It rained on a Monday.

I think it's sort of sad when a week starts out with rain. It always makes me want to just crawl into bed & stay there for a while until the week decides that it will start over again, only this time, it will do a much better job with the bright & sunny aspects. 

Today was rainy & grey - on a Monday - so maybe that's why Quinn was leaning towards melancholy. Or maybe it was just another day of not feeling quite his very best. The amount of snot that I've suctioned out of this poor boy's nose in the past few days has been unbelievable. I'm so sad for him. Having dealt with allergies much of my life (& with lots of congestion as a result), I feel total empathy during those times when his breathing makes him sound like a farm animal. It's so, so very sad to have a sick baby. We've done a lot of cuddling, a lot of rocking, & spent some good time resting at home. I think that things are finally on the upswing, & I was able to put a happy baby to bed tonight. His cough is just finally starting to get better, & I took friend Carly's advice & ordered the NoseFrida today (which will arrive tomorrow - thank you, Amazon Prime). Fingers crossed he's all cleared up after a good night's rest & we won't even have to use it. Anyway. I know it's just a cold. I know he'll get better. But it makes me worried when he struggles to eat, & when air is getting blocked by boogers. I also know & understand that this anxiety that I feel because my son has a cold - it's an aspect of parenthood that will likely only be magnified as the years go on & the issues get even bigger.

A man from our church passed away last weekend. As it most often is, it was entirely unexpected. He had just celebrated a birthday with his family last week - younger than my own dad. My heart has just ached for the people who knew & loved him. It really just takes my breath away to think about losing the people close to me, & hearing of his death on Sunday morning made me both immediately grateful for the things that I have - health, strong relationships & knowledge of a simple & true gospel plan - & also more fully aware of how quickly some of these things can be taken from us. I know that we shouldn't be scared of dying - because when you know where you're going, when you understand that we have a God to go home to, that we'll continue to love & learn - it's a beautiful & necessary thing. But the importance of how we live today - so often the tragic serves as the most clear of reminders. 

This seems so simple, but I'm really grateful for parents who have always shown me that they love me. They say it often of course, but more importantly, they've shown it to me. As a result, I've never questioned it, & we've had a close relationship throughout my life. Really, it's a brilliant insurance policy on relationships, as it's clear that they both understand how actions carry so much more weight   than any form of words ever could. Anyway, I say this because the way I was raised continues to make my priorities as a wife & a parent more clear. When I think about how I want to treat my husband, & what kind of mother I want to be for my son, I know that I want to always show them love. Because there should never be any question, right? Just in case, but also because this kind of unquestionable love is what makes us truly happy. 

So. Another week! Another day. Sometimes both are daunting, but I'm going to try to be better at making the most of them. I'm trying to be a good wife. I'm learning to be a better mama. Just a little bit better every day. That's the goal.