And as we made our way out to pluck our peck of apples off the tree, my husband teased me about trying to get the perfect "Midwest Living" shot. It wasn't a jest at my need to document everything with a photo, because that's not my thing. Instead it was a jest at how full my heart feels when our family is making memories.
He knows that moments like today and the everyday moments of reading stories or cuddling in bed, make my heart want to burst.
This. This family. These four people all doing life together are what my heart yearned for so many years ago.
When we brought Meghan home, we chatted if having another baby was making us want more children. It hasn't, but my husband turned to me and said "remember when we were dating and we said we wanted two...here they are."
To be honest I don't remember that...but I'm sure it was true. This family, the traditions and memory making and all the small moments in between, are what my heart desired.
To think The Lord heard our pleas and after so much waiting, gave just as we desired. It's just too much for me.
And so these moments, and the not so pretty ones, and the hard, trying ones, and the sit on the couch and cuddles ones...they all echo my hearts longing. For family. For our family.
And as I sat in a chair and nursed the baby and watched my husband slide down the slides with Elizabeth, tears formed. Because this life, was all my heart longed for so many years ago and it's hard for me even to believe we are living it out today.
It's not quintessential or picture perfect or perfectly coiffed. It's real life, in the trenches, holding on to every little moment, making the most of the everyday, with these three other people I can only pray I get to do life with for many, many more years to come.
It's our family.
Our family of four.
This is a great post! We are heading the an apple orchard on Saturday (hopefully!) and I am hoping for a great family day like you wrote about too! :)
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