These days are a blink and I’m a fool if I don’t believe its true. I don’t want to forget…..
telling the kids in the van today that our friends daughters’ were making headbands to sell to raise money for orphans in Ethiopia and Caleb’s immediate reply:
Rylee, can I give you some money so you can buy yourself one from them?
as she got out of the van at her friends’ home he handed her cash from his stash that he always has on hand because he is our very frugal saving one
despite his penny-pinching ways, he has a heart that is gold and he didn’t think twice about gifting not only his sister with a new headband but for a cause that he knew meant something
the bigger ones naturally holding hands with the littles when we walk-I won’t ever not love seeing that
the way Phineas says “I need it” about everything. no ability whatsoever to distinguish need from want. and the application of that to his two year old life is constant entertainment for the rest of us.
how much fun can be had on our giant new bed. ridiculous much. five kids and a daddy wrestling. reading books in heaps of pillows and blankets. middle of the night snuggles when bad dreams keep little people awake.
realizing that if I feel too far away from the one I love in said giant bed, king size pillows are big enough for two.
the endless list of reasons why I’m thankful our kids get to learn at home with me and with each other, that in all its imperfectness (and even now, at the tail end of the year when I’m so ready for summer!), I still believe it’s the best place to be
looking out my window to see this a few hours ago:
Caleb had his magnifying glass and was crawling around with Finn on hands and knees searching for spiders….every time they found one Finn shrieked “PIDER!”
later they spent an hour collecting varieties of mushrooms for their “mushroom museum”
how Finn says thank you every time I change his dirty diapers
the love I get to show through serving these ones in our home by feeding, clothing, driving, teaching, correcting, forgiving and encouraging for hours upon hours every day after day
that my boys notice my sparkle – if its a bracelet or dressy earrings, they notice
whether you’re 10 or freshly 35, the gift of friendship is a profound treasure
these and a thousand more – forcing myself back into the counting of the gifts because I know I need to remember, need to practice what I preached (literally two weeks ago!) and lift my eyes up to where it all comes from
Table for Six 
I miss you and your kids and your husband. Wish we were there to hang out and drink lots of coffee (decaf of course) and enjoy some time together on the couch, talking of the deep things and watching the kids play.
Aside from all that, I realize more and more every day how fast the time is flying, how much I want to wrap time in my hands and hold it still, if only to enjoy my kids for longer. I’m glad you got a new bed. Enjoy the Saturday morning parties, and all that that entails …
Much love,
Tina
(big sigh) me too. so, so much.
yes, that’s just it about time isn’t it? I keep looking at that picture of my boys and thinking how they will be big sooner than I know and how spiders in cracks won’t always amuse and how I hope they keep my love tucked right into their hearts wherever life leads them.
Love this, Karissa. Especially Caleb and Finn with the magnifying glass. That warms my heart.
It’s the one you gave him :)…..he quickly put it to good use! Pretty sure that’s one of my favorite pictures ever, these are totally the little moments that I so don’t want to forget!!