Memorial Day Weekend of Notice

After weekends such as these I'm usually trudging to work, reluctant to enter into another week but today isn't so bad (to be honest I'm not quite sure why but I'm just going to go with it). The girls were pretty decent this morning getting dressed, I had time to actually curl my hair versus tossing it up in a bun. It's the little victories people.

This weekend was pretty great. We spent the majority of our time outside in the pool or at the beach. Every time we go Macie is hesitant with the waves at first but enjoying them within a few minutes. Henley is jumping in with no reservations, my little fish. My husband had stepped away to fly the drone for a bit and the girls sat in this little trench of water digging shells. I had to grab the phone and snap a picture---the water, the sky, and my little girls all had me in awe. 

I've been making more conscious efforts to put the phone down in moments like these and take it all in, to notice. This month's lesson for my writing course is notice and until I just wrote this, I didn't put the two things together. I've been loving the quickness of Instagram stories and have been pulling further and further away from excessive Facebook posting with no real intent initially but it has felt great. 

As I sat under the canopy on the beach I watched their interactions, the way Henley so deliberately was digging and adding sand and shells to the bucket. Then how Macie would dump shovels of water on Henley's head, immediately looking to me for a reaction. I noticed how quickly the beach filled up with vacationers and locals alike. I noticed the group of European guys playing Frisbee in the water for what felt like hours. I noticed the families pulling in on boats with the cutest little toddlers and babies ready for a day of fun. Notice, something so simple yet transformational really. 

The phone is such a double edge sword for me, I love the accessibility of information. I love keeping up with friends and the news, I love finding out new processes or "life hacks". I love scrolling through Instagram and Pinterest like it's my job. I love the escape at times. But on the other hand I want to make sure I am experiencing my life, taking pictures because I want to remember this moment versus taking pictures to post and share with the world. It's only been a few weeks of this mindset for me but I'm loving it. I love that these moments with my family or friends are mine---held tightly to my chest for only me to experience. I love that these memories feel a little more sacred. I'm still posting on Instagram stories and I'm not going away fully but some moments will be mine, held closely for me to enjoy and lock away. With this I hope to really enjoy the moment, we only get one of these lives and my kids are already growing so fast.