:: The start of summer

The start of spring and the end of the school year.  It's breathing in fresh air after being cooped up indoors all winter. 

 

 

I see the children soaking up the fresh sunshine as the girls pick countless bunches of wild flowers, Jack spends hours whittling and carving things, and the hose is constantly running in the sand area.  Now that Blaize can walk, he literally stands at the sliding door, crying to go out.

 

It's so easy for me to stay busy indoors with chores, laundry, house projects or sewing.  And when they play so happily outside without me, I have to try and make a conscious effort to make sure and not miss these days, those moments, slipping like pearls from a string.  I don't ever want to look back and regret NOT being with them enough.  I don't want to make issues of the sand being tracked into the house, and miss the outstreched hand cluthing wilted flowers for me.  And although mothering has its patience-testing moments for me, I desperately love my children - each one that God has blessed me with.  It's such a balance, isn't it?  I don't know if I'll ever have it down completely, but I'll keep trying.