Farewell to summer

Lovin' the beach bum. 

A few days ago it was a gorgeous day, so we decided to run over to our "beach" (aka small lake) for one last hoorah before summer ends.

Chanley loved finding seashells, and Conners tried to eat all the sand. It was a good time. 

{Thanks Ry, for taking the sweet pics of me and the kids.}

Farewell summer. We'll miss you.

Mommy, can you please hold my hand for a second?

This is what Chanley asked me night as I was tucking her into bed. After I told her sweet dreams and turned to go, I heard a tiny voice ask if I will please hold her hand for just a second. :) So I held her hand as she went to sleep.
This is a common occurance with this girl.

I can remember one trip we took to Idaho to visit my family. Chanley must have been just 7 months old. On hour 6 into the trip she had had enough. So she screamed, and screamed. A lot. We stopped to check her diaper and feed her, but as soon as we put her back in her seat she started screaming again. This went on until we thought we couldn't take it anymore. A hysterically crying baby in a small vehicle is enough to drive anyone mad. We were at our breaking points. I reached back and grabbed her hand because I didn't know what else to do, and the crying instantly stopped. It was like magic. I'd let go and she'd cry again. I'd hold it, and silence. Ryan and I were amazed (and relieved).
I held her hand for the last 2 or so hours of the ride. By the time we got home I couldn't move my arm anymore from holding it awkwardly behind me for so long. ;)

From then on, if she has ever needed comfort, or reassurace, or sometimes for no reason at all, she'll ask if we will hold her hand.
And they're the simplest, sweetest moments in the world.

Why the lens

The other day I was sitting on the couch catching up on some work. Just another ordinary, busy day. I looked over my computer to see my two kids sitting on the floor together, playing. Chanley was making Conley giggle hysterically by leaning over him and tickling him with her hair. I knew it was just a matter of time before the giggling would turn into screams as Conley would reach up to grab his big sister's hair in his tiny strong fists. This is a regular occurance at our home, yet it was like I was seeing it for the first time. All of a sudden a lump formed in my throat and the tears came. Those kids can't be mine. That girl is much too young to be in pre-school, and when did my newborn start crawling?! How did my little babies get so big, so fast? 

I'm a mom. And like most mom's, my days are a blur of children, toys, messes, cleaning, crying, laughing, nursing, more nursing, showering (if I'm lucky), and working. It's a good life. An exhausting life, but a happy one. The one regret I have is that there never seems to be enough time in a day. Before I know it, the sun has gone down again and another day is gone. And the days and months start to blur together.

I want so badly to remember every sweet moment of this crazy, beautiful time of my life. I've tried writing things down. I must have the world record for the most amount of journals started but never completed past page 6. When it comes to recording things, I much prefer a lens to a pen and paper.

So that's why I take pictures. It's the only way I've found to stop time for just a tiny second.
Because life is short, and I have a bad memory. ;)