The Annual Week of Whatever

Last year, I discovered something strange upon reading Ella's school calendar: their entire Elementary School has a week off every fall. I took the week off at the last minute out of necessity, because we had no coverage for the kids while Derek was in class all day. I had no expectations - and I hate to say it, but I was a little concerned about us just "hanging out" for a whole week with nothing to do.

Little did I know what fun we would have. Life brings us so many surprises, and let's be honest - most of them aren't delightful:
"Carson, is your mouth bleeding? It's what? You ate my lipstick?"
"Replacing one part in our fridge is HOW MUCH?"
"What is that smell coming from the back seat?"

But the surprises that week brought were remarkable. We spent the entire time without an agenda, doing what we chose to do each day, fully present to each other and the fact that we had 7 days together with one goal: to have fun. From that point forward, I vowed to take that week off every year.

This year, here's how it went down:

We moved all the furniture and filled our family room with every plastic ball we own. We rolled, threw, played tag and keep-away. Ella flexed her soccer skills as our goalie for almost an hour!



Hidden Valley Farm's Fall Festival. Family favorite: baby piglets.





Pumpkin carving and several karaoke performances on the back deck with Heidi.

'


Serious sliding, bouncing, climbing, shooting, and jumping at Bounce U.



An array of incredible outfits donned by Carson, but this one is my favorite. He's wearing Ella's boots, a diaper, and showing Mimi his "big eagle birdie" tattoo.



Disney on Ice: I was impressed by Ella's interest in dressing the part, despite the fact that she's "just not that into princesses anymore."





The final weekend: off to Lexington to see the Isenhours, including:

time with baby Owen. Hands down winner for best baby in the family. When he's not sleeping, he looks just like this:



then some outdoor time at the Arboretum...I snapped this sun-kissed shot of Cindy and Ella lounging on the grass:





Our week was only missing one thing: time with Chris and Andrea. We caught up with them for a few minutes in a complete twist of fate. I thought Ella and Carson would never let go.



My sweet kiddos, I suppose you will read this and look back on all the "events" of the week. But here's the thing: our best times during Fall Break were the moments when the camera was not in my hand. It was about the two of you standing on our mattress, falling backward into our down comforter with belly laughs. It was the look of shock—then elation!—on your face, Ella, when you beat me at our first thumb war. It was the care that you took with your "job," Carson, the first time I let you move the clean clothes from the washer to the dryer. Those tiny moments are the ones that are fleeting, which is why they're so easy to forget. How do you capture that?

Or maybe you don't. Maybe the trick is to slow down enough to be present to those little things. To notice them and send up love and gratitude...

in that moment

for that moment.

Love begins at home, and it is not how much we do... but how much love we put in that action.
Mother Teresa