Joy

The weather during this month of December, has been really quite spectacular.  Many days have lingered in the high 50s and even 60s making our winter seem more like late spring or early summer.

And on these fair weathered days, nothing brings me more joy than being outdoors and enjoying it with our kids.

On beautiful days, like the one that we had this past Sunday, I beckon our kids to grab their bikes so we can go and ride around the beautiful streets of Eastport.

Ellee’s birthday bike has gotten quite a bit of use this past month.  She’s riding it like a pro and couldn’t be happier.  And she’s a noisy little rider.  She absolutely loves ringing the little bike bell that we picked up in Prague, so she does every block or so.  And in-between ringing her bell she whistles.  Lately, it’s been Jingle Bells and every time it makes me smile.

No matter our day’s destination, at some point, we usually end up here.

We love riding or running out to the Eastport dock.  Most days we catch the sunset, since our days are so short.  It’s breathtakingly beautiful and makes me wonder at God’s great creation every time.

And after the docks, we usually head up to town.

Because the lovely owners of Citarelli’s have promised our kids free cookies whenever they stop by, so as you can imagine, we stop by quite a bit.

Sometimes we pick up a few sodas, to really make it feel special.  And I have to smile every time, because these are the memories that our kids will have of their childhoods.  And in so many ways, they could not be sweeter.

On Sunday, since we were feeling extra adventurous, we also took a longer ride, just into East Moriches.  Ellee carried a tin of old cookies in her bike’s basket as we were on the hunt for birds to feed.  We had thought we knew of a few swans that lived on the East Moriches pond, but sadly when we got there, there were no swans or any birds to be found.

So she fed the fish.  And had just as much fun anyways.  Because our sweet Ellee is a funny girl and we love her so very much.

And I write this all so that I can remember.  Because amidst the craziness and the busyness of this Christmas season, this was one of the things that brought me true joy this year.  The incredible combination of enjoying nature, getting exercise and spending some quality time with our kids has been my source of a beautiful and pure joy.  It’s been quite the gift to enjoy in December, no less and something that I consider such a beautiful blessing this year.