Pictures help me remember when inevitably my memory fades.  I’ve tucked some moments away recently and am thankful for the photos that will help jog my memory one day.  I hope I’ll tuck them away in just the right place so I can remember fully…the people, the smells, the tastes, the words, the feelings, the emotions, the fun, the realness of it all.

Working really hard on us.  We’re not perfect…actually we’re extremely flawed, but God has been so gracious to both of us lately.  I’m so blessed by Josh Kelley.  We’ve really been putting in the time and energy and thought and work on us and I’m so grateful for this family thing we’ve got going.

A beautiful night full of birthday party celebrating with some dear friends.  A casino party which was amazingly fun and let me try my hand at craps and black jack and roulette.  The company who came up with the idea of setting up the real games and letting you gamble with pretend money and teaching those of us who are lacking in the casino rules department are genius.  And Courtney and Ashley who decided to host this fun party for their husband’s birthdays are even more genius.

How much my boys love Star Wars.  The way they play each character and go into fierce Jedi battle mode and mostly how they watch the movie.  Holy cow, I can barely handle it.

Huddy’s inventive ways and crazy awesome imagination.  I so hope I can fully remember his creative little kid ways.  He’s been carrying around this ‘bow gun’ for about a month now.  He constructed it from straw, twigs, one piece of dried up monkey grass, scotch tape, one pipe cleaner and the draw string from a pair of my running shorts.  He has truly embraced his MacGyver side.

Simple deliciousness.  My mom was the best at taking the most mundane and making it amazing.  Like rice krispy treats.  They’re still one of my most favorite sweets, but only because she made them so out of the ordinary by always dividing them out into bowls with spoons.  Who eats rice krispy treats directly out of a bowl with a spoon?  We did.  And I loved it.  Still do.  My most recent mundane love…plain old Cheerios with chocolate ice cream.  Crazy good I tell you.  Crazy good.  Please try it.

The way we still fit in Harper’s twin bed to read books.  But just barely.  And it takes clever positioning.  I know the time is coming like crazy soon when we won’t all fit.  I’ll choose to be in denial on that day.

Our movie night at home to celebrate Amon…being a family of 6 for a years time.  The movie.  The quilts spread out all over the floor.  The laughter.  The bowls of sweet treats.  The popcorn.  Amon’s 17-month-old inability to sit still and to only shove handfuls of popcorn into his mouth at a time or just knocking the entire bowl over all together.  The crumbs everywhere.

Baby teeth.  When they are all wonky and rounded off and half way cut through.  I love it so much.  I love when he smiles and I can see all 8 at one time.  His happiness is infectious.

And sun on those rainy, dreary, thick in the sadness days.  When you need a physical reminder of God’s goodness and love for you.  How big and wide and deep His love is Just.For.Us no matter our circumstance.

Those are definitely things I am tucking away tight.

Happy Wednesday!