The family room

Do you ever have those moments when you tell yourself, I want to remember this picture forever! ? So you make a mental photograph and keep it in your heart to download later, whenever you wish. I took a memory snapshot one October of the fallen leaves lifting and swirling off the street, high into the air in a spontaneous autumn dance.

Video clips we take in our hearts of family moments are the best of all. I took a clip last night in our family room. Lora, my 20 year old daughter was snuggling on the couch with Timmy, 4.75 years, teaching him to count in Chinese. Timmy is vision impaired so he got very close to Lora's face to see her mouth moving, and then he would attempt the words and follow her hand gestures. He loved the closeness and although he has apraxia he was doing really well mimicking the numbers in Mandarin! Lora thinks the Chinese words are actually easier to pronounce than English. He loved listening and "couch dancing" to the Chinese music on Lora's cell phone!

Gabe, my 23 year old son was sitting three feet away from them at the dining table, watching and listening to articles about interesting cars and motors on my laptop computer. Gabe has an inventor's heart and likes to check up on all of the latest inventions. The sound of motors and his frequent commentary and laughter added to the moments caught in my memory.

Meanwhile, Joel and Ella were playing and wrestling on the other end of our L-shaped sofa, giggling and squealing. Ella tumbled off into a comforter on the floor and yelled as loud as she could...I picked her up and quickly realized it was not because she'd fallen that she was upset, it was because she'd been removed from the fun. As soon as I put her back in the tumble with Joel she was smiling and laughing again... and I continued to watch.

Papa came home from being at the church and became the immediate object of everyone's attention. "Papa" (Daddy) must hold each of the children and give them kisses and bounce them. Each little one signs "more!, more!" with their fingertips. The laughing, the smiling and conversation continues until it's time for medicines, family prayer, saying goodbye to Gabe ...and we take the little ones up to their beds. Joel receives a breathing treatment and Papa sits in the room with them until they fall asleep.

And there it is, a little peek into the life that is ours. I see it even now. ;O)