And so it begins...

First of all, I apologize for missing yesterday's post.  Fall Break has just begun but it has already been a whirlwind of activities!  I'll just warn readers up front that this week's posts may be hit or miss.  While I want to capture the joy of each day, sometimes you gotta just live in the moment and there isn't time to write it all down.

Yesterday was one of those days.  By the time we made it home for a quick dinner, it was time to pack up and head to the Drive-In, which resulted in a late night getting to bed.  It was kind of a last minute cram-it-in decision to go, but I found out it was our last chance before they closed for the season.   This morning, we left for the zoo first thing.  We've just made it home and the only reason this blog is getting any attention now at all, is because I'd rather write while uploading photos than do housework!

You know what the best part is though in all the busyness of the past two days?  There are too many moments of joy to pick just one!  It could be waking up at 6 a.m. on Sunday morning to find Noah still awake.  He was soaking up every single moment of fall break by not going to bed!  Needless to say, it messed his sleep schedule up a tad.  Or, it could be the giant hug he gave me when he found out I made hot potato salad for dinner.  ....gotta love his excitement. 

Or, it could be sandwiched in between my two special guys at the Drive-In last night, wrapped in quilts, with my arms entwined around each of theirs.  The movies weren't all that great, and my nose and feet got mighty cold, but we were under a blanket of beautiful stars sharing the night together.  It was a pretty great moment when Noah leaned over, grabbed my hand with a squeeze, smiled sweetly and said, "Mom, this is a pretty cool fall break."

It could've been the crazy chaos of cousins running around the house, happy to see each other and travel to the zoo.  My heart melted a little when my nephew Allen, who's pretty shy around me usually, smiled brightly and said "Heather!" when I stepped outside.  Or, Bryanna's funny face she made when she tried to wiggle her nose like Aunt Heather.  And the many laughs shared in the truck with my little sister, who's not so little anymore, and just getting to spend time with each other. 

Many special moments throughout the visit at the zoo, from watching the kids pose for silly pictures to their expressions at seeing a monkey for the twentieth time.  And it very well could've been the shared happiness in Mom's face, surrounded by her grand kids, and even husband, for a rare all-together photo on haystacks before we left.  Many, many wonderful moments of joy.

I'm exhausted.  I need a bath.  I should wash dishes or do laundry, or something...but instead I think I'll just travel to the couch, where I'll find my boy, and we'll relive the memories of the past few days together.