One of the goals we have for our kids is to get them outside every day. Not only do they LOVE being outside, but they also sleep better at night when they’ve had time to run and burn off some energy.  On really cold days, it might be brief, but at least we still get some fresh air.  On nice days, I adjust the other things we’re doing so there’s plenty of time to be outside.  (Usually I plan our week according to the forecast.  I know, I’m a nerd.  If they’re calling for snow one day, I’ll run errands another day so we can be home and cozy when it’s snowing.  And, on the flip side, when it’s nice we’ll do chores another day so we can play outside more.)

This week, we’ve not only had some snow but we’ve also had some pretty warm days. Thursday was beautiful, so we spent close to two hours outside in the afternoon. Including James and Anna, we had 7 kids in our yard playing and one mom who came over to chat. She and I pulled out folding chairs and sat talking while the kids played.  It was glorious.

As we were cleaning up the yard to go in, I started thanking God for the home and neighborhood he led us to.  We really love living in this neighborhood and one of the reasons is because there are lots of kids.  We’ve met all of our neighbors up and down the street and are now becoming comfortable enough with each other that our kids are playing together.  It is really great.

We still spend most of our time in our front yard playing which means we see more neighbors and kids gravitate to our yard to play often.  We’re hoping to finish up some projects in our back yard soon so our kids can play back there more on their own.  I will love that!  When it’s warm I can send them to the back while I’m cooking dinner.  Right now, though, since I accompany them in the front, I’m not only getting more fresh air and exercise, but it’s also a great excuse to interact with our neighbors.  I really love that. Playing in the backyard will definitely cut down on how many people we run into.  We’ll have to mix it up so we still see our friends! Maybe one day some of these families will become good friends and we’ll let our kids play together inside and in the backyards together.

So, with grateful hearts we thank God for our neighborhood, the families and kids we’re meeting, and the community we’re building here.