is…my sole purpose in life, “To take care of ME” he says. Yes, that is my job, my passion, to take care of my children.

“Who do I love Zach?”

“ME!”  he answers with a huge smile.

Yet I wonder if I gave my children employee surveys to fill out on their boss, how would I rank? No, not every mommy is perfect, and us with little ones are apt to be greatly more exhausted than those with grown children. Whether we are doing a good job or not, that isn’t the issue at hand. It’s the overall spirit of my household that needed fine tuning yesterday morning.

How do I rank in setting the tone for my house?

Setting the tone, the atmosphere, the overall attitude of the home is not anyone’s job but mine. All mine. I am the one who stays home with the kids, raises them while husband is away, I clean the house, I cook the meals, this is my home and I love my job. So when I say after yesterday morning’s issues, the fault was with me, I mean I failed in setting the overall tone of peace and joy for my home.

We can be hurried, we can be rushed, we can even be a little snippy to each other if we are running late…but if I am mindful of the attitude I am portraying and concentrate on keeping the tone with an undercurrent of rest…then the children will follow me.

Today I woke up on time, I had time with the Lord, I drank my coffee and got myself ready for the day. Lunch was made in a timely manner and the kids were able to eat breakfast leisurely like they always do and with only a minimum of playful screaming at the top of their lungs (which is my favorite thing for them to do in the early morning, *said dripping with sarcasm.) They dressed and played (and fought) and we all got out of the door on time. The car ride was filled with music and it warmed my heart to hear Abby sing along with the words by Starfield to Jesus “…I am absolutely in looooove with youuuu.”

The day had gone on like that, very productive, very managable…joyful even. Who’s fault is that? Mine as well.

Are you pleased with the tone that is being set in your home?