a beautiful day, captured only in our minds

We woke up on time and didn't have a fight on the way to church.

(I could end the blog post here and make the title true enough!)

We got to hear the youth group of our church give their stories about a missions trip they just took to Mexico.

We went to the bird seed store, bought a new bird feeder.

We ate lunch at a little local Italian place that blew our socks off.

We meandered down to a fun 'mercantile' store, played with all the toys, bought a candle and learned that locals here call the transplants 'flat landers'.
We are 'flat landers'.

Good to know.

Came home to a beautiful house.

I took the twins and one dog on a 3 mile hike in 80 degree weather in the Sierra Nevada foothills.

Came home, again, put up new bird feeder and soaked up some quiet time on the deck.

And then it got really really good (as if it hadn't been already!?)

I introduced the girls to my all time favorite movie:

Pride and Prejudice.

Oh my goodness.

I had NO idea how much fun that would be.

It's no surprise but, I have created four mini-me's.

I had to explain just about EVERYTHING...but not absolutely everything.....the things they 'got' were cracking me and Jake up!
The loved it!

I can now be done parenting.....I am satisfied.

Kidding.

Oh.
And I conveniently left out all the times of the day where I:
snapped at a kid for running out into a highway
or totally blew off another kid who set up a 'cuddle center' for us (I didn't see it until it was too late!!! rain check!?)
or gripped at Jake for not putting the bird feeder where I wanted it (even though we got it for HIM.)
or where I had to take the kid off my lap during the movie because she wouldn't stop wiggling and it was killing me
or where I had to not let two of my children talk during lunch because 'it' was so out of hand.
or where I had to lecture another kid for keeping her feet out of her sisters face during the movie
or where I had to take away the privilege of having a cookie at church because they were taking too long to decide...
or the countless times I had to tell two of my girls to 'turn the volume down' because they are just SO LOUD.
or, or, or, or, or.

No.
I'm going to leave those out.
Because the day looks so much better if I do!

Or's or no or's.
It really was a marvelous day.

We can only do so much since sin is just
THERE
all the time.....