Elegant beauties of everyday life

I was reminded recently of  a beautiful and poignant piece of encouragement from President Uchtdorf: 

"Never stop striving for the best that is within you. Never stop hoping for all of the righteous desires of your heart. But don’t close your eyes and hearts to the simple and elegant beauties of each day’s ordinary moments that make up a rich, well-lived life."


As a stay at home mom, my days are pretty much all alike, and they certainly don't seem elegant. We have the same routine most days of the week and after awhile, one day sort of blends into the next. I often tell Jared that on the weekends, I want to do something different. I don't care what it is or how long it takes or when I do it, but I just need something to break up the routine of everyday life, so that it actually feels like a weekend. 


But, monotonous as the days and weeks may be, I am so glad to be able to spend all day with Libby. It is a miracle to witness her learn new skills, speak new words, and just be her adorable self. I do find myself vainly wishing for more hours in the day, so I could tackle one more project or read one more book or try one more recipe or swim one more mile. But I feel renewed and motivated now to open my eyes to the joy of every day. 

kissing dad goodnight

President Uchtdorf's words came to my mind the other night as I was curled up in the dark rocking Libby to sleep. She was totally out, but I just kept rocking her, thinking to myself, "if this isn't a 'simple and elegant beauty,' I don't know what is.