S and S.

(This was what I had to work with today. Pure beauty.)

I took advantage of every moment of sunshine I could today.  I ran a gazillion errands, taking the long ways home so I could bask in the sunshine a little longer, cozy in my car.  This will sound odd, but I tried to stay in the parts of my house facing south/southwest so I could feel the sun's rays.  No family rooming today, no kitchen table.  The piano room and kitchen felt best.  Do you ever cling to something because you know it will become scarce at any moment?  That's how I feel about the sun.  I don't remember feeling this way anywhere else I've lived.  I think it's because I know what's coming.  The scarcity is nipping at my heels, and anticipating something is always worse than the real thing.

Joyfully--and that word is no exaggeration--the sun hit my front porch full force at about 3 p.m.  The kids just got off the bus.  I bit my tongue and let them watch a movie (wait, that's a lie, I was practically pushing them in front of the tv).  A LONG one.  14 episodes of batman cartoons with no guilt.  For those of you that know me, we don't watch/play anything involving a screen during the week.  Just books, fresh air, toys, paper, markers, the imagination, etc. 

I knew my rendevous with the sun would not last forever so I took full advantage.  I parked myself on a little chair, propped my feet up on my front porch railing and closed my eyes.  I could practically feel the vitamin D soaking into my skin.  Sweet relief.  After communing with the sun, I got out my scriptures.  I thought to myself this was the perfect combination, sunshine and scriptures.  You better believe I feasted on the Word.  My surroundings were perfect, I was in the zone, and I had oodles of time.  I learned so much and felt so full, so satisfied, so complete.  The seal on a wonderful day.  For me, anyways (see below).

I won't mention that all the kids had to go to bed early, without stories or songs because one gave another a black eye (head to eye, not fists), one shut the door on another's toe, one refused to get her jammies on, and the list goes on, and on, and on . . . .  A vivid reminder that life is NEVER completely perfect.