Bubbles

A post from Brooke!

It had been a long day…one of those days that drags on and on–each new hour compounding in complexity. I (Brooke) was tired and I was grumpy. I picked up Eden from school; she had the class stuffed animal along with an extra assignment for the weekend. Grace woke up when Eden and I got home and you’d have never known she’d been asleep for two hours.
She was whiny and cranky. The kitchen was a mess, but the rest of the house had been cleaned. I feared that the girls’ new energy would quickly destroy the bit of tidiness I’d managed in the house. Eden was whining in my face for a snack; Grace was crying because she wanted to be held. The kitchen called for me to clean it. The phone began to ring. We could hear it, but we couldn’t find it. A heavily deflated sigh scraped over my lips.
I looked at the girls.
I glared at the kitchen.
I ignored the phone.
Then I closed my eyes and started to sing. Well, I sort of growled at first. It’s a song that many of us know–one that Eden sings in
preschool: “Oh, the Lord is good to me/and so I thank the Lord/For giving me/The things I need.” The edge in my voice dissipated a bit as I opened my eyes and looked fondly at my children, thankful. I sang some more, “The sun and the rain and the appleseed/ The Lord is good to me.” Eden giggled. Grace stopped crying. I took them both by the hand, inhaled deeply and relaxed my shoulders. Eden started to sing the song a second time. I smiled down at her as I led the girls outside. On the way, casually picked up the camera from our dining table.
We spent an hour in the front yard playing together:
Laughing.
Swinging.
Singing.
Blowing bubbles.
Spinning.
I love my girls. The half hour I spent photographing them was therapeutic. These photos capture the delight of the afternoon. The warm glow of the setting, winter sun brought golden contrasts that reflect wonderfully the transition of hearts that afternoon. I’m blessed.