A long time ago, in a land far away I used to wish for the day when I could say “You know what I miss about living in Germany?”  I couldn’t wait to come home, back to the good ol’ USA.  I didn’t do well, living overseas at the time.  I wanted to be home, on American soil raising our kiddos.  I didn’t appreciate what opportunity we were given at the time…I just wished fervently to come home.

Now, there are many things I can think of that I miss about living in Germany and there are time when I truly wish I could go back to living a simple life in our German village of Bad Kissengen.  But those thoughts aren’t what brought me to this day and this title.  No. It was yesterday’s Easter Mass that brought me to this title.

Yesterday, nostalgia reigned supreme.  Yesterday I watched as the little ones came pouring into Church in their Easter best and yesterday I realized what I miss about little ones…

1. I miss Claire in a pretty Easter dress with frilly socks.

2. I miss dressing the boys alike.

3.  I miss hiding Easter baskets in the house, leaving a trail of jelly beans behind for the kids to follow to their baskets loaded with candy and small gifts.

4.  I miss baby giggles.

5. I miss little girls who get so excited that they have the same dress and can’t wait for everyone to see them together.

6. I miss being taller than my kiddos.

7.  I miss the fear and elation on the kids’ faces when they experienced a roller coaster ride for the first or second time.

8.  I miss chocolate smeared faces on first birthdays.

9.  I miss having a dog ~ watching Claire snuggle up to our old girl and seeing the joy on the boys’ faces as they played with the younger of our two golden retrievers.

10.  I miss Easter egg hunts.

11.  I miss “Princess” Claire.

12.  I even miss the little girl who cried, shrieked and hated the hula skirt we brought back from Hawaii.

13.  I miss walking the kids to the bus stop.

14.  I miss all of the grand kids fitting on one couch together.

 15.  I miss sunshiny little girls with big bows in her hair and sparkly little boys with brilliant smiles on their faces.

Today is a day for nostalgia.  Looking back and trying to hold on to the memories.  Tomorrow I will work on holding on to the present…for the love of my children….