Hello, Sunshine!

{Field in Wiesbaden - April 2012}

I love starting my day off by getting all the way ready before the kids open their eyes...a cool breeze coming through the windows....and a beautiful sunshiney day! I may still be tired - which may or may not be because I stayed up later than I wanted with a good book in hand. But it's one of the little things I've been focusing on lately. I feel that, for the longest time, I blog about the BIG things that go on in our lives - and not the little things which I think are just as equally important! I feel that there is just not enough time in a day to document everything the kids do or all of the many thoughts that run through my head as I'm multitasking this or that. I try to live in the moment the best I can! To enjoy life with John and the kids. But sometimes I feel frustrated that the little moments rush by and I'm afraid that I'm going to forget them. I try with all my might to take a mental photo (or in many cases, an actual one), to take in the moment and all it's senses. But then I feel that the memory gets lost and caught up in day to day life. I don't want to forget my five toothed one year old and the sounds he makes, watching him walk across the floor with more steps with each passing day - to see him scrunch up his nose and smile at me with his big bluish gray eyes. How vibrant the fields are with the yellow wildflowers right now while driving on the autobahn. How they remind me of sunshine and the few seconds of happiness it brings me while tuning out the screaming or crying that's going on behind me in the back seats. The sound of the wind coming through the cracked window while I drive on a nice day or watching the curtains in the house sway when the wind rushes in. Helping one child read a story while one yells that they need assistance in the bathroom. Hearing Andrew make gun noises just about every second of the day (pew, pew, pew!) - a true boy, right? Stopping one fire while another one breaks loose not even a second later. Getting Landon away (and sometimes out) of the garbage can. Enlisting the kids in help with the housework...I put on some music and they dance and clean. Catching a beautiful sunset out the kitchen window as I clean up before calling it a day. I swear I feel like a ping pong ball on most days! Sneaking in loads of laundry or doing the dishes while I have a baby sleeping. Life just seems to get so busy but I'm grateful that I notice these little and big experiences! For the moments that help me slow down and remember what's most important: happy children, and not a clean home!