I'm currently snuggled under the covers fighting the urge to let my head hit the pillow as my kitty is curled up by my feet and rain drops coat the window. There's nothing quite like crawling into a cozy bed when the weather is gloomy and a chill is in the air. The weather in May is always a guessing game in Wisconsin. There have been years where it snows, and others where Memorial Day is a full day of sunshine and boating on the lake. Today I am not complaining about the weather taking a bit of a dip into the 40's, because May has been off to a great start. This past weekend was absoutely beautiful! It was amazing to pull out shorts and a tank top and feel the warmth of the sun on my skin in my own front yard. Of course we had to take full advantage and spend most of the weekend outside, grilling and soaking up every bit of warmth possible.

Much like I tried to do this weekend, I've decided that my goal for May is to soak it up. I feel like every time I write, I battle the desire to say, "man, time flies!" because seriously... it does. When it gets closer to the summer months I feel like time starts to go even faster, as weekends rapidly fill up with weddings, trips to the cabin, and all sorts of get-togethers as everyone is finally coming out of their houses from the winter hibernation. Thinking ahead through this month, and even into June I started to feel anxiety bubble up in my gut as I thought about how quickly the summer is going to fill up and race by. As quick as the anxiety rose up, I squashed it. I stopped myself from letting those thoughts run any further and decided that the best thing I can do to slow time down, is to savor each moment. I want to take full advantage of the days that the Lord has blessed me with and be intentional about taking moments where instead of getting lost in the chaos, I take a look around me and praise God for what He's provided.

With this goal in mind- I thought I'd share a few ways that I plan on embracing this goal to soak it up.

1 – Don’t play the comparison game.

I keep catching myself looking at my lawn and lack of landscaping and feeling like the loser on the block. Since this is not my area of expertise, reshaping and improving the curb appeal of our yard has been so slow in coming. It is really hard not to look down the block and feel envy for how beautiful others' yards are. I need to work on lowering my comparison and upping my praise for what I’ve been given- and knowing that these things take time!

2 – Take time to just be.

Especially if an upcoming week is jam-packed, I need to create space to just sit out on the porch and enjoy a cup of coffee (or champagne) and praise God for the breath in my lungs.

3 – Exercise my “No”.

It’s so easy to fill up every spare minute in the day, the week, or the month. I need to remind myself it’s okay to say "No" every once in awhile and take time for myself and for my husband.

4 – Get outside.

A little sun on the skin, does SO much good for my soul. I need to remember this when the laundry is calling and the stress is piling. Taking a few minutes to head outside, take a breather, and thank God for the sun might be just what I need to manage my time and get what I need to done (or learn what can be put aside for later).

5 – Celebrate.

The Lord doesn’t want us to just float through life, He wants us to be full of joy and embrace what He has given us. So, I want to be intentional about celebrating those moments. My big 29 is coming up in a few days, Mother’s day is just around the corner, and before we know it Memorial day will be upon us. Each of these create great opportunities to exercise my celebration muscles this month. I am praying that each is full of joy and laughter!!!

I know that these goals are a bit more abstract, but I am hoping that I can make tangible, practical steps in making each of these happen. Who knows, maybe I'll start this afternoon by taking time to just be- following Finn's example, and taking a little cat nap.

Praying that you, too, can look at this month with joy in your heart and intentionality to soak up every minute.