I've had this post tucked away in my planner since we were at the cabin. I quickly scribbled it down one evening the kids had gone to bed. I'm so grateful that McKenna came out when she did and was able to snap this picture for me.
I scooped her up in the middle of a full blown meltdown. The combination of sun, sugar and sleepiness was rearing its ugly head. I'm probably partly to blame. Camping and planning and entertaining have taken my attention away from my littlest charge one too many times today. Now, both of us exasperated, I hold her close to me and plop down on the glider on the front porch. To my surprise, she wraps her chubby arms and legs around me and settles her head on my chest and her hiccuping sobs begin to quiet. As we gently rock, just the two of us on the porch, my thoughts skip to the big kids and Earl who are roasting marshmallows out back. I find myself doing the mental math to determine how fast I can get Kinley to sleep, get her settled in the cabin and get outside to join them. Then a little voice inside my head stops me. Moments like these are dwindling A sweet baby sleeping soundly on my chest. MY sweet baby. Her hair tickling my chin and her hand still wrapped around my shoulder. And so I sit longer than I usually would. I take in the lush green mountains that span out in front of me. Listening to the inhale and exhale of my precious girl. Trying my very, very best to memorize the feel of her weight against me as we quietly glide back and forth. Remembering that on the hard days, during the meltdowns and the tantrums, we just need to hold tight to each other.
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