Glorious beginning...

Inspired by Rochelle's post, I want to write about something that changed an awful beginning to a glorious one.

Monday was a long day. We awoke at 4AM Idaho time (3AM home time) and drove for 12 hours and 45 minutes with only 3 or 4 stops along the way (I can't really remember). We unpacked. We got the kids cleaned up. DH picked up dinner and then we drove to the Oakland Temple for our ward's annual Ward Family Home Evening night. We had a great picnic in the park behind the Temple, then it was off to the Temple itself for the "lesson". We were divided into groups and went to stations where we learned briefly (3 minutes) about the Temple, our Savior, and about being a Light to the world. Cookies finished off the night and we drove home. We put the kids to bed and crashed ourselves.

I was up all night with #4. I don't know why --I'm thinking growth spurt, now, since it's been happening all week --but he just wouldn't sleep for very long. However, when dawn came, I got myself ready to go walking with a friend at 6:15AM. Great walk! Next came getting the house ready for the arrival of some friends. The kids and I drove to the Oakland Airport to pick them up (EXPLANATION OF GUESTS: DH worked with the Deacon's Quorum --in several capacities--in our last ward for 5 1/2 years. 3 of those deacons are now graduated from high school and 2 have their mission calls. For 5 years, these boys would come to our home and hang out, eat our food, babysit our kids, do some chores, play x-box with DH, ask girl advice, etc. Two of them decided to come and see us. They are here for the week. They are like little brothers to me and it's so fun to have them here! I just wish the third one could have come...).
We then drove to the Oakland Temple for the boys to see it.
Tuesday night was again long. Very long. I didn't have a friend to meet for my 6:15AM walk Wed. morning, but DH convinced me to go. Sort of. I went because I was angry with him for trying to get me to go and I had to get away from the house. Yeah, I know, that makes no sense!
Anyway, so I went.
I forgot my ipod.
I huffed around the trail and opted to take the alternate trail my friend had shown me the day before. I got to the top of the very steep hill, where there are several oak trees growing in an oval around some grass, a few benches, and a tall flag pole with the American Flag flying up high. At the far end of the grass there is a memorial for the Vietnam soldiers from my city that had died in Vietnam. The wind was blowing; I stopped briefly to read the memorial. Nobody was around --it was the wind, the rising sun, my breath, the smell of grass, and the sound of ducks and geese in the distance. It was peaceful.
As I started down the hill again, I realized my anger with DH was unfounded, my frustration with no sleep would pass, and that I was amazingly lucky to be able to experience that peaceful moment that morning. No whining, no crying, no begging, no phone, no television, no requests, etc. Just me and nature and God.