Full House, Full Heart
When we lived in the seminary community, we were surrounded by some of the closest friends we have ever had. We often got together for cookouts, we met at the playground with our kids every day, we ran errands together, we called upon one another to watch our children at the last minute. It was such an amazing way to live, in such a way that while you had your own family there was also this extended family, this group of people who loved you and were happy to help out, who shared joys and sorrows, who knew when to come around and when to say,"Let us know what you need."
This is the way that I think, a lot of the time, life ought to be lived. I won't go into a great deal about my thoughts on that, but this week, having my friends here, (and I always feel this way whenever my parents visit, or when we are with Mike's family) being around other moms, having women help prepare meals, laughing and talking and scooting all manner of tiny people out of a tiny space in the kitchen where they all want to be while the grown-ups are cooking, cleaning up while someone is bathing the kids...all these things were like this micro-picture of the time we were in Princeton. Those were sweet years, and I treasure the moments I have like that now whenever they happen.
I hope that doesn't sound like I don't appreciate what my husband does, for he does do the kids' baths while I get Eliana settled, and things like that.
There is something about having girlfriends around, too, though. They arrived Tuesday and Wednesday, and they left this morning to return to their homes, and I've been busy today getting things back to normal (Actually, I'm taking this opportunity to get things better than normal around here!); the house has been so quiet today, and everyone was so tired tonight. We had some very fun, but very late nights this week. I want to share some of our moments, but for now I will just show you a few pictures...I'm sleepy myself (I fell asleep while waiting for Eliana to fall asleep, so hard that my arms even went numb as they were crossed over my chest-that was a bit weird to wake up to...I'm surprised I didn't think someone was lying next to me with their arms over me!) and I'd like to process our time together before writing about it.
Reader Comments (2)
See? No one cared a whit about how clean your floor ways. :)
That is so great...
I always feel that way too when we are all together for holidays and vacations. All the moms working together- it makes all of the work so much more fun and easier that way.