Growing Up
Children in Augusta will go back to school in two and a half weeks. Where has the summer gone? We’ve done a whole lot of nothing and it still seems to have flown by. Owen will be in pre-k, Jesse will be in second grade, and Joshua will be in third grade.
As I sit here typing, I can hear Jesse in the midst of his guitar lesson in the living room. His passion for music, worship, and playing his guitar fill me with joy. Aside from one season of t-ball when Joshua was four, the boys haven’t participated in team sports up to this point. There just hasn’t been time. I think one of the worst things families can do today is make themselves too busy. Too busy to gather around the table to eat dinner together, too busy to talk about everyone’s day, too busy to read aloud a few chapters of a good book before bed. That said, we’ve decided to let the boys play soccer this fall. We knew if we signed them up with the Family Y, they’d be on the same team. The season lasts three months. I think the teamwork and competition along with being outside for something they truly enjoy will be so good for them. How appropriate that they’re team is called The Bandits!
I have found myself really “enjoying the moment” lately. A few weeks ago, the boys and I went up to the lake for a few hours and we were the only ones at this particular beach. As the boys played in the water, I relaxed into my beach chair, face to the sun, and took a few slow, deep breaths, thanking God for the beauty of His creation that I have the privilege of enjoying on a daily basis.
Just the other day, my friend Teresa and I were planning to take the boys to the lake again and I told her we needed to plan a day trip to the beach. She said, “Let’s go tomorrow!” Just like that, I cleaned out the car, ran up to the store at 10:30pm to buy snacks and sunscreen, and packed the beach bag for a long day of fun in the sun. Joshua and Jesse have only been to the beach once and it was four years ago. This would be Owen’s first trip to the ocean. I was so very excited to surprise them Monday morning with our spontaneous change of plans.
We headed out at 8:30am, arrived at Folly Beach just before lunch, played all day, and packed up to head home a little before 7:00pm.
We stopped to get gas and a Chick-fil-a milkshake along with a bathroom break, and arrived back home a little after 10:00pm. It was absolutely perfect. I sure hope that the boys look back on our spontaneous trips to the beach with sweet remembrance as they get older. There’s no place we’d rather be than with each other. We will surely be making more trips to the ocean in the near future; next time with hubby as well!
I don’t want to miss a single moment of my children growing up. I look so forward to watching them with their baby sister. They can hardly wait for the day when she’s snuggled up with us for story time before bed. Just last night Jesse prayed, “Lord, protect Zoe and send someone to love and comfort her until we can bring her home very soon.” They pray for her each and every night as we cradle her in our hearts until we can hold her in our arms.
God is so good. I just can’t say it enough.
~audrey