Every night our family prays together {love}.

I always ask our littles to share with God what they are most thankful for.

I love listening to their sweet, gentle voices as they tell Him about the simple things

{that possibly would seem mundane to others},

that they found great pleasure in.

It could be simply going outside to ride their bikes…

playing in their secret hide-out with their friends after school…

building an amazing fort out of our couch cushions

{which they happened to squeeze in before school this morning},

cuddling together while reading a picture book,

or finally having a treat they’ve been begging for all afternoon!

They don’t complicate things….

and they have no reason to focus on the negative

and get caught up in life’s stress.

They are kids…

they focus on the good of the day…

the simple things that make their hearts happy {thank goodness}.

Obviously, we can all learn a lot from our children.

During this month of November…

I am going to try to have a heart like a child,

and focus on the simple things in my life that bring me happiness….

I will remember to keep a thankful heart…

and a gracious spirit…

even when life gets hectic and seems overwhelming.

Today, I took particular notice of the cold,

crisp afternoon wind that sent chills down my spine…

{but in a good Fall-like fashion}.

With it brought a moment of peace and clarity that I needed.

I hope that you will join me in keeping note of the things that make you smile…

the things you are truly grateful for during this season of your life.

{xo, sara}

{Via: I Am Momma – Hear Me Roar: Wake Up Wednesday}

My son is turning 6.  I think that sounds like a big number.

One that I can’t seem to wrap my mind around.  My son Mason is my first born.

He is my first baby and first experience into motherhood.

As many of my friends and family know, Mason is on the Autism Spectrum.

We found this out early on and some have been there to support us through this experience.

We are blessed in so many ways as we had noticed some red flags early at the age of

19 months.  With the help and guidance of friends and family we sought help and were

able to start services to help Mason out.  These services and therapy have helped my son

to main stream into a general education kindergarten.  Amazing it seems that we experienced

so much in 6 years.  Some days it has felt like forever and some days it feels like yesterday when

he looked like this******

I don’t know why but for some reason I feel really emotional about this age.  We have over come so much.

Mason really has been a gift from god.  He of course like all kids he has had his moments.

These moments were much more magnified than the average child with tantrums and losing and

regaining his speech and language, but what I have learned from this gift is patience and to

not sweat the small stuff.  I have understood that I need to slow down and when

things seem hard they can be worse.  To see him playing soccer and

socializing with his friends at school is a beautiful site.

He enjoys riding his bike and making sound effects, pretending

its a motorcycle by sticking a water bottle below the seat.  He swims like a fish and wants

to be a train engineer some day.  He adores President Lincoln and loves historical events.

He can’t wait to visit the Queen Mary soon as it is the closest thing that compares to

The Titanic.  He is a whiz at Legos.  He will always have his quirks.

But I do believe in recovery after all the speech, ABA therapy, and occupational therapy.

He is my sunshine and he is my love and he has accomplished so much!

Happy 6th Birthday to our Mason!