Morning Coffee

I do love a quite morning cup of coffee, cream and sugar please.  

Preferably on the front porch swing, by myself listening to nothing but the birds sing their morning song.  There is something about this ritual that is so calming for me, sitting, sipping thinking about the day ahead.  It's not like a cup of coffee at work, in the wee hours of the morning, a quick attempt to wake up under the bright florecent lights of the hospital so that I can help a new mom with her first breast feeding experience.  This cup of coffee is for me and me alone.  Not the best habbit, but certainly not the worst.  I swing on the porch swing and try to figure out which bird is talking to which.  I try to capture pictures of them at the feeder...

I'm always too late.  But now I'm up off the swing so I look around, see how the flower beds look from the porch, try and remember what is going to bloom next, see if the pesky bindweed is causing trouble.

 I take a moment to be proud of the flower beds, we built them all, there was nothing but lawn here when we moved in to this house.  Now there are flower beds and vegetable beds and it is full of love. 
Often at this time of year the first person I have a conversation with is my sweet little 3 year old neighbor.  She is out on her porch as well, singing songs, talking to the birds, asking me what I'm doing, where the kids are ("still in bed" I say).  It doesn't get any cuter than this little thing!
Next Corey usually comes down, sleepy, crazy bed-head of red hair everywhere.  He's finished with his early morning thinking he tells me, I smile and kiss his forehead.  I love the smell of his hair, I squeeze him tight, almost too tight, trying a little maybe to squeeze him back to the little tiny baby he was just yesterday.  He squeezes back, looks up at me and smiles, "I love you mom" he says, and for a brief moment I see in his eyes that same baby. "Mom, can you let go now so I can get some breakfast" he asks still smiling.  I laugh and release.
I go inside for the laptop to begin a Monday morning blog post and soon Miss Molly is down.  She looks sleepy and tall, taller than even last night when she went to bed.  I gaze in awe of her beauty, just as I have been doing for the past 10 1/2 years, still amazed that I had something to do with the creation of the amazing being.  She snuggles up to me and I notice a sticker on her forehead, probably something left over from a bedtime game last night.  She's been (of her own free will) sleeping on the top bunk in Corey's bedroom lately, I think they have really been enjoying each others company and conversation at bedtime.

She's off the grab breakfast and while I'm looking for a picture of them to post I come across these photos they took of themselves the other day and then downloaded on to the computer themselves...when did they learn that? 
Our day has begun; typical and unique in so many ways.  I am at peace, and ready for another cup of coffee.
Do you have a morning ritual?