6:30.

Percolating bumbling commences.

A crisp autumness of freckled leaves dances its way onto my eyelids.

s h i n i n g

The air is cool; our quilt is cozy.

With minor rotations and simple shifting, my hand fumbles through covers across the mattress's width, over a soundly slumbering tot.

{fingers sucking. B snuggling}

{A wee hour thief of our bed}

I reach to find him.

My hand's reach is interrupted by the touch of his hand simultaneously seeking my mine.

Joining fingers intertwined, we rest them on our thief.

Halloween morning is here.

Sweet slumber steals yet another hour.

Up an attem fills our bellies full of sausage, eggs, Mamaw Hook's homemade cinnamon rolls, and orange juice fresh.

Chatter and squeals are the guests in our home just in time for Halloween.

"I'm gonna get a lot of Kit Kats, bubba"

"Not as many as me."

"Uh-huh. I will too!"

A charming, bubbly anticipation is in the air.

And all 4 of us can feel it.

Daddy sketching out templates for Tin Man's cardboard chest while mama is knee deep in yellow felt with hums and turns of the needle.

And the boys couldn't be happier running in and about us.

Pelting out ideas of just.the.right.belt.accessories to consider and "Make sure I have a heart, daddy!" only add to our handmaking jubilee.

Mama and Daddy are on it.

While the boys make one last trip out to find just the right funnel hat for our little Tin man, I flutter about cleaning up breakfast and thinking.

Bliss.

This is what is feels like.

Pajamas on.

Slippers dancing a 2 step across my kitchen floor.

Dishes clanking out rhythm of my family is full.

Full of love.

Full of togetherness.

Full of excitement.

And I am in love.

"Honey, do you think I should use Velcro to close up Case's chest?" to "Kenny, just where exactly should the Batman logo go?"

We are in sync.

Partners in giving our very best to these two we call son.

Pitter patters of little feet and hot wheel squeals die down as evidence of a late night prior is quickly upon us.

Napping with ease, Kenny walks down the steps and the time together is ours.

It is a magical day.

A day where the world around us is still and unnoticeable.

Our minutes pass by diligently jubilant about our tasks at hand. Bouncing finishing touch ideas off one another we stop and smile; our connection as husband and wife only magnifies the love and adoration we have mama and daddy.

Scissor snip-snips, last minute hairdryer antics, a little crushed velvet hot glue gun action, and a few ziplines of stitches to nip and tuck have us greeting our Halloween rendezvous in a festive flurry of glee and giggles.

Orange plastic buckets never looked so good.

The commotion and bustle of cars on our trek to our spooky destination had all 4 of us chirping of "Ooooh, look I just saw a ghost!" and "I wonder what candy I will get the most!"

And it is at this very moment that I realize I am home. Whether my footsteps are 10 or 10 million miles from our family's residence, it matters not.

I am home.

Home with the memories of this very day, this very moment; my heart is overflowing with right.now.

Eli Garrett is growing taller.

Taller and more in his skin.

He is the super hero of our home. A delegate of goodwill and fairness. Of compassion and creativity.

Already established in the pride of hisveryown and confident in not being store bought.

Even when friends are becoming more important to him. Yes, he is growing into his skin.

And then there's our Tin Man.

He is our lover no doubt.

A lover and a fighter, this juxtaposition suits him to a tee.Melting your heart with his bubbly, contagious, passionate personality and then ripping it out with his quick temper and utter desire for justwhathewants.

And about 60% of the time,

it's mama's undivided attention and affection.

A carnival of games and candy tossed in buckets filled our night.

Our boys unafraid to do any impromptu candy switch ups right there before the giver's eyes.
Candy inventory and on sight preference management is of utmost importance you know.

These 2 are brothers best.

Amid the block building, book reading, train track clicking, and ball tossing, they have one another.

To have and to hit.

To laugh and to love.

To pick and to pester.

To be each other's constant.

Brothers.

The gift of candy.

Free.

Welcomed by the giver and the recipient.

Happy.

Highly anticipated.

Hopeful.

Melt.in.your.mouth.good.

Kinda like life, huh?

Cause we all have the choice to passover the fruit flavored Tootsie Rolls and the generic lollies.

Spitting anything out that need not consume or waste our taste bud's time.

But these 3 morsels?

Are everything I want in my candy bucket.

Our day ended with Halloween clad Tennessee Vols to watch, our traditional pumpkin chili, and mama and daddy sneaks of sweet loot.

With little boys in full slumber only to match the fullness of their bellies with candy, Kenny and I nestle in under that same cozy quilt intertwining limbs like a cobweb spun. The crisp autumness is now but the swirling sounds of leaves tosseling to and fro in the late evening's air from our bedroom window cracked.

An infinite number of God's glorious beauty just waiting to dance and then find their place.

I am lucky to be one of those leaves.

.mac :)