Magic Moments

There are so many times as a mom when I wish that I had my camera ready, or that I could whip it out just a few seconds faster to catch that perfect smile, hilarious face, or some crazy antic of Will's. I try to capture as many as I can, but there are many that will live on only in my mind.

Like on Sunday when Will and three of his cousins were all lined up on top of a flattened Graham, waiting for  their horsey to resurrect and give them another ride.

Or when I caught Will with a car cell phone charger pretending to straighten his hair because he'd been watching me while I was getting ready a few minutes earlier.

Those are the times when I have to just laugh and memorize the joy...because I can't capture all the moments on film, or an SD card or whatever. And, for that matter, sometimes I consciously choose to just experience those moments rather than breaking the magic by scrambling for the camera.

This Monday though, I caught a moment. This one...

For Labor Day, Graham and I decided we wanted to go on a little adventure as a break from all the yard work we (and especially HE) have been doing lately. He had never been to Red Butte Garden (and neither had Will), so we packed up, stopped to pick up some sandwiches for dinner, and headed off on a picnic. Will LOVED the freedom to roam in the garden.

Our last stop of the evening was the children's garden, which has a little splash pad in the entry. Will is usually hesitant at splash pads and mostly prefers to watch other kids get wet rather than get wet himself. Until Monday, that is. He started out the same as always, tentatively touching a gentle stream of water before backing off to a safe distance.

However, he quickly realized how fun it can be to get wet.

Too bad he wasn't really dressed for the occasion, but who needs clothes for the car ride home anyway?

Here is another magic moment from the evening:

Will heading confidently off on an adventure down the oak tunnel, where he became obsessed with acorns.

We even managed to get some shots of Will with his parents. We have hundreds of pictures of Will, but I'm trying to get better about making sure he will have proof he had parents along for the ride on many of his adventures. Here are a couple with Dad:

And even one with Mom, a rarity, since I'm usually taking the pictures:

Oh, and a little friend we made along the way...yep, that's a tarantula...in the wild.



What a day, what an adventure, what a wonderful life!

P.S. - If you've never been to Red Butte Gardens, go now! Oh, and take your camera.