Viewing entries tagged
childhood
You have very few toys, but I think you are quite content. You ask to be "out" all the time. And you could sit and play in the water all day long.
There's a simplicity of life at this age and I'm trying to savor each moment. Yes, there are days this is hard. Tantrums have set in and moods rise and fall. But it doesn't take long to look across the house and see quite vividly how quick this season will pass. Words never seem to truly share how grateful I feel to have this chance again.
Kylo Ren and the decade girls. Happy Halloween
There's no way around it; life is messy.
I believe the more years I live on this Earth, the more accepting and embracing I am of this truth. I slowly want to let go of this "everything is beautiful" image and hold strong to the fact of how beautiful broken truly can be.
It's more than a beauty we see with our eyes and more than a beautiful picture we capture with our camera. It's a beauty that is only felt. A beauty we feel day by day as we live in these spaces of life; learning, failing, growing, and rejoicing in the moments we do see success. It's beauty we find in the mess as we shut the door to the world, crying and wondering if we will ever get it right. It's a beauty we feel as we let our hearts become vulnerable and believe that God loves us right where we are today.
Months ago I read these words from Matt Chandler and today, I am once again reminded of this truth. “God doesn’t love some future version of you, He loves you now.”
So many of us have lived with these chains for many years. Lies that hold us down, telling us we aren't good enough. We don't do enough. We aren't enough. And no we aren't enough on our own. WE NEVER WILL BE. But with Christ, our messy days, our messy lives, can become something extraordinarily beautiful. With HIS grace and HIS love, we are made new every day. And for this I am grateful.
I pray each of us can be vulnerable enough, confident enough; to let each other in to our messes. This is where I believe we will all find true beauty in our lives.
Sharing a room when you are five years apart in age can some days present challenges. BUT then there are days like this that I walk into their afternoon "dance party" and I'm so grateful for the memories and moments they experience sharing this space. So thankful for the bond I see between them.
In Florida, the transition from Summer to Fall is definitely more subtle than in other areas in the country. Sports and holidays are more indications of the season change than the weather. We are always grateful for the drop in humidity and look forward to the few cool fronts we will see in the months ahead.
Today, we welcomed Fall with a high of 89 instead of 99. We will live vicariously through everyone else's pictures of fall leaves and cute boots; while we spend more days in the sun with bare feet waiting for the cooler days to arrive.
I hope this is how they remember their childhood; simple, yet so full.
After days and days of rain.. a few minutes of fresh air did wonders for both of us.
Only four months apart, these girls are such a gift to one another. I remember the day they met almost 11 years ago. Our daughter, only 8 weeks old, meeting her "big cousin" for the first time.
They would continue for years, seeing each other during the summer and at Christmas; growing closer with each visit. Tears were shed every time we said goodbye. They dreamed about one day being neighbors and getting to see each other every day. We all dreamed about one day moving "home".
In 2011, this dream became a reality. It has been such a blessing to watch them grow the past four years, together and independently; each with hearts full of love for others and God. They are on the brink of so much change and it is something special to have one another to share these un-navigated waters.
As I look at both of them, I can't help but think back to all the years we waited. We dreamed of these days surrounded by family. A vision I thought would always be a dream, yet here we are. I am forever thankful for God's provision in our life. For His plans, in His time, always. And it is a reminder to wait on Him.
