Lived

“I don't want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car, wearing beautifully, tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, and with long, perfectly manicured fingernails.
I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to scout camp.
I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbors children.
I want to be there with a little dirt under my fingernails from helping to weed someone's garden.
I want to be there with children's sticky kisses on my cheeks and the tears of a friend on my shoulder.
I want the Lord to know I was really here and that I really lived.”

― Marjorie Pay Hinckley

My cousin Sarra posted this quote on her blog a long time ago and I think about it often as I survey the runny nose marks, tears and crumbs my children leave on my shirts.

The Heart Warming-est Things

Harls carrying the teddy my Dad gave me, on the day I was born, as he walks all over the house.

He is quite affectionate of that bear of late.

Jonas summative statement of his new bike:

"Two wheels. No pedals."

All uttered as fast as he can talk in a super excited voice.

Twin antics! And the sweetest guilty expression on Harl's face.

I came back from helping Jonas in the washroom to find these two on the window bench sampling all of the pears.

I'm sure Rhett started it.

Jonas' car sculpture.

He called it "windmill".

And he stood near the couch guarding it from the babies for the better part of the morning.

Watching Jonas share cars with his brothers.

And watching the twins driving cars over everything while making beefy engine noises.

The looks on Rhett's face at the Birds of Prey centre!

He was overcome with expressions of wonder at nearly every bird we saw!

This boy makes me laugh and laugh.

Feeding the ducks and then fleeing for our lives as the mob chased us down the path (there were so many ducks when they all amassed together, it truly was terrifying).

Rhett petting Basil, the burrowing owl, with his perfectly poised pointer finger while forming the most perfect, breathless "Wow!" with his mouth.

And Jonas completely contented to hold Basil on his hand.