Happy New Year 2016!

It’s 3pm on a sunny NYE afternoon. Both of my kiddos are napping, which never happens. Instead of working on my never-ending “to do” list, I decided to just sit and reflect. I am sitting in my oversize chair in my bedroom, looking out the window at the beautiful white covered land that brings me great peace. I always claim to dislike snow, but this winter, I have found a new beauty in the white blanket.

Seeing the animals in their thick winter coats, roaming the woods without the camouflage of leaves,  brings me joy and settles my “always thinking” mind.  As I watched four deer slowly walk around and then settle down to rest, unaware that they were being watched, I felt such a sense of peace.  I quietly told myself, “life is beautiful”.  I then realized that it was more than just that. That moment was reminding me that simple is beautiful. All it took to bring a sense of calm and beauty to my soul was to look out the window. I truly love sharing my land with four-legged creatures. Yesterday, I saw deer, coyotes and a bald eagle without leaving my house. Nature is calming.

Can you spot the 2 deer laying down?

I peaked in on my children a few moments ago.  This. 

This is beautiful.  This makes my heart happy. This simple little thing.

Everything happens for a reason, right??  Rylee never naps…hasn’t in a couple of years.  But today, she asked if she could go lay down with Wyatt, who was already sleeping. I believe this happened so that I could take this hour to reflect, recharge and remind myself of what matters.

With this, I know what my goal is for the new year:

I challenge myself to enjoy the simple life in 2016. To slow down. To spend more time outdoors in nature.  To mentally capture beautiful moments with my family. To be more thankful for the simple beauty that is my life.

Cheers to you, my friends, for a simply beautiful new year!