the house is quiet,
it’s 93 year old floorboards no longer echoing
the chatter of eight people or the clatter of sixteen feet.
only the sound of the dishwasher swooshing, the washer spinning,
and the dryer flipping and tossing it’s load of sheets and towels.

the man of the house has gone to work.

the dog is napping.

the frig is empty.

my camera is bursting with images of good family times.

pictures are crooked on the wall from the passionate way boys close doors.

the fingerprints and nose smudges have been wiped from the french doors.

the floor will be cleaned of it’s dirt and grime,
thanks to a vacuum, mop, and Mrs Meyers lemon verbena.

a hopscotch game waiting to be played will soon be erased by tires and rain.
squirt guns and beach buckets will be cleaned and put on the shelf for next time.

walks along the river will be boring now with just Max and I.
Stephen won’t be there,
inviting me into his boy’s world of adventure and exploration.

precious little Hannah, reminds us all of another girl named Veronica.
I will miss her beautiful eyes and sweet smile.

at almost ten, Raylyn amazed me at how she handled Max on our walks.
And her servant’s heart and gentle spirit was a joy to see.

and then there is mister Andrew… at 20 months,
showing me what life will soon be like when Jaxson comes to Nana’s.
Who can resist a face like this?!

There was a day when the past 4 days would have caused some stress…
you know, that season where the nest is empty and for the first time
my house would stay picked up and clean for more than a day.
But where I find myself now, I actually find joy in an occasional messy nest…
spilled juice, sand on my floors, a dirty well used kitchen, shoes and toys
replacing pretty things that don’t really matter, noise, crushed plants,
gravel strewn out of it’s place in the drive onto sidewalks, chaos…

because that means relationships… family… love… laughter… life lived fully.

such joy to see a nephew and his wife, parent their four kids well… finding that delicate balance of discipline and fun… letting kids be kids, not overprotecting, teaching them respect for people and things, right from wrong, and why.

i have learned some things these past few days…

i need to have some plastic plates, bowls, and a sippy cup or two,
but paper animal plates will do.

 a wagon would be nice to cart home
all the treasures little boys find on nature walks.

pancakes two mornings in a row isn’t such a bad thing.

i have learned that children are such a gift to the world of adults…
teaching us to see life as the adventure it truly is.

there’s the dryer beeping…

more photos tomorrow…