capturing the moments

I took my girlies to the park the other day. It had been one of those days filled with all sorts of lovely moments that make me feel so glad to be a mum and to be able to spend all my days at home with my girls but then it escalated into one of those other days. You know, the ones filled with all sorts of un-lovely moments where everything happens at once and you feel like you must.get.out.of.the.house.
I must get out before anything else happens and once Kilmeny is in the stroller and Khaira is in the Ergo, I walk and I walk and my prayers begin to be more of a conversation rather then short bursts of frustration. 

I walked around the block and through the park, over the bridge and along the water. It was at the gloaming, the magical hour of the day where it isn't still day and isn't quite night. There was a nip in the air and a slight mist as if the clouds were deciding to dump a deluge of water and chose a sprinkle instead. 

We walked past the playground and I decided to go in. Yes, it was getting dark. Yes, it was chilly. Yes, I could have gone home and prepared supper. But I knew that we would only have a few such evenings left before the snow fell and I wanted to have that moment at the playground. 

Kilmeny was in her element. She ran all over the play structures, even the 'big kid' ones that she normally isn't allowed on. I felt like the best mum in the world when I saw her smiles and heard her absolute delight. And oh, that day became so much more then just the mundane 'mum at home'. I snuggled my Khaira-baby close and I snapped some moments, trying to capture everything.

And I remember why I love being a mum. It's the hardest and the most rewarding thing I have ever undertaken. 

Every day there is beauty and moments that beg to captured. And so I count the gifts, I snap the moments, and I write the words. But mostly I just live. And I write the stories on my girls' hearts.

When  Kilmeny kisses Khaira and says 'wuv you'. 

And  Khaira smiles and smiles at Kilmeny singing. 

 And Kilmeny dances to new Christmas music.

Khaira talks and laughs and oh, what a happy, content baby she is. 

 And when both girls are crying and the kitchen is a mess and if I could just have a few minutes of quiet and no one needing me....and I can't. 

When I get frustrated and impatient and they don't know what to do with mummy and I hug my girls close to quiet myself. 

When it's almost bedtime and there are jammies to be worn and diapers to be changed and isn't it time yet?

When I snuggle on the couch with my jammie-clad babies and we read stories about Pooh and Peter Rabbit and I realize that nothing is as important as where I am right now. 

 This is my life. And it is beautiful.

What beauty are you embracing today?