Sitting here this morning with a hot cup of coffee and all the memories of the weekend swirling around in my head. Nothing really special just family, friends and unplugging for 3 full days. I was actually anxious about tapping back in to real life. You know, everything waiting there for you, schedules, responsibilities, early wake ups for school, all of it. Some how that hot cup of coffee helps. A couple sips of that gives me the courage to move forward and reminds me that I can do it. Real life is important and so are the real life responsibilities.
Our weekend was just as I said above nothing specia. It was a good old fashioned Memorial Day. Sun, beach, food, family and friends. There was a lot of gratitude for the men and women who fought for our country and gave us the right to have a good old fashioned memorial day. All that rolled into a big ball of gratefulness. As I get older I am shocked at the things that really make occasions special to me like a gathering of neighbors on the beach in celebration of a 42nd birthday and sunset walks on gravel roads to wear babies out before bed. Those things make my heart go pitter patter and remind me what grateful really feels like.
My daughter and son helped me in the kitchen this weekend. Hands in the hamburger, molding it into the perfect patties to place on the grill. Carving up strawberries for the fruit salad while I chopped the pineapple. I stopped and thought about how much those little offerings of help from my kids really meant to me. Not sure how smoothly our summer will go with 6 kids between the ages of 13 and 5 but I am excited to see. I am inspired to make it special.
Here is a peek into our weekend.
Kitchen helpers.
neighbors and crutches on the beach make the fading sun that much more fun.
smores. we ate them till they were gone.
“Mom? I need water”……..”Mom, I WANT WATER”
Friends that love your babies as much as you do.
A shovel and a beach.
Sand hot tub.
He is growing up too fast.
Pick up baseball games all.weekend.long rain or shine.
I sent a note to my neighbor with the picture above attach with the caption “Summer” and she responded, “Our kids have the greatest life”. Funny how all we want is this for our kids and sometimes just this is difficult to find. It sure isn’t in a catalog or an amusement park, it is in the back yard. Kids playing outside, breathing the fresh air and enjoying themselves for who they are. In a backyard baseball game it doesn’t matter what your ability is, it just matters if you are there. Wishing my kids a whole lot more of this, because this is what real memories are made of.
Happy short week friends! Make it great.
OX Katie
