Full Moments

Last week while I was at work Maggie and Sydney went up and spent the night at my parent’s house. I got to go up the next day after working a half day and tag along with their adventures.  My mom planted some bulbs and it took about half a second before Maggie was right next to her assisting.

My mom is such a garden whiz, I’m envious. She makes planting 75 bulbs seem like a walk in the park, where if I were to be faced with the task, I’d feel overwhelmed. Someday I’ll be a better gardener, right? I love that Maggie doesn’t hesitate to get her hands dirty and try and figure out what she can do for help. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I think my child’s thumb is greener than my own.

 

Green thumbs aside, I listened to my parents and Maggie head out the door the next morning to go get the morning paper. I shuffled about the house before finding my shoes to catch up with them, because walking the length of my parent’s driveway is soothing to me. It is the perfect length of a walk to carry a warm cup of tea and still get to the mailbox with a sip left. It is also the perfect length to remind me of where I came from. It is the perfect length to have conversations that sometimes get interrupted, ignored or forgotten.

It makes me happy to think about Maggie already helping to work in the garden with my mom and pick blackberries along the driveway with my dad. Isn’t that just what life is about? Those moments that flash by and can be gone if you don’t take notice. We’re working hard to slow down and notice those moments, those life-filled moments.

Nothing on the Calendar

Without really trying, our weekend decided to get awesome. It all started on Thursday night when Maggie and Sydney were invited to have a sleepover at Camp Janet and we decided to go to dinner and a movie. Things got better when I got to do a quick trip to Anacortes, because you know I love goin’ to A-Town and seein’ some of my peeps. Phil and Genevieve came out to my parents house and we swapped stories around the table.

Things took a turn down Awesome Lane when Jeff called us on Saturday to see if  Barry, Mags and I wanted to come over and help to eat some salmon that he and Kurt had caught that morning.

Umm…..let us think about it.

Yes. Of course. Without a doubt we’ll be there.

When Jeff called, we were on the brink of making some final decisions about what the rest of our night would entail, none of the options included our great friends and fresh caught salmon. We’re glad he called. Maggie enjoyed entertaining Allison, Bahl, Kurt and Debbie, and did a pretty good job of pushing every single button on Jeff’s remote and entertainment station. Thankfully he thought it was as funny as the rest of us.

A date with Barry and fresh caught salmon with our friends was all good, but the true icing on the cake for me was when we went to Richmond Beach as the sun was setting Sunday evening. We’d started a miniture home improvement/art project and were literally waiting for the stain to dry. Richmond Beach is only about a 10 minute drive from our house and we go through phases of picking it as our destination. Based on the frequency of recent trips, I’d say we’re on a big Richmond Beach kick right now. Maggie likes to wear her boots in the waves, Sydney likes to get off leash and Barry and I like to be near the water. It all works out.

I love weekends full of spontaneity, especially when everybody’s happy. Things just sank into place this weekend. It doesn’t always happen this way, and when it does I can’t help but be amazed. Barry and I both got to work out, we each had special time with Maggie and we got tons of time all together. Sydney also got plenty of attention; however, I think she felt the bath after she got home from the beach was a bit undeserved.

Sometimes not having a plan is what makes the best plans fall into place, right? I’m going with that line of thinking right now because not having a plan led me to a weekend that I’d do over again and again.

*Photo credit goes to Maggie
* Photo credit goes to Maggie Mae

Days Gone By with Thom and Caro

Caroline turned one a few days ago and we headed to her house to celebrate her first year. Many of our friends were there and it wasn’t until we were walking out the door that I realized I hadn’t taken any pictures, so of course I requested that  Thomas, Maggie and Caroline gather on the couch for a quick couple snaps. (Cue the eye rolling for some people.)

Since Thomas was in full party mode, Maggie was into practicing her jumps and Caroline was lovin’ on her dad, it just seemed like I was trying to capture a picture of some hummingbirds zooming past my lens. It was so much easier when we could plop them down and they’d stay on one place. Long gone are those days. Long gone.