It’s one of those days that revives your spirit. And your mom heart. And possibly your mental health.

The sun is shining and it’s not too hot out; the perfect day for the splash pad.

The kids are excited and it’s my baby’s first time outside of the womb experiencing a real summer excursion like this. He loves it.

He loves the cool water running over his chubby little baby toes, he loves the the bustle of the big kids running around him, he loves the outdoor snack time. His baby giggles filling up my heart and my daughter’s delighted leaps in and out of the fountains make me burst with contentment.

It’s simple, just a little sunshine and water mixed with the freedom of childhood.

After a few hours, when the sunscreen begins to wear off and the sun hats have fallen by the wayside, I load my sleepy babes up into the van. Towels and sand and juice boxes fall like glitter all over the back seats.

The fussing of exhausted sweethearts begins to rise, and I turn on the folk music. The National Parks Band is our current favorite.

I open that bag of chips I never had the free hands to eat while we were there, sip on that leftover apple juice, and they fall asleep to the gentle rhythm of our vehicle carrying us home.

The drive filled with the sweetness of the Sugar River, the purples of the wildflowers, and the provision of the farm fields.

We pull into the driveway, the babes still fast asleep.

And I find a moment to draft this article, a moment fulfilling my need to create.

And I’m reminded that days like this, the ones where we just be with each other, are some of the best days of my life.

Not every outing is as restful and restoring. Children are humans of course, and like us have their rough days.

But I find the days like these, are the ones I’ll pull out of my back pocket of memories when they’re grown and out adventuring the world on their own.

After so many years of infertility, I won’t take the magic of this moment for granted. It’s not a huge vacation or anything like that.
It’s a simple moment. A core memory. That I’ll cherish always.

Thank you to my babies, for giving me such a beautiful life like this.
And thank you God, for hearing me all those years when I asked you to send them to me someday. You did. And I still can scarcely believe my dreams came true.

Also, let it be known that this beautiful core memory ended in a diaper blowout in a swimsuit when we got home. Beauty and Chaos are always in tandem in this journey called Motherhood.