Splash in the Rain Puddles

My dad.  What a guy :)  He knows no stranger....in his mind there is not a single person not worth talking to and getting to know....he is up for pretty much anything without much preparation or planning....he has a mind that is always capable of thinking of new ideas....he has a heart for people and a heart for God that that is evident in pretty much everything he does.....I am blessed with a great dad.  Growing up, he was the dad that all my friends loved.  He always used to tell me, "your friends are my friends."  He was always involved in what was going on in my life and there was never a question of how much I was loved.  And now he has taken on the role of "Gramps".... and it is an amazing thing to watch.  He has the ability to see the world through their eyes and is able to relate to them on such a sweet and personal level.  They LOVE Gramps :) One (and there aren't many) of the good things about living far away is that I get to witness the...

Mothering.  It's my life.  It's what I do every moment of every day.   Never will there be a day when I feel like I've mastered it.  When I feel like I do not need to get on my knees every morning and ask God to guide me in the overwhelming task.  However.....you do grow....you toughen up.....lighten up.....learn to anticipate bad outcomes before they can actually happen......you start seeing the big picture and try not to sweat the small stuff.....you find yourself saying things like, "Do not try to throw your brother over the railing", without even missing a beat......you know that inevitably someone is going to have a meltdown when you go out to eat and you no longer worry what other people think because by now you know that every mom has been there.....and if they haven't yet....they will be soon. :)  You learn, especially with boys, that everything can be made into an adventure.  For instance, yesterday morning after getting the oldest on the bus...

I once read a quote...."God gave you your children, but He wants them back."  I love that.  It's such a great reminder of the responsibility we have been given.  God has allowed us the wonderful blessing of having three little boys....it's our job to raise them according to His instruction....to model our lives after Christ's so that they may see Jesus in us.....so that one day they will give their lives to Him.  They are already His....always have been, always will be.  It's my daily prayer that very early on in their lives they will know and understand what that means.  All this to say....we had a lovely baby dedication for our sweet Luke on Sunday.  It was overwhelming to stand in front of our church family and feel the support that comes from a body of believers when you are on the journey of parenthood.  I'm so thankful......   I cannot imagine life without this little guy in it!