It Reminds Me...

We took a quick trip to Lowe's after dinner tonight.

I had to snap this pic with my phone.

There are so many things I love about this picture.

First, the obvious reason. 

The people I love the most in the whole wide world are all in it together.

And, man, do I love them!

However, there's so much more.

First off, look at that smile on Daddy's face!  

I love that he's as happy as I am to do nothing more than take a trip to walk around Lowe's just because.

It reminds me of when we were dating in high school we used to spend our Friday and Saturday nights going to the movies and then walking around Wal-Mart talking for HOURS.

Look at the smiles that Tucker and Gracie are sportin'!

Such happy kids!

I pray that they always *want* to spend time with Wes and I, even if it's not doing anything *special*.  

I pray that "family time" isn't something that has to be planned or forced, but something that continues to just happen naturally, all the time, because we all enjoy *being together*.

We're a mess and the picture clearly shows that, another reason I love it.

Tucker has on rain boots.  

Gracie has on a pair of fresh hand-me down shoes that match neither her socks nor her outfit. 

Seriously, we're a mess like 95% of the time.

We're always rushing out of the house in mornings, just barely making it.

Or, we just accept that we're going to be late and enjoy the morning regardless.

We have a zillion and one things written on our calender.
Even more obligations.

Somehow, we make it work.

We're not spontaneous, but we're also not the best planners....

Does that even make sense?

Things just sorta happen.  Thankfully they usually work out!

A mess.

This picture reminds me of how I could hear the sound of the over-sized cart speed up followed by Tucker and Gracie's approving screams from the paint aisle when they were in the flooring department.

It reminds me of how Wes and the kids hid from me and I kept trying to sneak up on them, only to have them run away from me and hide again. 

It reminds me of how hilariously funny the kids thought that was.

It reminds me of how I thought, "I wonder if anyone has ever been kicked out of Lowe's for being too loud or running with the shopping carts??"

Of how I truly didn't care anyway.

It reminds me of the nice old man who took time from his work to talk with Tucker and Gracie and how Gracie loved it so much that when she saw him several minutes later she immediately broke out in laughter and asked for another high-five.

It even reminds me how Tucker and Gracie thought all the empty toilets sitting around the store were hilarious (which was totally instigated by Daddy!).

I told you, we're a mess!

Look closer at the picture.  Notice that Gracie is holding a pair of boots.

Before leaving the house, she was unable to decide on which pair of shoes she wanted to wear.

Of course, she did what anyone would do - she wore one pair and carried the other.

Makes perfect sense.

This picture reminds me how when she made that decision, Wes and I exchanged a look that said, "Yep, that's our girl."

It reminds me of how Tucker told Gracie that he wanted her to drive the cart first because she is "my little sissy."

Such a caring, thoughtful big brother!

How when we loaded up in the car to go to Lowe's, Tucker reminded me (for the 500th time) that he wanted a red flashlight with flames on it to take on vacation (in July) to hunt hermit crabs with at night.

Yeah, it's a little blurry, and nothing out of the ordinary.

But, this shot, this one will be a favorite :).