Today

Today was a really good day. Lately I have felt like I was just going through the motions of parenting. Wake up, drag myself out of bed grumpily, fix breakfast, walk the dog, do the chores, discipline some kids, fix lunch, down for naps, walk the dog again, fix dinner, bath time, get the kids in bed with no excuses accepted for getting out of bed. Not much fun, not much laughter, not much joy on my end. I have been feeling really lame as a mom lately, and haven't been able to get out of this slump that I am in for no apparent reason.
Last night I read an article on the importance of enjoying the little moments while you can because you never know when it might be the last one like it. You never know when it will be the last time that your son asks you to snuggle with him a little before bed, or when it will be the last time that he actually wants you to play with him, or when the last time that your baby only wants to be rocked and held by you. Take advantage of those moments now and cherish them, because they really won't last forever.  I realized that it doesn't matter what I do with my kids, it just matters that I'm doing it. Instead of worrying about not being creative enough or not being fun enough or not teaching them well enough, I just need to be present and involved more, to actually pay attention when Arden says "Watch Mom!" and not just respond with a generic "Yeah, that's great" and to enjoy it all more!
Today I made a point to do just that, and it was so relaxing and joyful and just plain fun. Today I enjoyed my precious boys more than I have in a while and tried to enjoy the moments and the hours and the day and not just go through the motions to make it through the day. We all had a really fun day together playing and just being together. We played with trucks, went on a long walk, played a game, built a race track, went to Lowe's and rode in the racecar cart and watched the fork lift at work, ate lunch, played some more, walked to the park, ate dinner, built a toy together with a kit they gave us at Lowe's, and enjoyed every minute of the day.  It wasn't really that unusual of a day, but my attitude and attentiveness changed my entire perspective, and I am thankful that the Lord gave me the grace to see my sin of laziness and selfishness and to turn from it and to love my children and enjoy them more. It is my hope and prayer that I am given the grace to have many more days like today, because I never know when it will be the last one like it!
Who wouldn't want to spend the day with these two stinkers anyway? They are pretty amazing.

Practicing writing our "letters"

 Yeah, this is one of my favorite moments ever.

 Fun at the park

"May the Lord bless you and keep you. May He shine a light upon your face. May you feel the heat of His glory in your bones, may you know His kindness and His grace.

May you find your worth from your Maker and live in freedom all your days. May you grow in the sense of who you really are, may His light show you the way.

May you know that you have the power to add beauty and grace into this world. May you discover all your gifts and give them generously, may you listen for God’s every word.

May His love define your ways of living. May you see His face among your friends. May you live your story empowered by His love, may you be comfortable walking in your skin."