The Time of My Life

In my last post, I wrote about how some days are really hard--requiring every ounce of energy and focus available to keep the right perspective.

Well, one thing I'm learning is that once I get through those hard days, I open up the opportunity to have the time of my life.

Today is one of those days.

We went to the roller skating rink this afternoon (I'll just give a shout out to Cal Skate of Grand Terrace, California here . . . it was phenomenal), and everyone was so happy.

Whenever I was skating alone, my eight-year-old son, Ethan, would come and grab my hand.  At one point, I smiled at my husband and whispered, "He won't always be doing this."

Four-year-old Spencer held my hand for the first few laps around the rink, and then he was fiercely independent for the next two hours--specifically when he was skating near groups of cute girls.

It was just a sweet, happy day with my sons, my sweet daughters, and my boyfriend/husband . . . and we had coupons!

Then tonight, we gathered in the family room after dinner and played all our favorite songs on iTunes.  My husband has a passion for singing in harmony, so he started teaching our three oldest children how to pick out different parts of a song.

We sang for nearly two hours--stopping occasionally to remember a funny story related to one of the songs or to break out some new dance moves.

For our Perry Family theme song, we're rewriting the words to Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours." 

As we were singing that song tonight--all five of us (with Spencer in bed early), my husband and I just looked at each other with a hint of tears in our eyes.

This is what we've always dreamed about.  After years  of hard work, it's finally happening.

The morning was still full of trouble-making (Spencer drank out of the gutter and then colored with dry erase marker all over his door and the living room wall), but in spite of the inevitable chaos, this day turned out to be one of my favorites.

I have a lot of hang-ups about blogging because I am always concerned that my words will be misunderstood or that someone will assume that my family is always hanging around in the family room singing in harmony.  (Once in a blue moon.)

But since I shared a "low" day in my last post, I at least wanted to update it with a "high" post--just to emphasize the fact that every family has both. 

I think I hear some more singing downstairs . . ..

Love,
April