What's not to love?

I often wonder when people ask me why we love kids so much

~I mean what's not to love?~

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The crazy mornings of toast in the oven almost burning.

The little sleepy headed girls snuggling in my bed.

The sweet guys that make me feel so very special.

The water bill that rises when the temp is above 70 degrees outside.

The days that seem to run together and not remembering the beginning

nor the end just living each moment out loud.

The hundreds of episodes of Andy Griffith that we have watched piled up like back yard puppies on my bed.

The days of sickness that makes you sit in a rocker and hold

them all day long.

The meals that we have experienced and tasted together.

The car drives that either are very sweet

or make you want to lose your mind.

Wiping noses

Brushing teeth

Kissing boo-boos

One more math problem

 Cooking for

Saying no whining to

Watching for

Worrying over

Braiding hair

Looking for shoes

Slowly wondering where I went in all of that but not really caring because I know that doing God's work means I must die to the things I want to do and instead do

the things He wants me to do. Not easy but slowly the Lord teaches you.  

I pray that when my children are grown that they can be shot out of my home like strong bright arrows that don't lose their way in this world. But that means I must be involved because I'm their mother and I want them to succeed only second to their father and so I will keep on training and be with them each and every day.

I pray when I take my last breath that they keep climbing and keep moving forward.What the world has to offer me does not appeal to me.

I don't like the way the world trains up children:

Without the bible and without good sense, if you ask me.

No direction just do what feels good and do what's least painful

on yourself and your children. The results are astounding.

We have realized along the way most recently that

our parenting is not without flaws and so we're so thankful for God's grace.

I want to teach them that family is a gift.

Remembering that God creates family and so

He created us to live on this farm and raise these animals

and sing around the table

and celebrate birthdays and anniversaries

new beginnings of things to come all settled between us.

Family.

Things worked out, mulled over and prayed over.

Decisions made based on the word of God instead

of the word of the world.

I have learned a very small lesson in my lifetime that I'm

trying to pass down to one of my oldest now,

"If the world doesn't like what you're doing then

you must be walking down the right path."

The world hates the things that God created.

So don't be complexed or confused when people don't

understand what you're doing or why you're doing it.

Stay on the path, keep walking and don't you dare settle for what the world has to offer.

I'm trying to slow my life down a bit

enjoy the leaves returning and the sun as she unpacks right here in the middle

of the farm. I can hear their voices echoing through the hollow,

the laughter and screams that a little water can make.

A new season.

  

She's no longer a baby.

They are no longer little and clean.

He lost his best friend and now sits around on the fence thinking about what

to do. I loved watching them curl themselves in a ball intertwined around each other so tight you didn't know where one ended and one began. 

He sits around as if waiting for his friend to return but return he won't,

just like Summer of 2012 won't return.

A new season is here and I have to jump down off my fence and stop

waiting for something that will not return.

I must continue down my path of motherhood and stop

looking back at the good ol' days and remember to live in this day.

Always remembering to live.