The Things We Do…

As I type this I am sitting in a camper while it is raining outside. There is a pop up canopy over a fire while a brisket roasts in a cast iron pot. Sitting near the fire is T & M and Miss Nike. Is this my dream of how to spend Memorial Day weekend? Camping in the rain? Not so much! In fact, if wishes were fishes, I would be home on my couch watching a movie in my jammies!  But, we’ve got an11yo who LOVES for

Several games of Skip-Bo and a couple movies is how we spent our morning!

camping, LIVES for this time of year and camping, so here we are…in the rain, smiling even though I’m so tired and want to go home!

How many times as a parent (biological or not) do we do things for our kids because we know how happy it will make them and how much they love it??  We sit in the rain to watch their sporting events, we freeze at football games, we listen to those flat notes at vocal concerts, we give up weekends with girlfriends because we know it’s more important to be at home with them.  We let them get muddy because they are having fun even though we know cleaning those clothes is going to be a headache and we eat cold meals because they need something!

Becoming a parent has been one of the most amazing, difficult, and rewarding experiences that I’ve ever experienced.  While I get

Campfire cooking in the rain!

frustrated, upset, lose my patience, and cry when they do well….when those boys look at me and smile, it’s all worth it!  We only have 4 years left with R at home and just thinking about it makes me cry!  7 years with M and that seems entirely too few!  So, I’m going to add a few pictures to this post, share it and go back outside where a little boy is loving life because I’m putting his happiness above mine right now and I’m actually happy to do so!!