These Knees

These are my knees. 

I am not sharing a photo of my knees because they are pretty. 

In fact, quite the opposite. 

Sometimes when I am undressing,

 I look at my knees and see how dirty and calloused they are.
I feel embarrassed. 

They aren't worthy of shorts weather, they aren't beautifully tanned and hair-free.

But after this weekend, after playing in the dirt and sand, I feel proud of those knees. 

You may be staring at the photo and thinking, "Why?!"

I'll tell you why.

To me, my dirty, calloused knees mean that I get down and play with my kids. 

They are evidence of daily wear and tear

of being at eye level with them. 

Kneeling for several minutes to play on the floor, eat pizza made of play dough and This Little Piggy. 

Sitting on blankets in the dirt and on the grass.
Kneeling in the garden with Claire planting seeds and flowers.
They take the brunt of it all.

My knees are dirty; my heart is happy. 

{Photos from our long weekend adventure in Washington.}