The Most Beautiful Place on Earth

As I write, I'm listening to the munchkins banging around and laughing up in their room. Although they are supposed to be napping, I've decided to take the easy road and pretend I don't hear them. This way everybody wins: they have a blast, I get a few things done, and we all go to bed early tonight . . .

This afternoon was glorious. We ate lunch, ran a few errands and headed to the park. At the particular park we visited, the play area is adjacent to several soccer fields bordered by trees.

As we walked toward the swings, Rachel stopped short, her eyes wide, a look of wonder on her face. Puzzled by this sudden change of countenance, I followed her gaze out to the fields, where I saw thousands of small yellow flowers covering sections of the field. The blue sky and green green trees heightened their color, made them seem like little spots of sunshine, dancing and beckoning us to come closer. "Mommy," she whispered, "It's the most beautiful place in the whole world!"

I should explain that there is nothing Rachel loves as much as flowers (with the possible exception of dessert). She insists on keeping an assortment of them on her dresser and is completely devastated every time they die. I have heard at least five times today how David & Lyndie told her she could pick her current dresser bouquet from their yard yesterday. So when she saw that many flowers in one place, she thought she was in heaven.

We spent the next hour among the "buttercups" (I didn't have the heart to tell her they were just weeds) - bright patches of joy that seeped into our souls, erupting into sunny laughter. Rachel picked large bouquets and gave them to me to look after while she went after more. Zekers pulled up handfuls of them, along with a lot of grass, and proudly presented them to me: "It's for you, Mommy." Karis thought they looked like a pretty good afternoon snack.

We played "balance beam" on the bleachers and took turns scoring goals with an imaginary soccer ball. For Zekers, the highlight of the day was seeing a real, honest to goodness, brown hop-toad, who we "rescued" from the play area and set free in the field. I have no way to verify this, but Rach & Zekers both insist he thanked them as he hopped away.

In a few days they probably will have forgotten this afternoon as other memories take its place. But I will treasure it always.