These are the days to hold on to...

I'm posting these because they are some of my favorites from the last couple of years. A few of my favorites...but I have a couple of thousand more favorites besides the ones I picked today. I've been looking through older pictures (even a box full of pictures of Chip when he was a kid, thanks to Grandma Karen!) and it just makes me thoughtful and reflective. Besides, I didn't want to drive some of you crazy with that chicken head picture any longer than I already had. =) At least those of you who didn't see the humor in it.
Truly, pictures are really powerful. I had no idea through the years how much you can remember (or wish you could forget!) just by looking through photos. I will be pulling out even more boxes and albums this weekend as Teagan's birthday rolls around this Sunday. It's so wonderful to have 'visual memories', and it makes me realize how time gets away if we let it. I talked about this as Ava turned three this week...the years just seem to fly by all too quickly.
I am trying my best, and hoping to encourage others, to savor life. All the good times, but even to see that the trials and stressful moments are just that. Moments. They don't last forever, even though they feel like it when we get caught in the midst of them. There are ups and downs, ebbs and flows, mountains and valleys. And lots of plain old highways we travel along the way.
I am learning to love ALL of the journey- whether it is high or low or just flat roads for awhile. I know that there are purposes to all of the events in life, and to try to embrace each one as it comes is the best way to enjoy the ride.
Maybe it was just the black and white of the photos hitting me the 'right way'. Those colorless pictures make me more thoughtful, I guess. But it's still true. Everyday we grow one step closer to our last breath on earth- although most of us know not when that will be. I am very aware that life is short and there are no guarantees. That's why I have made an effort to let my family know how much I love them. I try to have fun and make them aware that the "ordinary days" might be the only ones we have together...so let's not waste them waiting for the big 'mountain-top experiences" to come along. Live for today. Sounds so simple. To me it means making the ordinary seem extraordinary. I'm thankful today for memories and photos, because I know that there really isn't any other way to hold on to ordinary days in my life like these.