These pictures were taken what seems like light years ago, when our kids were so much smaller. I remember the day well though. It was in the middle of a very long calving/seeding/track coaching season, & we hadn't seen much of Terry. The kids were whiney,...and in all truthfulness, so was their Mama. When Terry called to say he was coming home for lunch, I decided a special occasion celebration was in order, & started planning a picnic. It was one of those idyllic late spring days. A bright sun starting to warm the cold earth under chubby bare feet. A brilliant blue sky. Crisp green grass that smelled like summer was just around the corner. The kids 'helped' pack the picnic basket & chose their favorite quilt for our adventure. Then we found the perfect patch of grass in the yard, set up our surprise & waited. Kaitlin says she remembers the feeling of that day. Excitement & anticipation. 
I remember feeling that too, and then pride & contentment, watching our babies play and laugh with their Dad. A few precious, stolen hours. One of the scenes that will play forever in my mind. It didn't matter that we were in our own back yard. We were cocooned in a moment in time and could have been a million miles away. 
It's that way often here on the Farm. A picnic in the yard during a long lunch break, a drive to check crops, or an afternoon spent working cows together serves as quality family time. And it is quality. Now that they're older, it's during those times that the kids tell us about what's going on at school or with their friends. We talk about fears & concerns. About dreams & aspirations for the future. Or we don't talk at all... just simply savor the warmth & familiarity of being together. And maybe it's all the sweeter because we have to look for the time. We watch for opportunities to create memories from everyday mundane-ness or madness.
We'd love to hear about your own 'picnic moments',... those times when you created a lifetime of memories from a few stolen moments. Leave us a comment & tell us about them. And I'll see you soon on the Farm! -Shauna