I’m still spending time with my family as the only focus, but I had to add a little disclaimer today…
I first published the following post last August.
As I prepare to send my oldest child to first grade, the first time she will be away from me all day every day, my heart yearns for the baby face she had just last year.
I desire to brush back those long curls from Samuel’s forehead that are no longer there.
And Spencer, the baby. He looked much like a baby just a short year ago and now he’s an all potty-trained, in-a-big-boy-bed, no-longer-using-a-paci rough and tumble mischievious boy with a penchant for sweets and shrieking.
So I see these photos and remember the walk and I can’t help but think…STOP. Please just stop.
And yet I know this is unnatural. So I’ll choose to savor more…
Enjoy the fleeting moments of today.
It’s been ridiculously hot around this Midwestern town. I mean so much so that we have been acting like it’s winter and just staying inside.
But Monday? Not so much. It was absolutely beautiful. The high was 80 degrees. The morning temperature was 65. Yes, heaven. Respite and hope for us humidity-imprisoned souls of central Indiana.
We packed a lunch and headed to a local park with a sprawling playground and phenomenally beautiful nature trails that are perfect for the discovery of new bugs, plants, and trees.
We climbed “mountains”. Yes, in Indiana. Mountains.
We picked wildflowers – even though they made Samuel sneeze.
We dug in the dirt and found a dead cicada. Of course, the boys were thrilled.
We looked over bridges and asked “science-y” kind of questions that my hands-on-ex-elementary-teacher brain adored. Until Sarah shared that she was tired of hearing about why the stream is now dry.
We found sticks and…
giggled on a late summer day at the conclusion of a season in which all siblings have grown closer – in fact, a season in which we have all grown closer.
We discussed “God’s paintbrush” and the gift He gives us in landscapes that are so not explained by just science.
I marveled aloud that this is when I feel the very closest to God – when I am in the midst of the beauty He created just for us to enjoy.
And amid the squeals of delight in being allowed to get dirty, to throw rocks and to pick up dead bugs, we had a moment to be still and know.
Just know.
Some of the dishes were still stacked in the sink. There was laundry to be done. My bathroom drawers are in such need of organization that I can hardly find a single thing. There are too-small clothes to sort and school supplies to get ready.
But not on a day like today. Days like today are for being the kind of mom I had always envisioned I would be before the reality of the actual job kicked-in. And I was. Days like today are made simply for relishing in His splendor, His gifts to us. And I was reminded that this is what I should be doing every day, not just on days like today.
I loved this entry Miss Natalie. ……and YES! That is exactly what you should be doing in MY opinion. Savor the moment with your ‘growing too fast’ little guys. Hope Sarah’s transition to 1st grade is a smooth one.
Much love to you all!
Lana
Published last year but still so relevant! Posts like these make me a sloshy mess. It’s such a great reminder to stay in the moment and enjoy these times w/ our children. :)
Really, it’s at times like these when we really need to just cherish every moment of the day with our kids. Such a nice park too! I don’t have anything like that where I live, but it’s no excuse for me to not spend quality time with my kids. I just wish I took more pictures of them when they were younger. Keep taking your pictures!