My annual mushy gushy

Dear David, 

It's moments like this that make me think these two opposing thoughts at exactly the same time: 

1. I wish I could support our family so that you could have some time during this season in our children's lives to just be home "be"ing with them, and 2. I am the luckiest person alive to have this time with our kids.

Today Kyle safely transported this garden friend from a very obvious, a-dog-will-surely-dismember-you-at-best location to a more natural, safe place in our yard. Mr. Mantis made it immediately clear that traveling on Kyle's hand was a no-go!

Just another small moment to teach our kids to help, but to help with the needs of the "other" in mind. (Look at that smile...I'm melting...oh wait, that's just the 100 degree temps outside.)

This not-so-little bug made me think of so many things - how to keep our kids connected to nature as they grow (Joey ran right outside too btw and took most of these photos), how to teach our kids to be strong and gentle at the same time, how to grow our little urban yard into a place where nature's creatures want to be...

But mostly I was thinking what I think this praying mantis might have been thinking...

"Dude [my dearest David]...thanks so much for the ride!" xo

P.S. Photos by Joey.
P.P.S. Here's last year's mushy gushy...overshares end again today for another year! ;)