snow days and children – grateful – Derek Maul: Words & Photographs for the Journey

When I look at your heavens, Lord, the work of your hands,
the moon and the stars that you have established;
what are human beings that you are mindful of them,
mortals that you care for them?
Yet you have made each one of us a little lower than God,
and you have crowned us with glory and honor.
You have given us all responsibility to take care of the works wrought by your hands;
you have put all things under our feet… – Psalm 8:3-6

I have lots of cool images to go with today’s post. Not just cool, but cold, extremely cold. This is very much one of those “I guess we’re not in Florida anymore” weeks here in Wake Forest.

The week started out Monday morning with grandchildren still full with excitement to wake up in grandmama and grandaddy’s house.

It’s amazing how quickly and how completely two small children can impact the decor of a home! But they also fill the space with laughter (and tears), with fun, with enthusiasm, with vibrant, irrepressible life, and with the serious business of play.

We played hard, we had a wonderful lunch at Chili’s (thanks, great-grandparents), and then they were gone, off home to Richmond. And – just as suddenly, just as completely – the house sighed, shook off a few stray Lego pieces, checked itself over for any remaining kid debris, made a cup of tea, and settled back into what passes for normalcy around here.

Late in the evening, sitting in front of a blazing fire, catching up on missed episodes of Masterpiece Mystery, the snow started to fall and cocoon our neighborhood in a magical sheath of white.

So this morning dawned cold and beautiful; and I am thankful for Rebekah, for children who are fulfilled and happy, for our beautiful grandchildren, for seasons, for the community of Wake Forest, and for the opportunity to breathe the cool, invigorating, fresh air of another new day.