For the Beauty of the Stars

"Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight -
I wish I may, I wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight.
That my dear, sweet daughter will hold on tight,
to the memory of cuddling her mother under the pale moonlight."

This particular morning started out like that of any other. I laced up my running shoes and headed out for a morning run. As usual, my thoughts were everywhere, flowing from one thought to the next almost as quickly as the steps I was taking. For me, my running has become a very spiritual time. A time to ponder on the things that matter most to me in my life - my family, my friends, my calling as a mother, my testimony, things I need to improve on, etc...
It seems to me that it never fails, that my thoughts always end up in gratitude for the abundance of beauty that is all around me. As I breathe the fresh air and feel the wind in my face, Heavenly Father's masterpiece of creations is enveloping and beautiful. Ironically, it's this deep beauty and not the run that ends up taking my breath away...
So, as I rounded the last bend and approached my home, my view went from the ground in front of me where my next step would be, to a blanket of stars twinkling high in the sky, and a sliver of a moon that seemed so perfectly etched into a puzzle of diamonds. It was that amazing. I wanted to capture the feeling of that moment so I went and gathered a few comfy blankets and pillows and layed them out in the middle of the driveway. I went inside and woke Kierra and asked her if she wanted to come out and look at the stars with me. Her response was immediate and as excited as mine. - I love that she is so much like me. She appreciates and loves so many of the simple things in life. After all, how many crazy girls do you know who will lay out in the middle of a hard driveway at a quarter to six in the morning, just to "take in the view"and "bask in the beauty of a still morning sky?"
The air was cool on our faces but our souls were warm with a love that was sent down from Heavenly Father that morning. We layed there and talked of wishes and dreams, and shared thoughts and hopes of things yet to come. We warmed our hands with giant mugs of hot chocolate (Raspberry cheesecake! It was divine!:)We closed our eyes and listened to the silence, and then marveled at the sight when we opened our eyes and saw how quickly the light was coming. Then we giggled at ourselves as a lady passed by with a half of a grin and one eyebrow raised!
As we realized that the morning was growing late and it was time to go back inside, I will never forget the words Kierra said. "I love my mommy though, I want to stay with her forever."
So far in my life I have seen many beautiful things, but the twinkle in my daughter's eye that morning truly out-shined the diamonds in the sky.