The 5th Of July

This is what's happening in the Carling home on the ever important day, the 5th of July.

This morning I woke up at 5:30 (Haley calls waking up early my disease.) I read my scriptures and said my prayers. A great start to any day!

I put on my walking clothes and headed out into the lovely, hot, muggy weather that is Gilbert, Arizona. Oreo had a rough night with all of the fireworks so he decided to stay home and not go walking with me.

I came home, put laundry in (holidays really mess me up, Thursday is normally laundry day), cleaned up the kitchen, straightened the back patio, folded the whites, and sat down to have breakfast.

I then went to my computer to see what bing.com had up today. Andie and I love to visit bing.com each day, they almost always have a really neat landscape or amazing wildlife on their site. For example, Wednesday's picture was of Gettysburg, PA and now acts as my wallpaper. Yesterday was a cool picture of a city center in Colorado lit up red, white and blue. Today it's a Kermode bear in Canada. Check it out! It's awesome.

Of course no morning would be complete without checking emails, missionary blogs and FB. Here's what greeted me on FB.

They're cute. Brooke is getting very creative with her new camera. We should have put "Rylee" in the picture too but we can't find her face. Of course on FB Brooke also posted pictures of me and I'm not really sure I like having pictures of me posted on FB. All pictures must be approved before they make an appearance and they rarely are. Oh well.

As I reflect on yesterday's events (we had a really nice day) I can't help but think of something Haley said yesterday morning as Andie was opening her presents. I was admiring the lovely streamers Haley and Brooke had put up (staying up until 1:30 a.m. to do so while Steve and I slept.) I thanked the girls and Haley said, "Well I was feeling like Andie was losing her childhood since I heard her say the other night that she would have to wait for the tooth fairy to go to the bank before she put her newly lost tooth under her pillow. So I decorated for her birthday, you guys used to do that for us."

Ouch.

At first I felt like a failure but then I realized it's okay for siblings to step up and serve each other. Andie knows I love her, it's important for her to know her sisters love her too. Haley and Brooke took the time to make her birthday special. Brooke even made her her requested ice cream birthday cake.

The other night Andie wanted to play on the Wii and so Brooke accommodated, here they are playing Just Dance.

More than anything on this day I am grateful for the blessings we have as a family. I am grateful for my family. Things aren't always perfect but I am learning to count my blessings and be content and happy with the things I do have. The proof  is in the pictures!