Beauty From A Wife And Mother's View ~ 101 Ways I May See It

They say that beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. Well everyday I see more beauty than my eyes can hold, and it goes all the way to my heart. I know, most people think that beauty is a perfect figure or bulging muscles. They think that it's a pretty face or a pretty place. But in my eyes - the eyes of a proud mommy and wife, beauty is something that is not only seen but felt. And it's all around me everyday.

1. The sight of my pregnant, bulging belly as I am carrying a child.
2. My other children wanting to know how the baby got in there.
3. The sight of my newborn infant, laying in my arms.
4. My husband beam with pride as he holds the baby.
5. Then collapses into a chair exhausted, as if he's the one that worked to get him here.
6. The sounds of B-I-N-G-O and Old MacDonald blaring on CD.
7. The sight of my husband as he comes through the door after a long day of work; hair messed up, whiskery face, and dirty clothes.
8. When he hugs me and smells like B.O. because he's put in a long day at work to support our family.
9. My family sitting around the dinner table enjoying a meal that I cooked.
10. My six-year old daughter when she smiles at me and is missing three teeth.
11. My baby boy with his chest covered in slobber.
12. My children outside with dirt on their faces playing in the mud.
13. Toys on the floor.
14. Stretch marks that came from carrying three children.
15. My husband asleep in front of the fireplace.
16. My baby standing in his crib in the middle of the night crying for Mommy.
17. He instantly shuts up when I reach down and pick him up because he's safe in Mommy's arms.
18. The sight of a dirty bathtub after my children take a bath.
19. Our family, as we worship together on Sunday.
20. My kids preferring hot dogs over steak.
21. My baby unloading the dishwasher as I try to load it.
22. The sight of my husband being used as a horsie by my kids.
23. My baby's first word. (Even if it's Da Da).
24. My family as we bow our heads to pray together.
25. The sight of my husband holding my hand.
26. The sight of spit-up on my clothes.
27. Even better, the sight of spit-up in Daddy's face as he holds the baby above his head to play and he decides to puke.
28. My children singing kids songs and using anything as microphones.
29. The sound of my child learning to read.
30. My child telling me when they're hungry or thirsty and knowing I'll take care of them.
31. My husband patting my pregnant belly.
32. Our family riding in the family vehicle - anywhere.
33. Watching my children play house and act like miniature versions of their daddy and me.
34. My sleeping child.
35. My husband laughing as he tickles the children.
36. My baby as he tries to crawl away when I'm trying to change his diaper.
37. When my husband calls me in the middle of the day to see what I'm doing.
38. I can't talk because the baby's screaming or wants to take the phone away from me.
39. The smile on the baby's face when I finally put the phone to his ear and he hears Da Da.
40. Watching him look into the phone trying to find Da Da.
41. The look of slobber on my cheek after I've been kissed by my child.
42. The look on my baby's face when he tries to kiss his Daddy but his lips are poked with whiskers.
43. The excitement of my children when they get to lick the bowl when I make brownies.
44. The look of brownie mix on their face.
45. My husband sleeping beside me.
46. My son as he tries to help Mom vacuum and sucks up a sock.
47. My daughter's proud look when she makes her bed and I brag on her.
48. My son, when he bothers to make his bed at all.
49. The sight of a charred burrito after my daughter put it in the microwave for 10 minutes.
50. Feeling little arms cling to my legs making it impossible to walk.
51. My baby nursing.
52. The sight of my husband when he catches a big fish.
53. Watching him put worms on the rest of our hooks.
54. Watching him take the fish off if we catch one.
55. Watching my baby splash in the tub.
56. All five of us piled in one bed.
57. The look of bright eyes on Christmas Day.
58. The boyish look on my husband's face as he plays with the kids' toys while they beg for them back.
59. The look on my husband's face when he comes home and the house is actually clean.
60. The sight of toys and junk piling out when you open my son's closet after he's cleaned his room.
61. The sound of "I love you, Momma."
62. My husband kissing me.
63. My husband seeing me as beautiful even when I carry extra pounds.
64. The relieved look on my husband's face when a bill finally gets paid off.
65. The sight of dirt beads around my baby's neck.
66. My son when he decides to change his shirt after wearing it for three days.
67. The guilty look on my husband's face when he brings home a traffic ticket.
68. The sight of my wedding pictures.
69. My husband's smile.
70. The hole in my son's jeans that were just bought last week.
71. My daughter as she spills something on her church dress five minutes before we walk out the door.
72. Needing to shampoo the carpet at least once a month.
73. My daughter prancing around in my dress.
74. Kissing boo boo's and making it all better with a little band-aid.
75. Catching myself at the library checking out "How to Organize Your Life & Get Rid of Clutter" then going to Big Lots and hitting the bargains.
76. Trying to convince my son that he'll need Math in the future.
77. Pulling gum out of the carpet.
78. Pulling gum out of hair.
79. Hearing my baby say "Jesus."
80. Watching my baby play with the clothes in the laundry basket.
81. Scattering them before I get the chance to fold them.
82. My husband's face when I remind him we have an anniversary coming up.
83. Then watching him as he tries to act like he already knew.
84. Hearing my baby bang pots and pans.
85. The relief of finding there was no food in them.
86. Seeing the mini blinds stretched out where little ones have looked out.
87. My daughter leaving little lip prints on the mirror.
88. Hearing my children pray on their own.
89. Hearing my children try to explain why they decided to spray paint the porch.
90. A swing-set in the yard.
91. Driving a mini van.
92. Hearing a chorus of little voices ring out, "Daddy's home!"
93. Watching the children cling to him as he steps through the door.
94. Opening my cabinet door and seeing Gerber cereal beside macaroni and cheese.
95. Hearing my little girl say, "You look pretty, Mommy."
96. Trying to come up with solutions to my children's complaint of, "I'm bored."
97. Watching them come up with something to do after all after I suggest they clean their rooms.
98. The fact that my family is in good health is definitely beautiful.
99. Sitting closely with my family in the dark after a storm has knocked out the lights.
100. Listening to an audio book as a family.
101. The fact that I realize what true beauty is.

You may be thinking, "How do you see beauty in pulling gum out of the carpet? Well, it's not that I actually enjoy seeing gum in the carpet or having to constantly pick up toys, but I realize that I have something very precious and priceless. These things are just small prices that have to be paid for having a happy family.

I get so weary from seeing things all the time that are so anti-family. Companies don't feel like they can even sell a product anymore unless they have scantily dressed women advertising it. You can't even turn a TV on anymore without seeing some form of immodesty or violence. (Our family won't even own one).

Homes are broken up everyday because of what the world now portrays as beautiful. Images are thrown in our faces everyday of very unrealistic life styles. People get unsatisfied in relationships because they think they're missing out, only to find out after they've lost their homes that it was all just an illusion.

I'd rather peel gum up off the floor.