Choosing Contentment

Dave & I have a great system going on- he works full time & I go to the salon once he is home from work 2 days a week plus Saturdays. It allows us to not have to place our kids in daycare which is awesome. But it also means that with me working very part time our finances are tight. We were hoping to go to Mexico this winter but we had to make the decision that it wasn't wise to spend a chunk of money that size on ourselves at this point in our lives. I want a larger house but our house is just not going to sell for the amount we need to be able to comfortably move. Actually it won't even sell for the amount we bought it for! Darn economy. I'd like to have a date night out with Dave once a week but after we pay a sitter & for dinner we are spending a small fortune just for a few hours alone. I'd love a new car, to finish replacing the windows in our house, I'd like to build the kids a giant playhouse in the backyard & put up a privacy fence. All of the wants I have have begun overshadowing the great things we DO have. Like for instance the ability to let my kids nap in their own beds everyday, or have a full day off of all activities during the week to do whatever we want. Getting lost in our imaginations digging for treasures on the back yard & listening to Toby's baby snores when I rock him to sleep. Collecting acorns at the park, building sands castles, chasing imaginary dinosaurs, having a "sand" tea party. When I stop to think of all the awesomeness surrounding us I am completely content. Contentment (I'm finding) is a choice, a way of thinking. And so I am going to choose to be content. I'm going to stop making a wish list & spend more energy enjoying what we have & being thankful for it.