Love List

What I am thankful for this week:

I am so thankful for the fenced in back yard my husband built for us, for our dog mostly, when we first bought this house three years ago. I was thankful then, to be sure, when housetraining our young boxer in the middle of the night. But now I am so thankful. Josephine can sing and play happily behind me while I sit, read or just enjoy the sunshine without fear that she is running into the road. Yes, she's still little so I keep a nearly constant eye on her and am always aware- but I don't need to hover over her, ever ready to usher her away from looming cars.

She's developing into a brave, courious little person. Free to move out of my eyeline, safe to experiance uncertainty a bit on her own without being completely alone.

She's creative, too. Bringing two sticks or pens together and making up her own little song. She sings, "Happy, Appy, happy..."

Then she reaches out a little hand for my help to climb around and through the bumpier, wilder parts of the yard.