Little Kids and a Big Day

Once upon a time, three little children dreamed all summer long about the Big Day.  The anticipation was palpable in their home each Monday as they asked their parents, "Is it today?  Are we going today?!"  Then one hot summer morning, they heard the words they'd been longing to hear.  "It's Train Day!"

With smiles and nerves they quickly walked to the station, their minds and mouths filled with questions about the ride that lay ahead.

They could hardly believe their eyes when they saw the big shiny train, waiting for them to board.  They quickly climbed up the stairs and searched for the perfect seats.

The little boy sat right by the window and stared in wonder.  It was even better than he had imagined!

The baby wasn't quite sure about all the noise, but she looked up at her mommy and said with determination, "I won't scared train, Mama.  Chugga-chugga choo-choo!"

The big girl was her usual cheerful self, alternating between looking out the window, chatting with her mommy, and playing with the multitude of toys she had brought along.

The children enjoyed each and every minute but before they knew it, the train stopped. They headed out into the hot sunny world.

Thankfully, they found a fountain to splash their hands into for a while, cooling them down just a teeny bit.

But they were still hot so they decided to search for a spot to rest a while.  They found a fun, refreshing place where they drank smoothies and played a fast-paced game of Bingo with their daddy.  (The big sister won.)

Sitting still wasn't quite the baby's cup of tea, so they left in search of bigger and better adventures.

It didn't take long to find one; a huge toy-store was right down the street!  But this wasn't just any toy store.  There were tables set up all around with opened toys for them to play with.  They could hardly believe their eyes!

After they played for a little while, they left the store with special surprises from their daddy and mommy.

The family headed back to the station.  Soon, they discovered that their train would be a little late so they made themselves comfortable.

The big kids happily sat near the tracks and peered into the distance, waiting and watching for the big train to appear.

Finally, it arrived! They eagerly climbed aboard another shiny Metra and headed back home, saddened that Train Day had already come and gone.  The children stared out the windows, thinking about all of the exciting adventures they had had, and wondering what magical things awaited them in the Mondays to come.

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Have You Ever Heard of Such a Thing?

Addie Beth has some teeth issues...as in, you can only see one of her front teeth when she smiles.  At first, I thought that her other front tooth just needed time to grow in.  But when I took a closer look, I saw that both teeth have fully come in.  Her gums are just so crooked that you only see one of the front teeth.  And it just so happens that the crooked side of her gums is right where she sucks her pointer finger.  Coincidence?  I doubt it.

Not excited about the prospect of paying for braces, Josh asked our dentist for advice.  Her solution?  Either get the baby to stop sucking her finger (fat chance) or switch her to a pacifier.  I burst out laughing when Josh told me that.  I mean, have you ever heard of introducing a paci at age 20months? Well, apparently it's not impossible.  Isn't she just adorable?!

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Savoring Summer

Can you remember what it was like to be a child in the summer?  Every day felt like dessert.  I hear it in their voices from the moment they wake up, "Mom, what are we going to do today?!"  The anticipation is thick as they imagine the delectable moments that lie ahead.

My temptation is to let them play and laugh and run while I load the dishwasher or throw in another load of laundry.  They play, I work.  But this week, I joined them.  Because summer sun shifts to autumn breezes pretty quickly here in the Midwest.

Because babies grow into toddlers into preschoolers in the blink of an eye.

Because I'd be crazy not to stop for dessert while there's still some left.

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Strawberry Picking

I have wanted to go strawberry picking for years but there never seemed to be an easy time to do it.  (One year I was pregnant with Tali, the next summer I was pregnant with Owen, the next summer I had a newborn...you get the theme.)  But on the Fourth of July, my hubby gladly helped make my dream come true!  We found an amazing orchard that still had yummy strawberries and picked about 10lbs.  Here are some of my favorite pictures from the day!

Tali woke up and immediately grabbed her sunglasses and strawberry headband to prepare for the day.  She was a great helper and so much fun to share in the memory with.  This girl is just such a delight to hang out with.

Oh my...Owen was so funny!  He was really excited about each and every strawberry that he found.  By the end of the time his basket was completely empty and his belly was completely full.

Sooooo delicious!  We froze a ton of these to eat over the months to come.  Strawberries are definitely a gift from God.

This huge trampolineish thing was probably the kids' favorite thing about the whole orchard experience. Addie laughed non-stop while she was jumping with Josh.

I'm so grateful for God's kindness in making my strawberry picking dream a reality this year!  We can't wait to go back again!

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Vacation Thanks

Mark Twain once said, "Don't cry because it's over, rejoice because it happened."  That's what I want to hold in my heart as I think about vacation.  This picture was taken (thanks to my awesome friends and their thoughtful tripod gift) right before we left to come home. Don't be misled; no one wanted to take this picture except me.  No one was eager to sit and wait and pose and wait and try again.  And as you can see, not everyone is smiling.  But that's real life, right?  Vacation wasn't without complaining and conflict and tiredness and dishes and laundry all the stuff that real life is smattered with.  But it was still a gift because we were together.  And that's a gift that I don't want to take for granted. We're not alone.  We're a family and we're together.

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Fleeting and Beautiful

They are so little.  She’s four-and-a-half, full of wonder and awe and ready to explore and pretend and create fun wherever she goes.  He’s three-and-a-half, all boy but with a twist of tender, ready to play cars and ball and learn how to surf...even in Wisconsin.  Little lady is nineteen months; she’s bursting with energy and laughter and brightness and mischief, loving the sand and the water (especially drinking it).

Three small sweet people.  Three little souls entrusted to our care for a short time.  I want to savor each moment with them on this trip.  Last year, I was so sick that life, in general was just a blur.  Last year, Addie Beth wasn’t even crawling yet & our schedule worked around her naps and feedings.  Owen was just getting potty trained.  Tali still took naps.  They’ve grown so much and something about being with them on vacation just makes me more aware than usual of all the growing that’s happened.

What is it about sensing the passing of time that just makes a mother’s heart ache?  I’m swallowing hard as I write, remembering years past in this place and knowing those moments can’t be repeated.  That’s it, I think; it’s that these days are so unforgiving, so relentless like a sunset that, no matter how hard you try to slow it, just keeps slipping away into the night.  That’s how the days fly by as a mama of three small children-beauty to be savored that just keeps on slipping by.

So it might only be Sunday, just barely the beginning of this vacation, but I’m gonna get all sentimental even now at the start in hopes that I can magically freeze time, or at least freeze it with my lens.  Today, I will live up these moments that He’s amazingly given AWAKE and AWARE that they are gifts to praise Him for.

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One of My Favorite Verses

But I trust in You, O LORD; I say, "You are my God."  

My times are in Your hand...

Praying this verse for our family today and so grateful to know that it really is true.  God holds each of our days in His hands, guiding them with His steadfast love.

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