^ we learned how to drink from a straw this weekend!! ^
^ introducing Birdie to my favorite animal - the elephant! ^
^ we are all about the bears in this family ;) ^
I got a little emotional looking at these photos... Birdie's very first trip to the zoo... These days as parents we take a million photos and videos of our kids every day. Some could possibly be deemed repetitive or unnecessary (blasphemy!!). And yet every once in a while you come across a couple dozen that just make you think - that's it. Those are the photos they will like to look at, that you will reminisce with, that they'll show their boyfriend one day. Some photos just capture a moment - a golden ray of happiness that you want to bottle up and keep forever.
I hope I do a good job here of showing a balanced picture of our life, of letting you know that not every day is flowers and sunshine. In fact, the daily grind wears us out like it does anyone - the messes, the lack of sleep, the work piling up, the endless errands, the sick days, the bad days, the long days... And there's not to say that there aren't little sparkles of joy even in those days - a piece of toast with an extra thick layer of Nutella, morning cuddles with a giggly chubby baby, a kiss that lingers... But I think we can all admit that monday through friday we're just trying to do our best and get it done. And it ain't always pretty.
And then there are days like Sunday. Days when the weather is glorious, the sun shines, the breeze blows... The baby naps on schedule. The hair gods grant you a good hair day. You laugh and smile so much your mouth is sore. You feel alive. And you feel happy but even more than happy, you feel at peace and grateful. You gather your family around you and you just melt into that embrace, into the comfort and love that oozes out around you until you're all one giant puddle of bliss.
I'm not living for a destination, for a moment when we will supposedly "have it all." I'm living for now. For days like Sunday that fill your cup until it overflows and make you realize how truly blessed you are and will burn inside of you and breath life into you when on wednesday the raccoons get into the trash (AGAIN), when you forget to wash the diapers, when you have a headache and the house is a wreck... You can reach inside and pull out that memory and live in a that blissful moment again.
So thank you Sunday. You were so good to us.
