Mornings

This past fall, I began to change some habits. (And in doing so, began some new ones!)

I have never described myself as a morning person. Night owl here, through and through. 

I love the quiet of the night...I find myself productive and creative at night. I love to be awake with the moon and the stars and the peace. 

But this night owl finds that with children, the morning comes too early and with much energy and noise, though not my own.

And so I realized that for me to be cheerful in the morning, I needed to begin my day before my children do. To enjoy a bit of peace. To wake up to the day with quiet, so that I can be ready for the energy that barrels down the stairs at 7 am. To embrace the day, I needed to embrace the morning. Earlier.

Each morning, I wake up around 6 (sometimes earlier, sometimes later). I shower, dress in something comfortable and my big cozy sweater, and head downstairs.

{Now, in all my adult days, I've never been a morning coffee drinker. I stumbled upon the mug in the picture above at Barnes & Noble and laughed, because it would have described me perfectly at this time last year.  I always loved fancy coffees for a treat or regular coffee with dessert in the evenings...but never NEVER in the morning. I've been a morning tea drinker since college.

But making tea in my teakettle is noisy first thing in the morning, and I don't like waking my kiddos any earlier by accident. So, when I noticed that there was a cup of coffee left in the coffeepot each morning after Brent left for work, I started pouring a cup. Enter new habit.}

So, I pour myself a cup of coffee, turn on the gas fireplace or light some candles, and wrap myself in a warm blanket. And then I spend time reading the Word.

I am using the Reading Plan app on my phone to read through the Bible in a year, using the thematic reading option. (I am liking this plan so far...recommended to me by Brent...and I have to admit, it's fun to check the little boxes as I read and see the progress of my reading, especially since this reading plan jumps from book to book around the Bible rather than going straight through it.)

Any extra time I have is spent in prayer, reading a book (right now, I'm finishing up Desperate by Sally Clarkson and Sarah Mae), or writing in my journal.

I am treasuring this time...

...although I'm still working on a compromise between my night-owl tendencies and new-found love for the morning hours.

How about you? Night owl or early bird? Coffee or tea?
What is your morning routine?