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'I wouldn't want to be anywhere else..'  Derek and I were parked at our very own drive-in theater; only infinitely better.  The car was our front porch and the movie was the setting sun!  We sat in comfortable silence, watching in awe as the the brilliant light breathed its color into the remaining moments of a rainy, black and white day.  Breath taking!
Fast forward.  Nestled in the crook of my arm, with his adorable, pudgy hand resting on my chest, Owen drifts off to sleep.  He is everything sweet, snuggly and freshly bathed lavender smells.  He is the tiniest angel I've ever seen and the privilege of knowing him, raising him, kissing him- is all mine!  And again, I whisper 'I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.'

The past few weeks (and all of life, really..) have been jam packed with these moments!  My heart fills to overflowing with a love so strong it literally hurts.  I see beauty so rich it brings tears.  Evening walks, a Saturday at the ocean, laughing with my love, giggling with our boy- these are a few of my favorite things.  An ongoing 'Farkle' competition, bonfires with friends, ticklish little man thighs, a quiet moment with my Bible; the essence of life!  Smelling flowers, juicing oranges, watching Owen's absolute delight as he learns the feeling of dirt under fingernails.  These are the pieces of a collage; my beautiful, messy, wouldn't-trade-it-for-anything collage of life.  And I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.
Nothing about this journey is easy.  But it is everything beautiful!  I made an attempt at describing to my boys this longing to 'frame these moments' and they laughed at my mushiness.  I'm serious, though!  My husband's arms around me, holding tight, after I've been the one to hold everything together all day.. I breathe in the familiarity and wish to savor that feeling forever.  I see the smile of my tiny son as I enter the room and my heart swells with a feeling only motherhood can teach you, a feeling I'd love to bottle.  Homemade pie and ice cream, water fights and watching the breaching of whales from our yard; time marches on and these moments are priceless.  I long to capture each one but all I can do is thank the Giver and choose to live fully right then and there!

People ask me what I do all day and I struggle with an answer.  How does one begin to sum up eskimo kisses and rainy day blanket forts?  I tickle toes and wipe tears (his and mine!) and watch in fascination as he discovers the potential in a cardboard box or paper towel roll!  My son and I are astronauts, we're deep sea divers, we're book worms.  He moves his hands as though directing an orchestra or perfecting his balance for surfing; I marvel at the potential in this little man!  I get frustrated.  I question my sanity.  We take long walks so that I can breathe deep.  And I love him so fiercely, it takes my breath away.
Days are made up of moments.  Life is a collage.  When you're watching a life blossom right in front of you it becomes impossible to simply answer 'How was your day?'  It's infinitely more complex than 'Pretty good!' or 'Well, not great..' !  I may not have left the house (or changed out of my pajama pants!) but I FEEL like I summited Everest as I watch my son growing and maturing at a speed I can't comprehend!  I also feel like I went three rounds in the ring with a grizzly bear!  I'm worn out and I have a kink in my back and I am humbled by the privilege it is to be able to do this.  Motherhood is a high calling and I don't want to be anywhere else!

Derek and I don't feel the need to go wild with presents on Valentine's day.  We're not against the holiday, and you won't find either one of us turning down a perfectly good box of chocolates!  But there is a lot of emphasis placed on this day, this one day a year for proving your affection, and doesn't that go against the grains of true love?  True love sticks by your side through thick and thin, it is 365 days a year; this love remains regardless of how unlovable you may be.  Don't get me wrong, Valentine's Day is very fun and a great excuse for a date night.  But real love is self-less, not something earned by the number of roses or obnoxiously huge size of teddy bear.  My man loves me steady, loves me regardless of me, loves me at my best and my worst.  Being married to your best friend is an incredible adventure and I wouldn't want to be... you guessed it, anywhere else!

There's not a lot of rhyme or reason to this post; the result of going so many weeks without blogging, I suppose!  I have been a little busy.  Busy with living, with sunrise chasing, with relationship building.  I've committed to focusing on the moment at hand, putting down the cell phone, leaving the to-do list behind and embracing the now!  My son is seven months old!  He has one tooth and is actively working on revealing number two.  He has a sense of humor, he loves sweet potatoes and he does an impressive 'inch worm'.  Even spending a few hours away from him means I'll probably miss something new.  And there's no rewind button!
Derek's business continues to grow and can I just take a minute to say how INCREDIBLY PROUD OF HIM I am?!  This man amazes me on a daily basis and it is an honor to be his wife!  His going non-stop, however, plus my part-time secretary work at our church, means that we need to make time for sitting down with each other.  Clearing the table and playing a game, sitting outside and watching the end of a day, mulling over Proverbs together; we're learning to be deliberate about taking time for us.

This life is bursting at the seams with goodness.  James 1:17 says 'Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.'  Every good and perfect gift!  It's up to us to realize these gifts for what they are, grabbing on to the moments, being present and giving our all.  May we see the treasures in an average day, smell the flowers, laugh deep and continually express our love, day in and day out, regardless of how it's received.  Let's live with a thankful heart, live with eyes open to all that God has for us right here and right now.  Let's live as though we wouldn't want to be anywhere else!