channeling a Hallmark card?

as mentioned earlier, this has turned into a rather emotional trip, with the sick child and the return to such an awesome place, and then the premature leaving of such a place... yeah. emotional. we've been having some of those sun breaking through clouds, angels singing kind of clarities lately. and while they are some times cut short by vomit or crying, they seem noteworthy all the same. to balance out all the sentiment, how about some bullet points for conciseness? ok, then:

• we are not religious people, per se, but we do hold certain ideas and places to be sacred. the desert is one such place and we take great value in exposing our kids to it at an early age. it's important to us and so it's important to them. maybe they'll appreciate that down the road and maybe they won't, but we appreciate sharing it with them right now.
• the girls have been sleeping next to each other all trip and it's freakin' adorable. isa sprawls out like she always does (she practically runs marathons in her sleep) and sylvi turns inwards and snuggles up to her, as per her usual cuddly self. this new sleep habit epitomizes them perfectly.
• friends are amazing, whether they be four year olds or grown ups. they are the icing on the cake of life. granted, that's a pretty lame metaphor, but it's the best i've got at this hour. friends have a cold beer waiting for you after along, trying day in the desert or quietly help you pack your tent as the tears stream down your cheeks, or reply to yet another text about a sick baby and her distressed bowels. and if you are four years old, friends grab your hand and run with you down the trail with wild abandon or share their favorite kitty because they know how much you like kitties too.
• kids seem to enjoy the shortest and best moments of life and cheerfully disregard the rest. we got a kick out of asking the girls what their favorite parts of the trip were today. unlike the common adult habit, they gave no mention to the difficulty or the change of plans, but instead remembered riding their bikes and seeing baby monkeys up close and meeting new people and playing with old friends. they are little positivity magnets, those two, even in the depths of the emergency room or a desolate stretch of desert highway, they have the ability to remember what makes them happy. here's hoping they don't outgrow that skill.

so how's that for hallmark? maybe i should start writing commercials for kleenex? congrats if you're still reading!