the good old days.

i've been a bit emotional lately.  my girls are growing up, and wayyyyy too fast.  a couple of weeks ago we celebrated emmy's first birthday, and in just two days my first baby will be three.  three years old.  i still can't believe it.

by nature, i tend to get stressed out when life is a bit chaotic.  and let's be honest: there isn't much about being a mama to two very active, strong willed children that isn't chaotic.  there are plenty of days i dissolve into tears, lash out in impatience, or have to apologize to my girls for getting frustrated with them.  thankfully i am always learning.  god is teaching me to rely more and more on him for a change of heart in those times of stress.

and he's teaching me to savor.  i'm a sentimental person, so i've always striven to not take precious moments--or any moments--for granted.  having babies has taken this to a whole new level.  i want to remember everything.  every detail about this season of our lives.  i constantly hear older parents say to treasure this time.  it certainly has its challenges to be sure, but there is nothing like these days.  these days that are filled with hearing the girls giggle as they play together.  watching them dance and spin and bob up and down.  having them curl up in my lap and rest their heads on my chest.  seeing them learn and experience the world with such wide-eyed wonder.  there is truly nothing that can compare to these days.

i've been trying to capture our day to day moments to remember more of our life as it is right now.  tea parties with daddy.  picnic lunches on the living room floor.  swinging at the park, jumping on our bed, snuggles on the couch.  it's finding joy in these "ordinary" things that make these days so precious.  simple blessings that seem so grand.

as nick&i watched the last episode of one of our favorite television shows (the office) last night, we memorized a quote said by one of the characters in his farewell.  he said "i wish there was a way to know you're in the good old days before you've actually left them."  upon hearing that statement, we squeezed hands and looked at each other.  it struck such a chord with us.  these are the good old days.  and we want to fully live in them, stress, chaos, exhaustion and all.  there's always gifts in each moment, we just need to learn how to find them.

sweet sleeping girl

wild hair

warm chocolate chip cookies

backyard play

tea parties with daddy

little girl giggles

ticklish toes

sleepovers with meme

a picnic with "friends"

pigtails

a hideout for sisters

the good old days are now.  don't let them pass too quickly.  treasure the moments.  look for the gifts.  take time to laugh, dance, cuddle and give thanks.  slow down, and savor.