The joy in the window…

(I kind of feel like that title should be the title of a TV show…maybe bones??  Well, probably not, not with ‘joy’)

I digress…

The other night, this little window made me happy on so many levels.  We were in those crazy hours before dinner, but after nap, and nate & abi were playing in the toy room (soon to be nursery/toy/oh my goodness room) and abi saw our neighbors outside playing.

Immediately, the window must go up so she can have a little chit-chat with her buddies.  I mean, seriously, so cute.  I love hearing what sweet littles talk about.  Makes you smile.

And then…Abi wanted to go play.  On her own.  What a big deal.  After my agreement, little lady grabbed her shoes – and out the window she went.  Yep, sweet thing hoisted the screen and exited our house a la window.  JOY.

Nate didn’t know what to do with himself.  He kept watching them in the backyard.  Half entertained, half really bummed that he hadn’t climbed out the window too.

But, then we got some sweet time together.  During the crazy hours.  When does this happen?   Unexpected JOY.

And when my little one came back in – smelling of outdoors and red-cheeked – she was just so happy.  She had so much fun and felt like such a big girl because she got to go “by herself.”  (It was the first thing she told her daddy when he got home, big deal here, folks!)  And the feeling when your heart swells because you see the JOY in someone else.  That is one of the sweetest gifts of parenthood.