Happy Love Day

Three sinks of dishes are piled up high waiting to be loaded into the dishwasher and/or washed but the night called for a little quiet time on the couch with D-coffee after everyone was tucked in their beds... and the hours before the solitude of the night were filled with a little of this and that celebrating the small morsels of joy in our day.......

Piled High: Waiting for Tomorrow

So maybe the dishes should have....could have made it to the dishwasher if only I'd neglected to go to the grocery store early this morning with you. A morning of sleeping in till nine....a quick run to the grocery store.....and cartoon/play time while Mommy juiced and put up groceries......

Refreshing FRESH Green Energy Juice for the Weekend

....visit time with two neighbors......at Cheryl's you picked roses and yellow flowers for Mommy.....at Mrs. Polly's you played with her babies and played the piano.....a quick change of clothes and off to the pool to swim...swim...swim.....

Fifth swimming day of the summer season..

...and home to boil fresh picked ears of corn---and another run to the store for missing ingredients...learning to use the zester for the first time and there was an unexpected noise at the window....

Zesting your first lime for Lime Infused Avocado Summer Salsa

....a surprise drilling at the kitchen window.......Daddy installing new window boxes for our annual petunias---cedar wood window boxes that he constructed....

Cedar Wood Window Boxes Custom Made by Daddy-O

The knock on the door.from Daddy...a gift you presented to Daddy saying, "It's Happy Love Day"----endless chatter at the kitchen window as you talked to Daddy, played, and helped...and as I thought about our day, I smiled at the wonder you found in all that we do. You enjoy greeting your "friends" at Kroger---the employees that take time to talk to you and ask you about your day, listen to you and see the charm in your genuine smile----the concern and love you have for others as we move through our day.......Happy Love Day indeed! Your wisdom slows down our thoughts...our actions....to embrace the now, the moment, the love before us....

My Thoughtful Gift from YOU this Mother's Day

This Mother's Day sign in the kitchen window signifies one of those busy weekend days. Spring was in the air. I requested to eat at home and enjoy time together rather than an outing at a restaurant waiting to eat and gifts that I didn't need. We woke up that morning to work around the house after Daddy put in a half day at work, work!?! The day was filled with yard work, pressure washing and more! On one trip to the shop, you went with Daddy .There you found a pile of wood. You asked Daddy if you could stamp out a 'love' note of "Happy Mother's Day" for me but he explained that the stamper you were talking about was for metal so you asked for a marker!?! On the back of this board, your letters streamed together so Daddy wrote out the words in pencil and you traced them! A busy day but a moment of pause because you little one were thinking....of Mommy....of Daddy helping you create something for someone else! Happy Love Day repeat....we see it in your wisdom for life...the pause button you use to stop us, the busyness around us to just relish the moment and just count the blessings in these unexpected moments of joy!

In these moments, it's easy to count the joy of gracious for all that we have....to forget the needs...the desires of more...of control...or completion of projects or......these moments of embracing one another and tasks at hand in front of us truly fulfill our souls when we are fully present....enjoying the charms of Happy Love Days---and as if today wasn't full enough...savoring....planting the last of the purple petunias with Daddy after a full day with Mommy's whirlwind of chores amidst relaxation....

Planting Wave Petunias with Daddy

....we also had visitors!?! You told Daddy that "They went to Greece first...then Aruba...then they are coming to see ME!?!" You were telling Daddy that Yiayia and Papou were coming and that they ALWAYS bring you gifts---clothes, toys, etc. (And after our Disney trip last fall, you specifically tell me that the money Papou gives you is for your own car!?!) Silly girl...delighting in all the little gifts that Yiayia and Papou bring you---and the request to eat "KoKoKo" when Yiayia arrives to cook an egg for breakfast for you! Lucky you to have such special grandparents that savor driving hours and hours just to see your smile when they arrive to spend "six weeks" with you (your request to them to stay here that long)!

Filakia to Yiayia as she arrived.....

Kisses & Hugs to Papou too!

Simple living on a holiday weekend---relishing the joy of love....the gifts bestowed upon us by brave men & women who fight for our freedoms so that we may live in a peaceful nation where you can have the right to declare today, Happy Love Day! I must randomly insert here too that when our radio station, K-Love, went out in the truck today, you called in reinforcement (aka Daddy-O) and told him that one of your favorite songs was playing and that K-Love didn't work anymore and that you couldn't finish listening to it---and that he needed to fix it!?! I lovey, love your faith that Daddy can fix what you love----and your growing love of worship music priceless!

Goodnight, Sophia!

Unexpected moments of joy counted today in pictures, in breaths of fresh air and fresh flowers from our neighbor's flower beds---a gift to you, Sophia from Cheryl..and from you to me (always flowers for "You, Mommy"...and blooms Yiayia has enjoyed sharing with us this weekend! Gathered joy is worth living for...and of course, you'll see that I've kept all the 'gathered' rocks (okay not all but some) you bring to me....rocks that look like hearts...or rocks with great colors and/or textures on them....just rocks that you collect.....and the joy of JOY that never ceases to end when one begins counting....gathered in bed tonight...close quarters, the chatter continued..."Daddy, you know what Mommy always says to me? Goodnight Sophia, Goodnight Sophia, Goodnight Sophia (and the right tone was there)!?! Daddy laughed as he asked, "IS that what she says to you!?!" Yes. That is what I say to you when your words and questions and thoughts and promises and your reminders of what we forgot stream together like this post did (but not with any less love and thankfulness): whenitallstreamstogetherinawindingriverofjoyattheendofthenightandmommyistiredthatiswhatIsay.

A hug, kisses, laughter.......and a firm,

"Goodnight Sophia!" ended our night of joy together but yet its loveliness still unfolds......

These gathered yellow flowers closed their petals too, firmly saying their own goodnight to the joy of today but I can almost sense their precious proclamations of joy that the morning will bring as soon as your little feet hit the floor.

I love you!