Lady Cady

Faith * Family * Life

Life

Blanky

My second little boy somehow became attached to a blanket when he was a baby. It wasn’t anything we did intentionally – it just happened. He is three now, but he still takes it with him everywhere, and I mean everywhere. And oh, the crisis if it goes missing or we left it at home! (Or heaven forbid it needs washing…) “Where’d blanky go!” is all anyone hears until it’s found again. I sometimes call his blanket Linus after the character in the Peanuts cartoons or his Invisibility Cloak since it’s a camo pattern. We may think it’s silly and exasperating at times but it’s who our little boy is, and we love him for it. 🙂

On these pillows upon my bed
I like to rest my sleepy head
But the darkness comes in too
And I’m not sure just what to do.
My mama hugs and holds me tight
And chases away most of the fright
But she must go back to her bed
To rest her lovely, precious head.
So, with both hands I hold on tight
To my blanket through the night.
We cuddle up, it keeps me warm.
It gives me strength to face the storms
Or meet new people I do not know
Or go to places I don’t want to go.
I also need it to take a nap
Or cuddle up while on Dad’s lap.
It makes any story so much better
It even helps me learn my letters.
How glad I am that it chose me, –
To always keep me company.
To comfort me when I feel alone.
To comfort me through Life’s Unknown.
How glad I am each day and night
For my blanket, to hold on tight.

Light

Light – what a simple, amazing thing! We typically have a power outage or two or three every fall/winter because trees think it’s a great time to fall on power lines… It’s always fun in the beginning but we’re typically so glad when the power comes back on. How grateful we are for electricity! But even more amazing than that, is the Light of Christ. Oh, how blessed we are by His love!

A simple thing, – it helps me see
What’s on the floor in front of me.
Where I need to mow the lawn
And each pair of shoes that I put on.
It helps me see to read a book
And helps me see each meal I cook.
Appreciate my children’s faces
And where I need to clean in places.
It comes in my window with the rising sun
But doesn’t vanish when the day is done.
Instead, it twinkles in the night –
Oh, how beautiful the nighttime light!
It’s oh so needed to help things grow,
For each plant and seed we sow.
But of all the light by each survive, –
The light we really need to thrive –
Comes from a place we cannot see,
Someone who taught us how to be
And lived a while before our time.
Whose Perfectness was his crime.
But with our faith, if we follow Him,
He’ll kindly take away our sins,
And sorrows and each worldly care
For each brave soul who steps up and dares.
Oh, what a simple price to pay! –
To receive light brighter than the day.
So, no matter how dark the night,
With my faith I choose His light.

Springtime Serenade

We live in an area surrounded by wooded wetlands. We love it for many reasons, us being a family of introverts and all. Not long after we moved in, we began hearing a curious sound in the evenings we hadn’t heard before. Frogs. One will start and soon another until they are making noise all around. Then as quickly as they start, they quiet back down. Until another one starts it up again that is. In general, I’m not a fan of reptiles or amphibians but I have fallen in love with the sound our little friends make in the quiet of the evening. It has become something we look forward to each year as winter begins to fade into spring.

As the daytime fades to night,
And each star turns on its light,
One by one they each begin –
It’s time to sing their song again.
What will they sing tonight?
We each wonder with delight.
Will they share their wisdom told
Through generations young and old?
Will it be a new love song
Sung harmoniously through the throng?
Perhaps a lively little ditty –
One ne’er found throughout the city.
Or a solo, single frog
Sharing a heartfelt monologue.
Maybe a quiet simple tune
Meant to serenade the moon.
With each Ribet and each Croak
We love the peace each sound invokes.
For there’s nothing as magical as the sound
Of evening frogs, that can be found.

Chocolate

It’s Monday, Ya’ll. Enough said, right? Time to break out the chocolate! I inherited a lot of traits from my mother – one being a love for chocolate if you can’t tell. I eat a low carb/keto diet now for health reasons but thankfully I found Lily’s. Love. 😍

I’d like to introduce my friend –
One I’ll have until the end.
Hand in hand we face the day,
In the pantry, hid away.
They comfort me when days are long.
In the car, they tag along.
They never judge or criticize.
They listen while I analyze.
Sometimes they bring some peanut butter –
This always leaves my heart aflutter.
When I’m brave, I’ll share this friend,
To heal a heart that needs to mend.
Other times, They’re mine o’ mine –
Sorry – maybe I’ll share next time.
Holidays sure are the best,
If with this friend, I will be blessed.
They make any treat the best it’s been.
They bring me peace amidst the din.
I’m sure you see exactly why
I’ll have this friend until I die.

Little Tender Mercy

Have you ever had a day made just a little better by some small act of kindness or tiny, unexpected miracle? Aren’t those just the best days. 🙂

Why, hello little mercy! Just how are you?
Thank you for being so tender and true.
Thank you for coming in just the right time.
And thanks for the lift from the grit and the grime.
Thanks for the love you brought down to me
On the wings of an angel that I couldn’t see.
Thank you for making this day even better
In the form of a hug and even a letter.
Thank you for helping me out on my way.
Thank you for being what I needed today.

Better Every Day

Do you ever feel like failure’s your thing? Like every effort you make falls apart. Like you’ll never be as good as everyone else you know? The house will never be clean. The dinners never to everyone’s liking. Well, I feel that way all the time too and it’s okay. Really, we’re only getting better every day. ❤

Someone accused me of failure today.
In fact, there was truth to what they did say.
There was unfolded laundry on my bed in a heap.
And the kitchen floor badly needed a sweep.
My toddler’s face was covered in food.
In the corner, a shoe – recently chewed.
The sink was still full of dishes galore.
And we still have a need of food from the store.
There’re webs from the ceiling in a couple of places.
Some marks on the walls that need some erases.
I still haven’t made a million just yet
So, I still can’t afford my own private jet.
I still haven’t contacted my ministering sisters
And I still can’t quite fathom electronic resistors.
I’d love to just sit on the couch and be calm
But someone is still needed to water the palm.
And don’t get me started on dinner just yet –
I still can’t find one that doesn’t make someone upset.
Perhaps these thoughts are plaquing you too.
Perhaps we need to flip our world view.
Instead of a failure – we’re a smashing success.
Instead of just failing, we’re making progress.
Another day is complete, and our scriptures are read.
Another day is complete, and our children are fed.
We know how to work the washing machine.
We value the laughter from a big trampoline.
Our hug count today stretches into the twenties.
We know the value of our hard-earned brown pennies.
Instead of spending our time simply cleaning
We sat and we played, and we gave the world meaning.
We put on our bravery and made a new meal
And we sat and we listened to how our children do feel.
We taught and we tried and we smiled and we led.
We spent hours spreading our patience widespread.
Now if this still seems like a failure to you
Then maybe your view will always be somewhat askew.
Sucess is serving your family with meaning.
Success is loving and never demeaning.
It’s listening while others lean their sorrows on you.
It’s when to say no and what to pursue.
It’s picking yourself back up when it’s hard.
It’s kindness stretched past a foot to a yard.
It’s faith in the things that ultimately matter.
It’s faith in the Savior when life seems to shatter.
It’s giving your all when others question the worth.
It’s admiring the beauty on this beautiful earth.
It’s following the Lord when you don’t know the way.
It’s opening your mouth when you lack what to say.
It’s trying and trying and trying again
And seeing the worth in how far you’ve been.
Yes, my kitchen may still be in need of a sweep,
And I still may have days where I just want to weep.
But failure is not that I broke down and cried
Rather, success is the fact I showed up and tried.