Picnic dinners & play

As the weather warms, we're spending even more time outside. Nicholas is mowing and trimming, I'm weeding and sorting out rocks from a garden bed, Cooper is roaming and playing in dirt. But beyond the practical outdoor tasks, we're doing a lot of playing too!

The other night, I pulled out a melamine tray, plated our dinner (egg casserole), and grabbed a sparkling water. We laid out our favorite thrifted picnic quilt (I think it was my mom's find a long time ago). Cooper ate ground beef and blackberries, took sips of our sparkling water. We left our shoes off, enjoying the feeling of bare feet in grass—all three of us. And then Nicholas climbed one of our trees, like he used to all those years ago when we were newly dating in college. Cooper asked to join him, too. And then didn't want to come out of the tree.

It was refreshing to just play. And it made me realize that this little family of ours, this home and yard of ours, these are not minor blessings. Having a little boy to play with outside makes me more playful. And oh, it's good for my heart to feel the lightness that only play can spur on.

So thankful we have a God who knew that children can bring this lightness, and that He created children to specifically learn and enjoy life through play (and us alongside them).