Sleepy Spring Sentiments

Spring fever is in the air!! On an afternoon when we found ourselves enjoying a rare hour of relaxation as a fam of five in the backyard, the echoing sounds of the neighborhood proved that spring has indeed arrived. From the noise of dirt-bikes in the desert, to hammers pounding nails alongside drills and saws busy on a project of some sort, to the gleeful cries of kids playing, to sprinkler systems being tested, it was a surround-sound of spring! And now spring break eagerly looms on the horizon which we are all greatly anticipating!!

Time for some catch!

Mason's ready!!

fort-building fun with cousin Aven!!



daddy and Mason sharing a few precious moments together as the sun sets

As many of you know, another Anderson birthday came and went and it contained a variety of humbling surprises, assortment of gifts, lots of lovin' by my gents, a few tears thanks in part to heartfelt, sappy cards and genuine sentiments. And an actual flow of tears streamed down my cheeks when my eyes beheld the sign my beyond-amazing-hubby handmade for me....sentimental for a variety of reasons!

Classy trio ;)

My sweet friend Elisha made it quite a fun day! :)

Birthday Breakfast!! Thanks babe!!! :)

a new fav coffee mug--love ya Shelly ;)

giggling with my gents

 I. Love. These. BOYS!!!

My new sign made by my incredibly talented and thoughtful hottie-hubby! It's PERFECT!



#stillcrazyabouthim

Baseball season is underway as Mason and Carson have joined their respective teams and attended their first practices, gearing up for their first 'game day'. I almost dare not blink as I feel as though these coming weeks are going to whiz on by like a race car at the Daytona 500!

Mason up to bat! look out....;)



Carson is ready for Little Majors!

And maybe that's why I've lingered a little bit longer in those dim-lit moments I check in on my sleeping gents before I head off to my own dreamland. As I stare at each one of them in their peaceful, deep dream-filled faces, I've found myself playing a warp-speed highlight reel of the day. Did I teach them enough today? Encourage them enough? Love them enough? Show Jesus to them enough? Spend enough time with each of them? Were my words more harsh than loving? Was I firm enough? Was I "mom" enough? Did we laugh enough? Did I lose my cool one too many times? I think it's a fair question. Or series of questions. And I'm sure I'm not the only mom that questions herself at the end of the day as the littles are tucked into bed, foreheads kissed, and prayers lifted up. These boys are my legacy--our legacy. And when the daylight hours give way to those night time hours, this is what matters most as we go barreling through this season of parenthood. Not facebook statuses or likeability, twitter feeds and followers, overscheduling playdates & coffee dates to already jam-packed weeks, stressing over petty, trivial matters that will be forgotten in a matter of days, etc., etc. Don't get me wrong, I full-on enjoy my coffee dates and play/park dates and being completely invested in the lives of others (friends and family alike). And I can stress over petty things like the best of 'em! But the not-so-subtle impressing on my heart that God refuses to let up on, is that what matters most at the end of the day is raising up boys who, Andy & I pray fervently and almost achingly, will become men that are Jesus lovers and followers, not cultural companions! Parenting purposefully. Allowing re-dos if necessary. Letting them see and be a part of an authentic faith lived out in those stressful, challenging, petty, relaxing, relational, seeking, joyful, every-day-moments of daily life. Every day that passes by is another day closer to their next birthday, to another year older...every day leads to another day, that leads to another day, that leads to another day...and pretty soon those days added up are gone and that little boy you brought home from the hospital is now off to "soar his wings and fly". My sister recently recalled how years ago, when her eldest son was graduating high school and preparing for college, she said that this same graduation day would be here for her youngest boy before she knew it....and now it's nearly here. At the end of this spring day, as I sneak in to kiss the flushed, rose-colored cheeks of these three sons of ours goodnight just one more time, I may linger a little longer....

MRA



Austin buried in his puppies

CJA

....because in these precious seconds that tick on by, all the chaos of the day becomes quiet and the cluttered mind becomes clear. If I could only bottle it up & be able to savor it just a little bit longer....