My Favorite Messes

I don't actually like messes, nor do I enjoy cleaning them, but there are certain messes that still manage to make me smile. They remind me of cherished moments and people I love. I think it baffles poor Scott to imagine having a favorite mess, since he is such a fan of things being clean, but these are the messes that sort of make my life feel complete.

~ The messy kitchen on Saturday mornings. I don't particularly enjoy cleaning the kitchen or doing dishes, though it's one of my more favorable chores, but there is something about the mess that is left behind after a big family breakfast on Saturday mornings that makes it all seem worth it. We don't get to have a big breakfast any other day of the week because we're too busy getting ready for work or church. Saturdays are the only time we can get a slow start to the day, lazily sip on coffee, and enjoy food that requires multiple bowls, pans, plates, and utensils. Pancakes, french toast, muffins, waffles, eggs, bacon, biscuits...those kinds of things. We can usually get Grayson to eat our healthy version of pancakes and maybe a bite or two of eggs, so that feels like a win. :) The mess of batter, dirty dishes, opened containers of butter and honey, and Grayson's sticky placemat are the evidence of some of my favorite moments as a family.

taken a couple years ago, when Grayson was younger...it gets even messier now!

~ Coffee rings on my nightstand. While it's not as rare as the Saturday morning breakfast, I cherish the weekday morning rituals too. This is the time that I sit in bed, drink coffee, and read the Bible with Scott and Grayson (and soon - Adam!). Unfortunately we haven't been regularly sharing this time while I'm on maternity leave because I've been trying to get as much sleep as possible before going back to work, but it's one of the things I'm eager to get back to soon. Those stubborn coffee stains might be unsightly, but they are a happy reminder of my time with my family and Jesus...my favorite way to start the day.

his first time experiencing early morning Bible study!

~ Scattered books and stuffed animals, aka - Grayson's "friends." We call Grayson's toys his friends...which I guess is weird and might cause some sort of complex for him later in life, but oh well! These messes are easy to tidy up, which is one nice thing about them, but I mainly love it because it proves our house has a family living in it. A family with small children. And I happen to really love those small children! :) So while I don't generally leave those messes lying around for too long, I adore seeing our house being so lived in. We bought this house with dreams of filling it with a little family of our own, and those scattered "friends" are, in a way, a dream come true!

surprisingly, I don't have many pictures that capture this type of mess. I guess that's probably on purpose! ha!

~ Sidewalk chalk. I guess this is more art than mess (theoretically! ha!), but I suppose that depends on who you ask! I just love that it stays for days and days as a colorful little artifact of all the fun we had that day.

when we announced our pregnancy with Adam

I'm sure there are others, and there are plenty of messes that don't give me the warm fuzzies (scrubbing the shower being my very least favorite!)! But these are just a few of my life's happy little messes right now!