Summer Days Equal Gratitude
I love summer. Not every day, not every summer.
Right now. This season. I am grateful for summer. There have been summers when I was counting the days for school and in tears. And don’t get me wrong, we have our challenging days.
I am just loving this season with my girls and I wanted to take a moment to capture it. I am grateful for this time. I am grateful for these girls.
Wet hair.
Smushed goggle faces.
Ruffled bathing suits.
New pool tricks.
Squeals and giggles.
They are moving and growing like lightening speed. I keep holding my Larson on my hip and it’s reached absurd levels. She’s 4 and she’s not a baby. I just don’t want to let it go.
(Look! I really thought this looked normal for a photo. Pretend I just picked up Ella on my hip for a photo. Basically the same thing. I’m in denial. But the small child down lady. You’re out of the baby phase! Yes, she’s out of the crib and potty trained. 🙂
I’ve realized that I can’t REDO this summer. I won’t get another with my girls at 4 and 6.
What will 5 and 7 be like? Will they squeal and bring their barbies in the pool? Will they love being with me and beg me to jump in? Will they want to show me their every trick and burst with confidence off the side? Will they hide in forts and play for hours in their made up worlds?
I am so thankful for God’s presence last weekend in Atlanta. He allowed me ABOVE ALL ELSE to realize the goal had been reached. I wanted my time back (while keeping a product I hold dear moving into homes and impacting families). That’s the neat thing about making decisions the will of God. It’s a personal thing. Sometimes – it won’t make sense to the world or many folks around you – but you have to go with what you feel is best.
I feel I have been on a two-year journey of hard work, perseverance, vulnerability and dependence on God. And, I am just now landing with a deep exhale of peace and gratitude.
I have had time to BE this week.
Reading books.
Organizing closets.
Staying in jammies.
Laughing.
Resting.
Nowhere to be.
Being present.
Thank you Lord for the moments I see them, I really see them. For the moments I remember that the desire you gave me long ago is still there. I love my job. I love being a mom. Thank you for this privilege.
And, let me remember this and read this in a day or two when they really make me mad about something. 🙂
Yay! Happy for you, and the Larson on your hip comments cracked me up…ha! Enjoy your Sunday 🙂
Your post reminded me of a really neat weekly link-up that my friend does called Simple Moments. Perhaps it would be of interest to you. It’s a lot of fun 🙂
Here’s how she describes it:
simple moments is about finding the small things that make up our
everyday, things we want to remember and be thankful for. it’s the
little bits of our lives that might not be remembered when we are gray
and old. so we document it, on paper, with a photo, in a journal, through a blog.
If you’d like to join up, the link to her blog is:
http://brookechambers.blogspot.com/search/label/simple%20moments
I love this so Courtney! I had this exact thought last night when we were walking homemade birthday cards to a friend’s house and Luke was bouncing his basketball like he was 14 and Jake was running ahead in crocs and a spiderman costume. They were so old, yet giddy with the excitement about the cards they had made. They both had such precious smiles in their eyes and I just prayed that God would keep that joyful light so bright in their eyes for years to come. I even asked if he could make the remaining months of 6 & 4 last longer than usual. 🙂 However, if I keep picking them up like I have, I will seriously hurt myself.