Afternoon at the Park

After a week of colder weather we are back in the 60's today and I was all hyped up to get outside. So we drove down the street to the playground and it was so beautiful outside. Something about a warm breeze and sunshine just makes you fall in love with life all over again. I laid Carolina down on my jacket and she was so content to listen to all the noises and feel the sun and wind and she popped her little thumb right in her mouth and drifted off to sleep. It still amazes me to see her running her hand along the side of her face until she feels her thumb on her lips and then shoves it in before it can escape! Lenny never sucked his thumb and it really is just so adorable. He also never put himself to sleep and I am one happy mama when this sweet girl soothes herself and falls asleep on her own.

Soaking up the sun.

I love to sit and watch Lenny enjoying himself, as he tests his strength, agility, and speed, and makes all kind of discoveries. He absolutely loves nature and the outdoors so much. His favorite things to play with are sticks, acorns, leaves, rocks, feathers, and flowers. Pine cones and needles take the cake for being the most awesome discovery ever. He delights in seeing the leaves changing colors, and describing to me which trees are bare and which are not, telling me the colors of the leaves, and pointing out palms and pines. He also points out every flower he sees and will describe it to me, and tells me if it is a "picking flower" or not for picking. He loves to see pigeons and grackles. Every time someone walks by with a dog or we drive past a cow, he shouts it out to me with so much happiness you would think he had never seen one before.

One of his favorite things to do is play on the playground with Chris. He would sit and have Chris push him on the swing for hours if we let him. The smile on his face when he goes up really high or when Daddy does "underdoggy" and runs under the swing gets me every time. I live to see the pure wonder and pleasure he finds in little things.

Chris is standing nearby spotting Lenny while he climbs the handrails.

Lenny holding one of his treasures while we go for a lap on the walking trail.

Yes, that is an entire tree branch.

He also has a few large pieces of mulch and a rock tucked into the stroller seat.

Which is a light haul for him.

Days like this I am painfully aware of how little time we actually have with our children. Carolina seems like she came into this world just a few weeks ago, and yet she is coming up on 4 months soon. Lenny will be 3 years old before we know it and I want to remind myself that his 3rd birthday means we only have give or take 15 years left of him living with us. Life is always changing and I want to treasure the here and now, the joys that only a small child can give us. Yes, there are some extremely challenging parts of parenting a toddler and an infant, but those sacrifices and sufferings can only unite Chris and I that much more to each other and to the cross of Christ. I pray for clarity of mind that we may always see the big picture and live with joy in our hearts.