Goodbye Newborn Clothes

Why is it so hard to put away those newborn, 0-3 month clothes?  Our newest little guy is getting so big.  It is so amazing to watch him learn new things, and grow as God intended.  I am thankful that he’s getting bigger, and is healthy.  (We really wouldn’t want them to stay tiny forever, because that’s not how God has ordered things.)  But there is a sense of brief sadness as I choose what to save and what to give away.  I strive to live in this moment and not to regret, or hold too tightly to the past.  We have blessed memories of our little ones when they’re tiny, and we have today to enjoy with them now.  Oh Lord, I pray You’d help me to be in this moment and to live it to the fullest for Your glory!  Thank you for these little ones that do grow so quickly, and thank you for the mother’s heart that cherishes those sweet and fleeting newborn snuggles and smells.  It’s because of You that we are able to love them!

Different

It’s funny how different one’s children can be. They’re all so sweet and funny. One of my kids says, “Mom, I want a sister.” The next one goes, “Mom, I want a dog. No, Mommy I want two dogs.” They’re just so funny!

Through the Window

Why is it so hard for me to see it when we are so close?  When I’m in the “trenches” of my day it is so difficult to see the beauty all around me.  When the peanut butter and jelly covered face is breathing on my cheek, I often don’t wonder at the fact that he is mine.  When I’m listening to the barrage of questions, I am not often taken with the amazement of what it’s like to see things for the first time.  These little ones are so precious and I am in awe that the Lord has given them to us to love and teach…and yet life is easier to appreciate sometimes when you send them outside.  Why is that? 

When I hear them laughing together while they’re blowing bubbles outside whilst I am inside I enjoy it so much.  Maybe it’s the glass between us that quiets their little voices enough to hear the innocence they still possess, the wonder at life, and the ability to laugh uncontrollably at the simpliest of things.   When Daddy is telling them a goodnight story and I’m finally sitting down in the other room, I smile at their cuteness and questions.  When I’m able to step back for a moment I’m able to see my life and my family for what it is.  I am a blessed woman.  Sure, everyone’s got “issues” but we have been blessed with much.  The Lord is here with us, enabling us to grow and love, forgive and try again.  So, as my life sure isn’t getting any quieter or calmer I pray that He’ll make me able to see it for what it is even when they’re smashed right up next to me for a story, or crying in my ear at 3 am.  They are ours for such a short time, Lord help me to appreciate them and wonder at Your creation.