a day i refuse to forget.

i've been a bit blue.

many, many contributing factors. sorrows and frustrations in many forms and varying significance. but things are still so good. just last week we lived an absolute dream day. i've not taken the time to write any thoughts lately (there are too many to know where to begin) but i couldn't let these pictures fall into the cracks in my hard-drive.

i'm going  to forgo my efforts to be profound and just tell the story of the day. this way when i am feeling blue i won't be able to forget some recent splendor.

those poor, pregnant cows. flies were buzzing in their eyes while the sun beat on their black hides. the kids marveled as they ate up pears fallen and rotting, gathered and shared. i can't exactly remember anything specific that anyone said or did, but i remember happy kids. and happy me with the most pleasant people to speak with; margo and choody and tanya.

chewy (aka fitz, but actually named finn) and i had a long moment together. i pushed his little body in a swing for much longer than i've done in a very long time. perhaps ever. the sounds of his laughter are ringing through the corridors of my mind. i wouldn't sell that moment away for millions of dollars. how many more of those tender exchanges are waiting for me to scoop them up? free and priceless.

i noticed that liam (sparky) was missing so i wandered around a bit calling his name. i wandered into the house of my dear childhood friend, stooph. i thought of the time i ran away from home and found myself there. things had changed since then, but not really. walking into the living room i called for my eldest and heard no response. as i turned to leave, a little head popped out from behind the sofa, just a moment too soon, and they were caught. liam and lucy. happy as could be in their secret hideaway.

i don't remember anyone fighting over the swing. i actually don't remember any fighting that day at all. i love days like that.

the boys dumped a box of pears onto evy-girl when i wasn't watching.

she took a bite out of every one she could. then we went home and everyone willingly napped. i love days like that, too.

when we awoke it was late in the evening. so we abandoned bed-time and walked to the state fair to see auntie tamsin at the end of her shift. kids under five were free. the day just kept getting better, you know?

i adore the following photograph for the reactions captured...

liam's first roller coaster ride.

ossi (formally known on the blog as iggy) bit all of his nails short as he tried to pick which ride he'd brave. he insisted, "i'm not scared."

waving his arms at us, he gallantly settled into the seat of the fire-truck/bus. his confident look turned into sheer terror as the bus started to slowly raise. he grasped the edge and i thought he might cry until the cheers from his brothers and auntie blew wind into his sails. upon exiting the gate he yelled, "i wasn't even afraid."

this was one of the last nights we spent with tamsin before she left to rexburg, idaho.

finn chose the motorcycles first thing. he knew the moment he laid eyes on those shiny hogs that he just had to get behind those handle bars. i honestly couldn't really tell if he was having fun because he had his famous poker-face going. he said it was fun though.

oh, joy. it's hard to be sad looking at a sweet, happy kid enjoying a fair!

i'm so glad that i take my giant, silly camera everywhere i go. even when i don't feel like taking pictures. because later i need them. i need days like this to look back on when it rains.

so many blessings.