Saturday

Saturday could not have been a more perfect day.  We got up early and spent about 95% of it outside.  Jacob and Grey had their first track meet and we were gifted with beautiful weather.  Jacob came in second in the 800 meter and y'all haven't lived until you have seen Grey throw the javelin...that kid is a hysterical.  Grey ran the 100 meter and 200 meter and after finishing holding his side declared he would need to do the 50 meter at the next meet...way to challenge yourself Grey.

Back at home, there was still some time left in our day for Jacob to finish his garden.  He has planted corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, red peppers and onions.  He has wanted to farm for years and his dad has made that a reality for him now.  We're looking forward to Jacob's home grown produce this season.  This garden is just his, neither one of the other brothers are interested in farming.  I love seeing the pride he is taking in his garden.

As our evening was winding down, we all found ourselves out on our back deck.  It was so nice outside that no one wanted to come in and eat so we just took our plates outside.  Sophie Kate was laid out on her cot enjoying her family and the wonderful weather.  The boys were back and forth from the trampoline to the yard to the deck just hanging out.

As the sun went down, the thoughts running through my mind got louder and louder...it's Saturday night, we have church in the morning, we have to get all these kids showered, in pajamas and in the bed, we have to go in.  The problem was no one wanted to go in, not even the parents. We sat there as the sky around us went completely dark...all of us together, talking and listening to music. No one made any effort to go inside, not even the parents.  I was so content in those moments...Sophie Kate was smiling, the boys were sharing and talking, we were all laughing and I knew that everything else could wait.  We won't always have all this time together.  As the boys get older they are going to want to spend more time with their friends than with us.  So the showers could wait, the clean up could wait, the dirty dishes could just sit and the shoes could stay strewn all over the floor...I can't get these moments back with them.  I want them to know how much they mean to me and sometimes that means keeping my seat and tuning in versus busying myself with chores.  

I didn't want the night to end and it didn't until we couldn't stay awake not one minute longer.  We all went to bed with dirty dishes in the sink, shoes still strewn about and messes here and there.  I long for a night like that again soon while they still want to "tell me" and "show me."  To them I'm sure it was just a regular day, we didn't go anywhere spectacular or do anything that fantastic, but it was near perfect to me.  Laughing, listening, sharing and just being together...it doesn't get any better than that for me.