Cleaning Confessions and a Moonlit Walk

      All right, I am just going to warn you now - if you are a clean freak - STOP READING.  Okay, you have been warned.  The last 3 weeks or so I have been trying to stick to a cleaning schedule of sorts.  I kept seeing these things on Pinterest about how to keep your house clean in 10-15 minutes a day, and I thought, well, there are a lot of things that I do for 10-15 minutes a day.  I could definitely give that time to trying to keep my house a little more clean.  I don't need to read every Facebook status that my "friends" have posted all day.  Maybe I should wash our sheets and towels.
      I grew up in a very clean home, and I remember liking that as a kid.  I want my children and husband to have a clean home, and I know this is possible.  We pick stuff up off the floor around here, but that is really different from actually cleaning things.  So, this cleaning schedule has been mostly a really good thing.  Every day I check it and see what my task is.  Some days are more cringe worthy than others - who ever likes to change their cats' litter box?  Other days I think - "oh, that's it?  that's so easy!" about something like dusting upstairs.  I tried to keep it pretty even from day to day, and I am on a two week rotation with most tasks.  That is clean enough for us, and I must say, it is much cleaner than before.  I am still working out the kinks, but so far, I think it is going well.  And, I will not have to wonder how long it has been since that particular toilet was cleaned.
      So, that is my little encouragement to you - you who probably already do a lot better at this than me.  There is usually time and space to start doing the things that need to be done anyway - I just require a system, apparently.
      Last night, John got home right around 5, and since it was such a nice day, we decided to go for a walk.  "Moonlit" somehow implies that this was romantic - I assure you, it was not, though the moon was out.  We had the two friends in tow, and though it was a little lacking in romance, it was rich with quality and moments that I hope make up the fabric of our family's life.  Time together, enjoying God's rich creation and the gift of one another's presence.

Here's a glimpse.

(I like the one on the left.  He will be posting on the blog tomorrow!)

I could see the moon in the water, but sadly, it didn't translate on film or pixels or whatever.

Thankful for these moments, especially after a whiny day with friends.  Some days are like that.