It's different this year. There is no more stroller in front of me. I am keenly aware of its absence I admit. For over a quarter century I have followed behind the wheels. But in place of the familiar hum of the axles spinning there is now a pair of tiny boots skipping, jumping, twirling. There are two bitty hands reaching, digging, pointing, sharing. Treasures in hand, she trips along the trail joy-filled and breathless checking every puddle and ditchside weed. And I am right behind, soaking it all in.
Someday – too soon – she will venture farther than I can follow. For today, though, we walk together. I am grateful for every step.
As we walked this day I felt a coin in my coat pocket. (pictured above) It wasn't a Euro and the saint caught my eye. When I came home I looked it up. It is Bulgarian and commemorates St Ivan of Rila (Rilski). You can see it here. Allen or Zach must have picked it up in Poland, Czech Republic, or Turkey is our best guess. Just made me laugh. How crazy that this is my life! I am grateful for this too. : )
Starry Sky Journal 
I understand how you feel… my oldest will be 25 in April and my youngest is 3. I am not sure how my heart will handle not having a little one in the house. +JMJ+
Beautiful photos!
Ahh, Kim, I feel for you. We have 7, our oldest is 20, our youngest, 3. I haven’t really thought of the stroller situation yet, but I have had a recent experience with a crib. Just before Christmas, in getting ready for our older daughter to come home for the holidays, we decided to take the crib down as our little son had just started sleeping in another bedroom with some of his siblings, and we wanted to make her room more spacious. As my husband passed by me with the crib enroute to the basement, I burst into tears. I actually surprised myself! It took a few moments in my room to cry it out, and talk to Jesus about it. It was almost like a holy moment, honouring that season in my life. Last month, it was the highchair to go. Precious memories. Changes though.
She’s so beautiful. It took me twenty years or so to really realize how quickly those child moments add up to make grown up lives — and then poof my babies are gone, out on their own — and I wish I could reach in my pocket and pull out those moments again and really appreciate them. It’s not because I’m getting old that I’ve slowed down with my youngest children. (I wish I’d had a blog when my big kids were little so that more could have been recorded!)
Bittersweet times….. I’ve missed so much of my “little” boys the past few years. Time I will never get back. Makes me so sad. I’m glad you have the time to spend and soak up memories with your young ones.