A Little Life Reminder

This last weekend Jake, Sam, and I were invited to our first official play date. My cousin Heidi hosted a great afternoon for us. We had toys galore, 7 little kids, a delicious salad and the best homemade applesauce ever!

Heidi is the mother of 4 beautiful girls. She had twin girls about 6 months before I had Jake. I have been in awe of her ever since. The way she handles all those girls (I believe she had 4 under the age of 4 when the twins were born) amazes me. Heidi is always positive, always willing to help others even though I'm sure her hands are full (although you wouldn't realize it by talking to her). She is someone who I think of often when I'm having crazy days with my kids, and someone I look up to and want to be like myself one of these days. Even with 4 small kids she has time to redo her house and bake up a storm. The applesauce was amazing!

On her kitchen window seal she had the cutest picture of her husband and herself on their wedding day and a quote that was framed. It was the greatest quote I've seen in awhile, and one I needed to read at this exact moment in my life. Heidi told me she has to read it daily to keep her sane and to remember what is important. I fully agree and intend to get this written up and framed so I can look at it daily also.

"The biggest mistake I made is..... I did not live in the moment enough. I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night. I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing; dinner, bath, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less."
- Anna Quindlen

Thanks Heidi for the great afternoon and for the great example of what being a mother is really all about!