Jump Rope and Tag

Every week I try to get together with my dear friend Emily and her 4 little ones. This week, despite a stressful work day and exhaustion, I went over to their home for dinner. I was definitely a little grumpy when I first arrived and was looking forward to getting some time outside and maybe some exercise to help relieve the stress. Because there are 4 little ones it's difficult to go on a walk or run so Em and I decided to run around the yard which is pretty large and has hills. We ended the run with jumping rope. Well as soon as we got the ropes out the kiddos wanted to join the fun. It was so fun watching them learn to jump rope by themselves and double dutch. Watching a 2 year try to understand the concept of turning a rope or even trying to jump over it in a rhythm was incredibly sweet and entertaining. Since it was getting close to dinner time at this point, I stayed out with the kids while Emily went to cook dinner. We played a combination of tag and hide and seek for a good 30-45 minutes. Needless to say I was exhausted but my heart was full. It was so sweet spending the afternoon with little ones who love to learn new things and are full of imagination. The night ended with coffee and a wonderfully challenging conversation. I'm so thankful for the time I get to spend with this family. It is exactly what I needed.