Moments that melt your heart

I was just responding to  a message a friend had send me about how quickly the first year goes by for kids.  Contemplating my response, I realized that it honestly doesn't seem to slow down.  Some days are long but the years just keep slipping by.  I still vividly remember the big boys being a year old and toddling around.  I have enjoyed every stage so far with the kids but I am in awe of how quickly they keep flying by.  As we have more kids, I think that the years keep passing through the stages for each of them even quicker.  I think it might just be that you realize the second, third or fourth time through a stage that it is just that, a stage.  A stage that will soon be over so you might as well jump into the moment and enjoy because you can't have a do-over.  So today, a normal everyday type of day, I realized just how many times my heart melts with little ones around as I just enjoy the moments.  I am lucky in that every day, I am able to enjoy little moments that honestly are priceless.

Here are just a few pictures from today that make me smile and make my heart feel just happy to see my little ones.

Sister Cuddling

This boy loves his sandbox

Emma busting a gut laughing!  

The Feeling of Home

Day 3 Photo Challenge:

I am sure that when everyone enters their house they feel at "home".  Over the last decade of marriage, Jason and I have purchased souvenirs from different travels that have slowly become our sole source of home decor.  If anyone else where to enter our house, I am sure that these items appear the same as any other but to us, they hold the memories of the fun times, trips and special occasions that they were purchased on.

The photos I chose for today are from one of our last vacations that we took while living in Europe. We spent three weeks touring the Tuscan country side and being able to enjoy that area of Italy as a family.  The photos that I looked at brought back a flow of memories of laughing while eating gelato, wine tasting during baby nap times, the boys learning to walk on the grass in front of the tower of Pisa and more.


I get a sense of peace while looking at pictures that remind me of those evenings sitting on the porch overlooking the Tuscan country side while enjoying a cappuccino and a nice glass of wine.

The boys getting out and exploring.

The picture below looks like any regular street you can find from Italy but to me, this is a picture of the store where we purchased a decorative plate that hangs in our dining room.  The plate itself is full of bright colors and a beautiful scene and every time I look at it, I'm brought back to this little shop on a side street in the town of San Gimignano.  

On our next adventure out, I hope to find some more meaningful items that will invoke memories or fun and joy from the adventures we acquire them on.