"Treasure the doing..."

It's been since Christmas since I've hosted an Elggren family get-together, so it's our turn for Father's Day on Sunday. Looking around my house, I'm wondering how long it's going to take me to get it up to my standards again before Sunday! I admit, I've been spending a lot more time just playing with my kids since they've been home for the summer. Yesterday we spent the afternoon in the pool and playing Battleship, Sorry & Pretty Pretty Princess together. I usually clean when they are in school and Claire's napping, though having them do daily chores helps a little.

However, I think of myself as an upbeat, positive person, and here's what I see:

*My laundry hamper is full of wet swimsuits and towels because we went swimming yesterday and the kids had swim lessons last night (but I'm glad we have a pool so we can get outside occasionally in this oppressively HOT weather)

*Corey made his bed himself, so the bedspread isn't straight and his sheets aren't pulled all the way to the top (but it's really hard to make a bunk bed when you're only 5 and he always does it without a reminder)

*Fingerprints on my sliding glass door (due the the kids and their friends going in and out of the house all week, which I love)

*Claire's toys all over the family room (hard to believe she's getting around enough to make a mess now, but I love it)

*Crayons, paper scraps and scissors in my office (Ashlyn makes crafts for me when she gets up before me. Love the crafts, if not the mess:-)

I'm reminded of M. Russell Ballard's talk "Daughters of God" from the April, 2008 General Conference. He quotes author Anna Quindlen:

So, even though there is laundry to be done, toys to pick up and fingerprints that need to be washed away, I will get it done...eventually.