Pumpkin Patch

We headed to a local pumpkin patch this afternoon. We went to the same Pumpkin Patch last fall with Gabe's preschool class, but we went a couple of days before Halloween so there weren't very many to choose from. I decided in order to get a bigger pumpkin this year we'd go a little earlier in the season. So after picking Gabe up from preschool today we headed out to pick up our friend Haley and get some pumpkins.

This was all part of an effort to "find more joy in motherhood". I have been struggling with that a little lately. I mean I'm ok with being a mom, I enjoy parts of it - I even would say that I enjoy most of it. But there are a few areas that I struggle with a bit. And I don't think that often enough I feel JOYFUL about it. I want to be more in the moment. I want to be able to look back on the years of having young kids and feel like I was an active part of it. I want to get down on the floor more often to play trucks and legos, color giant pictures of Lightening McQueen , wrestle and pretend I'm a Power Ranger with a foam sword. My boys will remember I was an active part of their early years. I am going to be there.

So today it meant going to the pumpkin patch with the kids. It meant letting them pick the pumpkins they wanted, instead of the ones that *I* thought would be cooler looking on the porch. It meant not focusing on the dirt they tracked into the car and not getting mad about the requested band aid that Gabe insisted on.

So what will it all mean for tomorrow? I'm excited to see!