We’ve been making all sorts of memories lately. From a special boat ride to an it’s-so-crazy-it’s-funny walk in a thunderstorm, the past week has been full of moments worth remembering.
Here are a few things I want to remember.
A Birthday Boat Ride 🛥️
Jimmy booked tickets for our family to go on an evening boat ride around Pittsburgh for my birthday! We went on a dinner and sightseeing cruise around the ‘Burgh on the Gateway Clipper and it was such a special evening.
When we told the kids we were going on a boat, they had all sorts of questions! Mordecai’s were mostly logistical (will we be fishing?) and Sadie’s were experience-focused (will there be music?). If Dakota could ask questions, I’m certain hers would have been about food or what obstacles she could climb. 😉
Because it was a dinner cruise, there was a dressy casual dress code. I was happily surprised at how excited Sadie was to dress up!
Things I want to remember:
- Getting out kids’ nail polish for Dakota and seeing her interest as she sat down in front of me and let me paint her teeny tiny toe nails.
- Seeing Sadie care about how she looked—not at all in a vain way—but in a conscious way. She changed her dress a few times to get just the right look, wore her “high heels” (wedge sandals), and had me curl her hair. When we parked our car after the 15 minute drive to the river, she asked “Are my curls still there?” and Jimmy and I shared a smile.
- Seeing Mordecai, our quiet child, take everything in as he sucked his thumb. From the way the boat worked, to the ropes, people jet skiing on the river, and the view around the city, he was fully present and I felt like I could literally see the gears in his brain turning and thinking up questions to ask us later after he processed everything.
Much to Sadie’s delight, there was music and dancing once dinner was over! The DJ announced that he was taking song requests and Sadie’s head snapped up. Song requests?! She could ask for a song to play on the whole boat?! She suddenly felt shy and asked if I would talk to the DJ for her.
As much as I wanted to, Jimmy and I are trying to raise children who look adults in the eye when they talk, are polite, confident, and competent in social situations. I told her she could ask the DJ herself or write her request on a napkin. She liked the napkin idea, so we went with that!
Things I want to remember:
- Sadie’s determined concentration as she wrote “OKAY!” by Forrest Frank in her seven year old handwriting and shyly handed it to the DJ.
- The way her face lit up at the end of the evening when the DJ finally played her favorite song!
- The kids dancing to every song as only kids do—with carefree joy.
Things I want to remember:
- The perfect weather, the sun on my face on the river, and being a tourist in our own city.
- Feeling so loved because Jimmy planned a special night for us.
- A couple celebrating their anniversary gave Sadie and Mordecai their balloons.
- The captain of the ship telling us we have a nice family.
- Holding Mordecai and dancing because I won’t get to do that forever.
Thunder Walk ⚡️
I got the kids all packed up for the pool on an extra hot day. Towels, swim suits, clothes, diapers, Hot Wheels cars, life vests, tiny shoes, sunscreen, and more snacks than could fit in our cooler. We trudged from our far parking spot to the pool, checked in, found a spot, and applied our sunscreen.
Finally, finally, I set the kids free to get in the pool! Ten minutes later, we heard a rumble. The lifeguards looked at each other and waited a few minutes. Then another rumble. They blew their whistles and everyone had to get out.
Okay, no big deal, I told the kids. Let’s get out our snacks!
Things I want to remember:
- That we’re in the phase where all three kids can just eat food. No baby purees this summer!
- Seeing our kids enjoy strawberries, grapes, cheese cubes, and yogurt tubes.
The thunder rumbled again and someone mentioned that every time it thunders, the clock resets to wait 30 minutes to get back in the water. Sadie groaned.
Do we have to go home? She asked.
Things I want to remember:
- That our kids are still at the age where they look to me with so much trust in their eyes for decisions.
- That we had the freedom in our day to stay and wait at the pool for thunder to pass.
The sky got darker and darker and we waited a few more minutes. At this point, we were some of the last people holding out hope that we could get back in the pool in 30 minutes. I finally threw in the proverbial towel and told the kids that it was time to go home. I had checked the weather radar on my phone and it was not looking good. In fact, I was getting severe thunderstorm warnings and tornado warnings left and right.
So, we packed up everything all over again as the kids’ disappointment weighed heavily. We trudged back to our car and about halfway there, the skies absolutely opened up. Heavy rain, loud cracks of thunder—the works. So there we were, Mordecai bawling his eyes out in fear over thunder, Sadie scream laughing because this was fun and she adds noise to noise, me holding Dakota and a soaked pool bag. Aaaaand we still had about 200 yards until we reached the car.
Things I want to remember:
- The feel of summer rain on my skin.
- The health of my body to hold my child and bags and simply walk to our car.
- That I set the tone for our experiences.
At that point, I just laughed. What else can you do? We were soaked and it was chaos! We made it back to the car and got everyone buckled in and drove home as our windshield wipers struggled to keep up with the pounding rain.
Things I want to remember:
- We didn’t lose power!
- We didn’t experience a tornado!
- I used the rainy afternoon to organize the girls’ bookshelf while the kids played in their pajamas (because apparently thunder storms = you should wear pajamas?!).
A Daily Life Vlog 🎥
We filmed a vlog this week, too! I so enjoy watching what life looked like a year ago, two years ago, and more in video form. It really captures our little routines, the cute things the kids say, and even how they walk at certain ages!
Things I want to remember:
- Each of the kids waking up—their adorable sleepy eyes and joy as they start the day is so precious.
- Baking lady locks with Dakota (the dough thief).
- Watching Sadie and Mordecai play together with Sadie’s toys.
- Mordecai’s concentration as he painted his craft.
- Jimmy playing in the yard with Niva after he got home from work.
- Sadie and Jimmy riding bikes at the park together.
Other Things I Want to Remember 💛
- Mordecai buying truck charms for his Crocs. I gave him $5 and had him go to the register with his purchase. He adorably tromped up to the cashier with his $5 bill, charms featuring a garbage truck, fire truck, dump truck, etc., all while sucking his thumb. I want to bottle up his sweetness.
- Dakota’s teeny tiny hands and the way they fold. I have a journal where I keep a “happy list” and I just write down things that make me happy. Dakota’s hands? They’re on that list.
- Sadie randomly spending the entire afternoon building a claw machine out of a cardboard box, Saran Wrap, pipe cleaners, her toys, and a plastic cup. She didn’t give up and actually built quite a cool little toy!
- Buying new shoes for the kids. What a blessing that they’re healthy enough to wear out their shoes to the point that they break (Mordecai!). What a blessing that their feet are growing so much that they need to size up (Sadie!).
- This: Sing to God, sing in praise of his name, extol him who rides on the clouds; rejoice before him—his name is the Lord. Psalm 68:4
- Baking chocolate peanut butter granola and being happily surprised when Dakota reached for it (with her adorable little hands!!) and munched on it—and then reached for more.
- Watching Mordecai concentrate on cleaning our dryer lint out with this affordable little tool. Every single time he got a piece of lint, it was as if he won the lottery. He kept saying “Whoa! This is a big one!”
I know none of these moments may seem extraordinary, but to me, they are everything. Life can feel like it’s moving so quickly, and reflecting on these crazy, funny, and sweet days helps me slow down long enough to notice and appreciate the countless blessings God has showered over our daily lives.
Living My Full Life 