Thursday, November 13, 2014

Childhood.





I'm not really a baby person.  Don't get me wrong... I think babies are super cute and cuddly.  And, I have loved mine so much that at times I have thought my heart may burst straight out of my chest. Though infants and babies have won me over a bit through the years, it is children who truly have my heart.  And, as I stand here at this strange place in between babies and preteens, I realize that my heart is melancholy not so much because the baby days are nearly ending, but rather I find myself mourning the fact that my oldest is aging out of his childhood.

Oh, that takes my breath.  It is hard to type.  I love childhood.  It is magical.  Anything is still possible.  Creativity abounds without borders.  The sky is the limit ~ wide open and free.  You've heard it said ~ every child is an artist.  Well, I agree and I would add ~ every child is a dreamer ~ a dreamer of big beautiful dreams.  And, I find great joy in helping to make these things possible as best I can.  A fort in the woods, turning our kitchen into a store, creating a make believe camp out in the living room, etc.  I love childhood.  The world has yet to criticize, to feed them negativity, to burst their bubble, shatter their dreams...  They are still living life to the full, going all out, playing with all their heart.

I wasn't expecting it.  I hadn't even thought about it until it began to evolve on its own. I think the first thing I noticed was the way he spent his free time began to change.  He used to dress up like a cowboy and lead his brothers in imaginative play.  But, slowly his free time has become 100% sports related.  He is either playing football or basketball or watching football or basketball. Last Christmas he wasn't all that interested in cutting out and icing Christmas cookies with me. And, then Joshua became "Josh." He decided his hair should be a little longer in the front.  And, then he started flipping it with this gentle toss of his head that instantly became fodder for his father and I.

Somedays it doesn't bother me at all.  But, somedays as I watch him move and talk and seem so mature, a part of me gets a little sad that this is actually happening.  He is actually going to grow up.  He is actually going to fly one day. Yikes!  Makes me want to enjoy these moments so much because before long these moments will all be memories...

To The Beach!!!

I talked Erik into taking us all on a little getaway to the beach!  So, fun!  We stayed in a wonderful beach house with a pool which was perfect for our family...


Five sweet slow days...





The ducks all in a row...


Zekey loved the water...


This boy.  Be still my heart!


And, then there is Eriky!! He's a hoot!



But, Josh is cool...


These two!


And, so this was an animal filled trip which was awesome for my marine animal loving son, James.  We saw a shark.  First a fisherman just down the beach from us caught him.  A 5 ft long black tipped reef shark.  He let the boys get as close as they dared, and then he threw him back.  But, later that evening as the boys were getting in their last bit of swim time, we saw him again.  He swam right in front of us. Soooo scary.  Needless to say, my boys did not get back in the water after that.


Nana came along which was great fun!



I do love the ocean.


Big breakfasts...






I love this picture!!!

If only our living room at home was large enough for a set up like this!!!  Love the layout.  So much seating...



The night before we left we went out to eat.  The place we went had live music, and the man with the mic sang "My girl," so this...


They kinda like each other...


ALOT!!!!


So, our last day on the beach James picks up this little black thing and is like... "Wow!  A shark egg sac!  Can I keep it?"  Thinking he had no idea what he was talking about I said, "Sure."  You'd think I would know by now that this kid does his research and knows his stuff, but I doubted.  Later that evening I looked it up.  And, yes, he did in fact stumble upon a shark egg sac.  Erik is taking him to Vegas next spring.  Just kidding!  It was totally a God thing.  What are the odds?  Thank You, God, for letting him find it!  Here is the picture I googled to confirm his discovery along with a picture of his discovery...




And, Krisy Kreme on the way out of town....


Bye bye Beach Trip 2014.

Daddy's Girl...





Love.

Life Is Good!!!




And, this cutie is part of the reason why...


So loved!


These two have such a special bond...




She loves this hat.  Even in the summer, she wears it almost everyday!


I told Josh that when life gets stressful I just stick my face in Zekey's neck and breathe him in, and it lowers my blood pressure and soothes my mood instantaneously. Baby therapy.  Josh tried it and agreed...


I keep finding them like this.  Him doing his schoolwork and her sitting beside him... just to be near him....


She loves to watch Frozen on itunes.  Elsa is her favorite.  I keep telling her that she looks like Anna.  But, she assures me that she is not Anna.  She. Is. Elsa.  So, I just Let It Go....


Love my little man...


One of my favorite times of day... Reading time!


Cousin buddies being creative...


Cousin buddies watching football...




My photo
Hi! I live in a sweet country home overflowing with love and laughter. I have been blessed to journey these days beside a man that I love, respect, and admire. He is my soul-mate and best friend. Together we are seeking to raise our seven children to be lovers of God, to be wise and discerning, and to be all that our sweet God created them to be.



 

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