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Embracing Joy

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I made a goal not too long ago to write something about once a month or so.  As November winds to an end, I have been feeling pressure to put something down.  Trying to steer clear of a simple Thanksgiving post, I've noticed something else that has stuck me as we head into the Christmas season.  The joy, excitement and wonder that children bring to just about everything.  
Photo courtesy of Erin's Instagram page

We hosted Thanksgiving this year and in order to make room for everyone, and have everyone at least in the same room for dinner we did some serious rearranging of furniture.  We moved a couch basically into our kitchen and used our front room, our library, as we call it, to add a couple tables so everyone could eat more or less in the same room.  

While this chore was not at all remarkable, the reaction to it by Nathan and Andrew has stuck with me.  We had moved all the furniture prior to the boys coming home from school.  On the walk home from the bus stop, I told them there was a surprise at home, that we had done something "crazy" to the house.  At first they did a bit of guessing, not convinced that I had set up bunk beds downstairs for them to sleep in that week.  Finally, after finishing up their guessing they simply couldn't wait any longer and sprinted home to find out what craziness mom and dad had unleashed at home.  

Once home, instead of being unimpressed with our furniture rearrangements the boys instead thought this was the greatest thing ever, and just ran around the house screaming at the "craziness" of simply rearranging furniture.  The pure excitement of something as simple and different as moving a couch and some tables brought such joy and excitement to them.  It was a similar reaction (maybe not quite as sustained) as when we went to Disneyland.  

That joy and excitement at such a simple thing hasn't left me in the last few days.  I just can't stop thinking about how quickly children are to embrace joyfulness.  And this is just one example of the countless things that Nathan and Andrew will just explode with excitement at the single mention of. Hot cocoa:  prepare for shouting and jumping.   Decorating for Christmas: watch out they will start without you before you are even able to take your coat off after bringing up the decorations.  Mention turning on the TV and Andrew will instantly do a happy dance.  The Huskies winning their 7th straight Apple Cup: oh boy, prepare for chaos.  

In this season of preparation one of my goals is to embrace joy.  To, maybe not shout and jump up and down at just the thought of moving furniture, but to find joy in both the little and the big.  To be grateful for all the great gifts we have.  To have fun and be silly.  To embrace that fun and excitement that Nathan and Andrew so often display and maybe even, gasp, join them in a little dance here and there.  I hope you are able to do the same.  Merry Christmas!
The boys were very proud of decorating the tree and
apparently are posing now in pictures.  

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