Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

Jared is finally home! It feels like a lot longer than a week that he was gone. He missed a lot in the last week. I love how the kids are so excited to see him, and him them, after an absence. I know the old adage "absence makes the heart grow fonder" but i've never really pondered why that is. I guess we take the familiar and everyday things for granted and when they aren't there we realize how much we really love those things. So, my pondering today has been about how to make the everyday things special EVERY day. Instead of folding the laundry and doing the dishes while the kids were occupied with a movie, I sat with them and held Little Lou and laughed at the movie with them. I took a few minutes to watch the chicks- which aren't really chicks anymore- play in their new outdoor pen and just enjoyed watching them. I don't want to look back in five years and wish that I had enjoyed this time with my kids more. I want to enjoy every moment with them, even the bad ones! They too will pass!