"Life isn't a matter of milestones, but of moments." -- Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy
My mornings are a tightly scheduled dance -- out of bed and ready for Alivia's arrival at 6:30 AM, a few minutes of cuddling and reading with her, preparing breakfast together, and leaving in time to arrive at Luke & Emma's house by 8:00 AM. We are greeted with hugs and kisses when we arrive, and then we have about a half hour to be sure everyone has been fed and dressed, enjoyed a bit of playtime, and gathered together schoolbags, coats and hats. I hurry them all to the car, buckle them into their seats, and we drive to Alivia's house so she can catch the school bus for kindergarten at 8:57. As soon as Alivia is safely on the bus, we drive across town to Luke's preschool, which begins at 9:15. When Emma and I finally arrive back home at 9:30, I am exhausted.
We soon realized that we were arriving at Luke's preschool a little early, so instead of waiting in the hallway for the door to open, one morning I took a slight detour over a lovely country road nearby. Luke was immediately captivated. That first morning the sun was shining brightly, the trees were showing off their magnificent autumn colors, and the dusky mountains rose behind them -- a blue so deep it was almost purple. There are farms dotted along the road -- some well-kept and others with tired old buildings and machinery lying about. Luke loves the barns. A tiny green valley lies at the heart of one farm -- with cattle scattered about and sheep grazing lazily on the hillside. A small family cemetery sits atop a hill. Luke calls this the "pretty road," and it has become our morning destination each day.
One morning we spotted a farmer's field filled with Canadian geese sunning themselves. It seems there is always something new to see on this quiet old rural road. Luke points out each of his favorite places and asks the deeper questions that rise in his mind as he travels through this serene landscape. Yesterday morning we stopped for a group of wild turkeys who couldn't quite decide which side of the road they wanted to explore -- the cornfield or the shady stand of old trees. We have both grown to cherish this little detour. I love watching Luke's response to the natural beauty around him, and he loves the old barn that is falling down. And, I know that this year will be over quickly and Luke will be getting on a school bus next year. Our little drives over the "pretty road" will be a thing of the past, but, for today, these are moments that we both treasure.
We soon realized that we were arriving at Luke's preschool a little early, so instead of waiting in the hallway for the door to open, one morning I took a slight detour over a lovely country road nearby. Luke was immediately captivated. That first morning the sun was shining brightly, the trees were showing off their magnificent autumn colors, and the dusky mountains rose behind them -- a blue so deep it was almost purple. There are farms dotted along the road -- some well-kept and others with tired old buildings and machinery lying about. Luke loves the barns. A tiny green valley lies at the heart of one farm -- with cattle scattered about and sheep grazing lazily on the hillside. A small family cemetery sits atop a hill. Luke calls this the "pretty road," and it has become our morning destination each day.
One morning we spotted a farmer's field filled with Canadian geese sunning themselves. It seems there is always something new to see on this quiet old rural road. Luke points out each of his favorite places and asks the deeper questions that rise in his mind as he travels through this serene landscape. Yesterday morning we stopped for a group of wild turkeys who couldn't quite decide which side of the road they wanted to explore -- the cornfield or the shady stand of old trees. We have both grown to cherish this little detour. I love watching Luke's response to the natural beauty around him, and he loves the old barn that is falling down. And, I know that this year will be over quickly and Luke will be getting on a school bus next year. Our little drives over the "pretty road" will be a thing of the past, but, for today, these are moments that we both treasure.
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