sunshine found ...

Dear Mack,

You've spent the entire day happy and oh how this makes your mama even happier.  Your brother left today for a big trip with your two older cousins and you got "left behind."  We didn't think you were quite ready to be away from us for an extended amount of time, and certainly not out of the country.  Honestly, I'm a bit nervous about your brother being away for 8 days, but I wasn't about to admit that to him or anyone else.

We went to town this morning right after he left and picked out a movie at the redbox machine at the grocery store for surprise #1.  The best part was, there was no arguing about what movie to choose and you've watched it over an over again without Mason giving you grief.  It was the best $1.20 I spent all day.  Thankfully, you are easy to please and are pretty content at keeping yourself entertained - I just hope it lasts for the next 7 days - Lord willing.

While dad and I pulled back tarps and loaded the flatbed late this morning, you worked on the dairy barn catastrophe collecting nails from the boards scattered all around.  Papa Roy and Papa Gary would be proud of your skills with a hammer and your joy in "saving" old nails to use again.

There's a lot about life at 6 that is wonderful about you.  Your freckles, your super long eyelashes, they way your chin jets out when you're serious, your crazy untamed hair, your expressive eyes, and even the way you are determined to pound the life out of ice and boards and nails with any hammer you can get your hands on. Luckily your pounding didn't pound a hole through the trough tonight. That wouldn't have been so wonderful.

Thank you for smiling today and not shedding one tear about your brother being gone.  I wasn't sure how the initial separation was going to go, but redbox and Crayola saved the day.  Who would have guessed that crayons that draw on windows would be worth gold in the eyes of you?!

Loving the flowers you drew just for me on this cold, but beautiful day in December, 

Your Mama

sharing the same sky

Dear Mason,

I raced the sun home tonight.  Mack was asleep against the console and the dogs were snoring in the back seat.  Your dad was in the water truck in front of me, and I had two troughs strapped on the back of the flatbed.  We're almost done hauling water.  Almost.
You took your first flight in an airplane today, and I can't even begin to imagine what you thought about the whole experience. In just 8 short days, I'll get to hear all about it ... and I'm counting down the minutes already.
Anyway, I know I'm rambling, but just as I came up over the ridge by the hay shed tonight, there was this amazing contrail shooting across the sky, and you could see the jet perfectly.  I almost started crying for the silliest of reasons - but mostly because you're on the trip of a lifetime and I'm so excited for you.
I couldn't get in the house to my camera fast enough, but I did manage to get a picture of the sun whispering goodbye. Whispering goodbye on your first night far, far away from us.
I'm hoping you're smiling & soaking in the goodness that is happening for you right now ... and I'm praying you're still wearing your belt buckle with pride even after the chaos with airport security.

Missing you as we share the same sky hundreds of miles apart & blowing you a kiss across the sea of fog at home ~

Mom

this thing about a park.

I'm almost certain that God created parks. That may seem a bit silly, but when you think about it, it just makes sense.

You see, He has been and always will be about joy and freedom, laughter, and movements that say I trust in what I've put my faith in and even upon.

I see Him in the creating of human tunnels with perfectly balanced feet.

I see Him in the sliding - hoping we'll eventually stop without a crash.

I see Him in the smile when we've made it to the top.

He's in the blurriness ... and He's in the still.

He's in the holding on and in the letting go.

He's in the balance, He's in the spins, and He's in the shakiness of the scariest of moments.

He's in the disappointment and the watching from a distance.

He's everywhere around the park & I think He's even begging us to come back as we walk away because parks are His business.  They were created just for us - with our joy and happiness in mind.

Those slides, those stairs, those poles & monkey bars ... we'll I think they are a reminder that child like faith is something we need to visit more often.

walking into some great light.

I grew up "walking" on Thanksgiving.  My entire family {grandparents, cousins, aunts & uncles} would bundle up and walk for miles along Alki Beach in West Seattle.  We'd laugh, we'd play tag, we'd even flip over cars without meaning to ... but the greatest part of all was that we were together.

Thanksgiving isn't in Seattle anymore, but we're still "walking."

And exploring.

And laughing out-loud at each other and with each other.

This year was no exception.

The temperature was amazing, and the light was breathtaking.

It bounced off of the river and glistened through the trees.

The afternoon trek had God written all over every ounce of it - which is what Thanksgiving really is.



Thanksgiving - an attitude - not just a day - drenched with God.

The act of giving thanks.

A prayer of expressing gratitude.

A celebration of divine goodness - even in the hard.

Yes - goodness and gratitude led our way and even followed behind.

It peeked over shoulders.

And crunched under our feet.

It drifted through our souls as we wandered up-stream.

 And as we made our way back to home ...

the thanksgiving, and gratitude, and buckets of goodness swirled through the air and up into the sky.

Just like it should.

Closing another day with {thanks}.