Family days

This morning, Facebook reminded me that I had posted this picture 6 years ago today.

My caption read "Our FIRST family picture!!!"

At that point, Bodie had been in the hospital for approximately 9,999,999 days, and he had about that many to go before he would be finally discharged. When this picture was taken, he was inpatient following MRSA in his bloodstream. And this was the first picture we finally got of our whole family together. I remember being relieved, and happy, and scared, and exhausted.

So, pretty much how I feel every day now. I just wasn't used to it then. ;-)

In any case, that photo just shook my heart right up when I saw it this morning. We had had a rough morning, where Bodie was losing his mind and sobbing nonstop because (and I am not kidding here), we asked him to eat 1/2 a pancake that Dusk had made (which he actually liked once he tried it - duh) - and 2 itty bitty pieces of sausage.  I know, the audacity of Dusk and I, right??? Anyway, I was D.O.N.E. with Bodie. As in, like ready to drive him to the "family store" (where he can pick out a brand new family!) myself.

And then I saw this picture and it shook me to the core. 

I was reminded again of just how far we have come, and how unbelievably blessed we are to be where we are today. God's hand on our family has been extraordinary. Even if our son is a pain in the butt when it comes to eating. 

I'm not certain if it was in response to this picture, or just cosmic coincidence, but we spent today having the BEST, most full day we have ever had up here at Lake Tahoe (after the aforementioned sausage meltdown of 2016).

We started the day by playing racketball, but I don't have any pictures of that, so I'll throw in an oldie from last winter. It was pretty much how racketball today went.

We "rafted" (meaning, Daddy pushed us out 30 yards from shore, where the water was approximately 2 feet deep), staring up at the most breathtaking scenery.

 We explored 2 different parks. 

 We climbed rocks.

We went on a water slide and swam in a pool.

We ate dinner at one of our most favorite Tahoe haunts, complete with ice cream afterwards. 

 We made wishes on really big dandelions.

 We walked on the beach at sunset and made new friends.

Truth? We're all sunburnt (we may or may not have forgotten to reapply sunscreen), exhausted and spent after today. But you know what? I love this family and I loved this day. 

 THIS family is older (for sure) and wiser (depends on who you're asking and on what day), and has come a hell of a long way from this little family. 

And if we weren't sure about that, today sure reminded us.