So I found a small treasure the other day at our local antique mall. I almost didn't pick it up. It caught my eye and I walked on without it but as I continued to browse, something told me that it needed to come home with us. I thought it might amuse the big brothers as a passing distraction.
Turns out it was a major score.
The moment it's contents were emptied they attacked that pile, albeit in very different ways.
Samuel combed through sorting and finding matches, which were thankfully abundant. His piles grew and grew and each time he would spot another familiar acquisition there would be an exuberant "Oh Yeah!".
Caleb on the other hand, declared an immediate need for string, in his little mind, within the contents of that pile, a beautiful necklace lay in wait.
There we sat, just the three of us, under the shade of our tree sifting through that pile. We admired the colors and textures and wondered out loud about the previous lives of these little nuggets of goodness. It was easy to imagine each one having had it's own unique story of time and place and fashion trend.
I wish I could have captured an audio of Caleb's sweet little voice sifting through that pile, over and over hearing "Oh Mama, look at this one, it's soooo beautiful!" and together we would pay homage and admire it for all it was worth.
Guess what? Turns out there was a beautiful necklace lurking in that pile. He worked long and hard, with so much heart completing that masterpiece. It's jingle around my neck has made me smile for the last several days. It is a treasure that I will keep forever. One that will remind me of my biggest boys and a special afternoon spent under the shade of our favorite tree.

