Today, no one wanted to go to church (we made it, but by the grace of God), I had to bribe the kids with bbq for them to learn their AWANA verses, Mitya was hysteric at drop-off (he went), we had a toilet “situation,” and YET! All I could think about was how well they did yesterday.

Yesterday was magical, folks. We went to hear a gifted musician play classical guitar. In a barn that sits atop a 30 acre estate. While it was raining. The rain accompanied the melodies and I swear I closed my eyes and imagined myself walking through the moonlit streets of Andalusia, hearing Spanish guitar with the whole town. It was heavenly. Mitya read books with my amazing friend Judy while Sasha and Andy tapped out the rhythms with their little fingers. I was filled with so much love for them. We relaxed together. Praise God!

My kids keep me grounded, shall we say, but I am cognizant of how important it is to appreciate the magical in our lives. For example, this is a picture that Andy painted while I took a shower. He asked my permission before painting. I could not believe how cool it looked. My kids are a lot, as I am sure yours are, but isn’t amazing when we can enjoy moments together that take our breath away?

Love,

Elena