Unlucky but Blessed

The last month or so has been quite hectic for our finances and as a result for our stress in general. In the last four weeks we have had to replace our furnace, replace our car's fuel pump, and replace our computer's hard drive. We are essential a one income family, with three kids - we don't have a lot of extra cash. Figuring out how to pay for all these things has not been easy, however, in the midst of it all I've been reminded of how blessed I am. That I have Jeremy and that I don't have to face any of life's unexpected turns alone. That we have good friends; one who just happens to own an HVAC company, and who worked hard to keep our spending at a minimum. Moreover, that even the people we aren't personal friends with have treated us fairly. We are blessed to be surrounded by good people.

As we were debating about what do with our computer, I was also reminded of how spoiled I am - that not having a computer (while owning an i-pad and an i-phone) was what I considered difficult. I'm not saying it wasn't hard or that I didn't have a right to think it was hard. This was our third unexpected expense and those combined with some extended family drama made not throwing in the towel somedays hard. Reminding myself that there are a lot more important things that I don't have to worry about, though, has made it easier: we have pantry and freezer full of food, my kids are healthy, and while not perfect, we have a solid marriage. We may have run in to a little bit of bad luck over the  last month but it doesn't change the fact that I'm very blessed.

Speaking of "luck",  I've also been wanting to share our Saint Patrick's day pictures. Despite the stress Jeremy and I have been under, we still made it a point to stick with our traditions and celebrate this playful holiday. Our kids seem to look forward to these little festivities and for Jeremy and I celebrating the small stuff helps us to remember to be grateful. 

We started our celebration on Sunday by getting all decked out in green for church. The kids' Great Aunts were kind enough to send them some new green attire. 

The pictures below made me laugh. Mini Man, our most dramatic child, decided he was simple not going to smile for the pictures. Unfortunately, for him Little Lady wasn't about to let that happen. 

The same Aunts' who sent the clothes also usually send us a box of Lucky Charms. It's one of few times during the year that this kids get cereal other than Joe's O's or Raisin Bran so they are always really stoked. We also tell them that a leprechaun must of snuck in an dyed the milk green. 

Another thing that our leprechaun does is hide rhyming clues around the house, which lead the kids to a rainbow and some gold. We change it up a bit every year - click here to see our leprechaun hunt from 2012. 

This year our rainbows hung from our attic door and the gold was "under" the rainbows in our laundry chute. 

It was a fun day! In addition, to celebrating the more silly side of Saint Patrick's day with lots green and leprechauns we've also tried to make sure our kids have an understanding of Saint Patrick himself. Three books that I highly recommend for young children are  Patrick: Patron Saint of Ireland by Tomie dePaola, Patrick: Saint of Ireland by Diana Mayo, and The Story of Saint Patrick by James Janda.