This Is The Life

I really liked taking the time to write blog posts throughout the month of November and so I'm going to continue writing here for now at least. 

I love this current season of life. Sure there's plenty of hard, but this hard includes a lot more giggles and snuggles. After spending so many years around our nieces and nephews, it's still so weird seeing my eyes on Aaron's little face or Lucy's full head of dark hair like what I had as a baby.

It has been the best two plus years of our lives and it keeps getting better.

 

Slow Down

 Tonight I got a bit emotional about how quickly these two are growing up.

I packed up most of Lucy's newborn clothes and replaced Aaron's 2T pajamas with 3Ts because his toes keep busting out. What made me really emotional was the fact that Aaron didn't look like he was in oversized pajamas. Of course there are things that make this time of life difficult, but I still love having two little ones in our home.

Because of Him

 I'm having a really hard time believing that it's already the last day of November. Time is speeding past me. I feel like it's fitting to end my month of gratitude by sharing my grateful for the person next month focuses on, Jesus Christ.

I am so grateful for my Savior, Jesus Christ. Through Him, all the bad and outrageously unfair are made right and, frequently, beneficial. I know He loves me as I am and wants to help me grow into so much more. He will never force me to, but as the scriptures say, "his arm is stretched out still." I am grateful that I can rely on Him and that He perfectly understands my situation. I am never alone. All these things are true for you too.

Temples

 I am so grateful for the temple. I am grateful for peace I feel there. I am grateful for the clarity I receive for my own life. I am grateful to share my love for the temple with my children.

My Children

I am so grateful for each of my children. They each bring so much joy to my life in their own unique way. I am so humbled to be their mother.

It's still surreal to have Aaron and Lucy here that most days I feel like I am just babysitting. I am grateful to be learning and growing right alongside them.

I am grateful for Lucy's sweet and patient personality. Each day she's getting more interactive and playful. She's already grateful to have Aaron around.

I am grateful for Aaron's joyful nature. He gets so excited over many things like rocks and trains. Aaron adores his sister and tries to help take care of her.

I am grateful for wonderful Baby E. I still can't find a particularly good way of describing E's personality beyond sweet, but that comes nowhere near it. I am so grateful to have E in our family.

I am grateful for my stalwart Baby J and for the discovery of this picture. This is the only picture of me while I was pregnant with J and I love it even more that Garrett is sitting right on top of my pregnant belly. (He loves his cousins J and E almost as much as I do.) J is such a wonderful example to me and I want to be like J.

I still miss J and E every day especially now that Aaron and Lucy are here. Seeing the two of them together makes me more grateful that J and E have each other. I am also grateful for the time we had together and the promise that we are sealed together for all eternity. Death is not the end for our family.