Phases of our Lives

Addi is in the "no, no, no" - "mine, mine, mine" - cry in hysterics and throw myself on the ground because Daddy and Mommy are making me (brush my teeth, lay down while I get my diaper changed, put my coat on before I go outside, wait to eat dinner with the family, quit hitting, sitting, pinching my brother) phase. Brogan is in the "I use to like to sleep at night, but now I think sleeping is overated" phase. Which means Mommy and Daddy are both in the "We still cannot believe we have two children under the age of two...we are just so overwhelmed and tired...does God really think we can raise these children well...we are so blessed, but we are so stressed" phase.

So even though these are the phases of our lives, we sing, we dance, we laugh, we play, we blow bubbles, we color, we read and we hug. We get together in a huddle - which looks nothing like a football huddle - and we kiss our kiddos on the cheeks and they kiss us back and we make sure to kiss each other too and we all say, "FAMILY!" (Well Brogan doesn't say it yet, but one day he will). We pray, we cry, we clean, we work, we learn. And we get up and do it all again the next day.

Childhood is magical and one day, even if Addi and Brogan don't remember these exact times, they will remember the love and the laughter and the screeches of joy that come when Daddy pretends the kids are footballs (but doesn't actually throw them) and Mommy shuts the glass door on the cabinet while the kids are inside (which doesn't lock and can be opened easily from either side) and when Addi hides behind something and says, "Addi!" because she doesn't quite get that she's supposed to be hiding from us quietly and Brogan laughs in hysterics just because at 5 months old everything seems funny to him and life is just simply amazing.

Parenting is magical, too. The hugs just because, the sheer look of glee that comes on our babies faces when they see us, the slobbery kisses, the sticky hands, the sweet heads laying on our shoulders, the looks of satisfaction when they conquer a new task and the joy in knowing that we really are right where God wants us to be.

So, Addi and Brogan - We promise that no matter how many fits you throw, how many times you pee all over mommy after she has already gotten dressed (Brogan!), how many times you yell "no, no, no!" (even when it's well over 25 times a day), how many nights you don't let us sleep for more than a couple hours at most, how many doctors visits we have to make, how many baths we have to give, how many diapers we have to change and how many times we have to get on our knees before the King because we are clueless on the best methods to use to raise you, we will ALWAYS make sure to make your childhood something special to remember because you sure are making your childhood something special for us to remember. We love you!!! :)

Faith vs. Sight

Jared and I were talking about something this afternoon and after telling him how tired and overwhelmed I was with a certain situation he told me I should just trust in God. While I agreed, I told him that was just so difficult because, "I don't see an end in sight." He said, "That's the problem right there. You are not walking by faith, but by sight." That's so true. My prayer is that I can start taking my eyes off of this situation and place my eyes on Jesus. I am so thankful I have such a great man of God in my life.