Time flies by – enjoy it now!

This is a post I wrote for the Jan/Feb 2007 newsletter.  It’s an oldie but still worth the read – I think.

Believe it or not, these years with your young children will be over before you know it.

As many of you know, I am busy with preparations for my oldest daughter’s wedding (and I hear rumors of a possible engagement soon for my other daughter!)  This is a hectic time with lots of planning that can be both exhilarating and overwheleming at the same time.  Perhaps some of the emotional rollercoaster I’ve been on comes from the underlying realization that we have truly moved out of the “child” phase of our family life.  Where did the time go?

(This photo is from this past Christmas, not 2007, but it is one I will always enjoy.)

I am proud of the young adults my children have become, but I do constantly wonder if I spent enough time truly enjoying them while they were young.  Did I:

• take time to listen to the imaginative stories?
• stop to take time to read a good book with them?
• spend enough time cuddling at bedtime, or anytime?
• take time to teach a new skill rather than rushing ahead and doing it myself?
• go to the park enough?
• make enough snowmen with them?
• really listen to those sad feelings when a friend said something hurtful?
• stop to read another good book?
• allow helpful hands while baking when I knew I could do it so much faster by myself?
• play enough games with them?
• really listen when they were singing me the new song they just made up?
• help my child investigate things like “Where is the end of the earth?” (This was an actual question my son asked at age four.)
• paint, color, and do play dough enough?
• stop to read ANOTHER great book?  There are so many fun ones available!

I mention all this because you are in the middle of these important years.  You still have time!  Be sure to catch some of that time for these things that seem so much more important when you are looking back.  Enjoy it now. . . while you can!

Cyndi

Ice Cream, Music, Auction, Bubbles, Wind Tunnel and so much more!

Saturday afternoon we had another wonderful Ice Cream Social.  While this is our biggest fundraiser for the year, I call it a success even before we know any numbers!

Children played.  Families mingled.  People connected.

We saw smiles and wonder.  We ate ice cream and baked goodies.  We sang with Dino O’Dell.  We bid on auction items.  We won raffle items (well a few of us did ;o)  We played on the playground.  We navigated an obstacle course.  We braved a box maze.  I could go on and on and on!  It was a good afternoon!

     

  

  

   

I forgot to make a sign listing the two donors that sponsored the ice cream, toppings and supplies.  So, today I send a huge Thank You to HyVee for the ice cream and to the Bradley family for a donation to cover the toppings and all the paper goods!

Erin Thull organized an Usborne book sale.  I hope everyone had a chance to stop by and pick out one of their neat books.  She is holding the sale open through the week.  You can still order here.

We couldn’t do any of it without ALL of our wonderful donors!  We appreciate your support more than we can say!!