My Heart is FULL

I didn't anticipate how much the "little" things would mean to me... I should have, I've done the postpartum, overly-emotional mom thing three times before.  The thing is, no matter how many times you experience adding a new person to your family, you're never quite prepared for the exploding feeling of love that goes along with it.  You always wonder "How will I be able to love another child as much as my current children?"  When the time comes you just wonder why you ever doubted.  I love doing fun creative things with my children, I love celebrating, I love outings... BUT when I'm really honest with myself, I love the day-to-day, ordinary, non-glamorous things. 

 

Things like... Watching my big kids hold their baby brother.  Seeing the pride, love, and tenderness in their eyes:

 

Watching them play dress-up (and knowing that one day my baby will be right in the middle of it all!):

 

Seeing my big boy build a block tower for my little boy (and hearing him say "I can't wait to teach Carver to play blocks!"):

 

Watching my big girl become more and more a little mommy with each passing day:

 

Watching my little girl find her "new place" as she adjusts to not being the "baby" anymore:

Watching my kiddos snuggle and watch cartoons together:

The day after the kids got home we filled up water balloons and let them have a water balloon fight in the back yard.  They had been begging to do this all summer.  I got out the Bjorn and sat on the steps to watch them.  Marc participated.  As I snuggled Carver and watched them running, giggling, (and sometimes pouting) I was overwhelmed with such contentment.  I silently prayed that God would prompt me to see the daily blessings as I love my family and serve them.  The sacrifices become less because I know that the time and energy I am pouring into being a wife and mom does not go unnoticed.  God has richly blessed me in so many ways--I only have to choose to focus on the blessings...

 Little boy--you are loved more than you know!  Not just by mommy & daddy... you have 2 BIG sisters and a BIG brother who love you to the moon and back!