Time

Time flies when you're having fun.  Time goes by so quickly.  There are numerous little sayings about time, mostly about it going by too fast.  I remember when I was pregnant with SE so many people saying to enjoy him while he was a baby because you'll blink and one day he'll be a teenager.  I heeded their advice.  I didn't want to rush anything with him...well, I take that back, I tried and tried to get him to sit up and then when he did I cried because the milestone meant he was older.  So after that, I didn't rush anything.  I let him be who he was day by day. 

Now with two, it's a little more difficult to not rush time as the kids kind of do that for me.  One accomplishing new milestones of her own, and the other one is off to music school, singing complete songs, telling me two plus two equals four, playing with our big kid neighbors like he is already 12 years old.

I think about my little ones growing up, getting bigger and stronger, finding their place in this world, in His Kingdom.  I think about the dreams Sean and I have for them, dreams they will one day have for themselves, the dreams I had for them before they were born. 

 SE, you will be a leader in the Kingdom...

you will love people with a tender and sweet heart.

 Finley, you will shine the glory of the Kingdom...

your words will pierce the hearts of the people with the love of God. 

We are all in different time stages...some lovely newlyweds bring me back to when Sean and I first got married. 

Sweet friends in the stages of starting families takes me to when we were desperately trying for SE and then for Finley after having a heart wrenching miscarriage.  Lovely mommas enjoying their newborns reminds me of SE and even 8 months ago little Finley when they were brand new.  Dear sisters discovering their toddlers new found independence and voices. 

As I reflect, I'm learning to value the time and season of life regardless of how exciting or saddening it may be.  I want to create a foundation for our kiddos that God is ALWAYS good and ALWAYS there...that even though His ways are not our ways, we have the choice to trust in Him.  Sadness is not His inheritance for us and that He always, always brings the springtime green of new life.  That the Lord is faithful to all His promises and loving toward all He has made (Psalm 145:13).

And with that stake in the ground for our family, we go along with time, stopping it when we need to because a little one is overjoyed with laughter,

has discovered her ability to move around the room,

got a little injury from playing with the big boys,  

sees her daddy and lights up with a smile that could light the night sky,

is taking in his first football game.

Time you ain't got nothing on us!

FUN!

It has been a constant for us the past couple of weeks.  We've been packing in visits with family and friends...park playing, lunch consuming, a lot of swimming, bike riding, and popsicle eating.  We got to go to some friends' wedding reception the other evening, and the only pictures I got were of one of the sweetest girls holding my sweetie and being extremely gracious and pleasant after being spit up on several times (seriously Jenny I'll take your dress to dry cleaning if you need me to).

Nothing warms this momma's heart like seeing my children being loved on so well.  I probably gush to Sean daily about how well our children are loved by our friends.  It also warms my heart to see my son's face when he got to pet this horse.  The carriage driver saw SE and purposefully pulled the horse over to let SE pet it. 

We got to have a little unexpected park trip the other morning with two other awesome families.  I mean who couldn't have fun just looking at these sweet faces.

SE jumping off the rock wall into a front roll.  Little dare devil running obstacle courses and trying to do flips.

The mommas managed to squeeze in some fun and exercise as we found out the next couple days when the soreness set it.

SE has been quite the little helper around the house.  Sean can't go outside without SE running after him declaring him to wait on his little helper!

We got to take a quick trip to Dallas for a visit to Ikea (is that ever a quick trip?) and to meet this beauty.  Sweet Olivia was born to our good friends, Brian and Rachel.  Isn't she a beauty?

Olivia Lynn

And today, though it seemed like a sweet culmination to our weekend, was in actuality a fun and exciting beginning to our week.  We got to see so many favorites today. 

Aunt Emma

Sophie and SE

Megan and Alice

Emma Rose

 We say let the fun continue!

The best title

He puts his arms around my neck and smiles up at me..."you're my best friend."  Time stops and my heart melts into a puddle.  I pray for God to protect our relationship, that He will allow us to be "best friends" into his adulthood. 

I can see it now the bits of independence he's gaining...making choices, forming thoughts and opinions, wanting to do his own thing. 

Sean and I talk about the tension of SE growing up and how excited we are to see the man he becomes, but at the same time hesitant to want to embrace it because it means letting go of a little person who right now thinks mom and dad (yes, he's begun calling us that) are his best friends. 

A friend has all of 4 of her dear babes going to school this year, one in middle school, two in elementary and one in pre-K.  I couldn't even let my thoughts go to the day where SE is in school 5 days a week let alone all of our kiddos.  But I know that day is on the horizon...and he'll probably be overly excited to go and to do and to be.  Until then though I'll soak in his delightful personality, cherishing all the moments where he will randomly throw his arms around me and declare me to be his best friend.

I've struggled a little after quitting a corporate job outside the home to be a stay at home mom.  Someone asked me recently what I do.  I paused, swallowed hard and answered "I'm a stay at home mom".  Why was it so difficult to say? With the answer brought about feelings I hadn't experienced since making the decision to leave work. 

Is that all I am...a stay at home mom.  No, that's not all I am.  I am a little boy's (and a beautiful little girl's) momma, a little boy who is worth the sacrifice of my wanting to be able to reply with a brilliant braniac title to the question "what do you do?".  I get to pray over him every day and speak truth and life into his heart:  you, Sean Edward, are a man of God, you are strong, you are valiant.  You have what it takes. 

We stay at home mommas are in the thick of it; we are on the front lines of the battlefields, affirming hearts, shaping minds, being best friends to our little ones so one day they will understand and value the trust we have worked so diligently to establish.  Being a best friend to my son, it's perhaps the BEST title I've ever been given. 

A weekend of loveliness

We headed to Tulsa this past weekend for some of our FAVORITES' wedding!  Amanda and Tyler have been planning their wedding for several months, and we were absolutely thrilled and honored to be a part of it.  They asked SE to be carry a banner that said "here comes the bride".  It was one of the most JOYOUS weddings we've ever been to.

SE took some major ownership over the banner

Rehearsed and ready to wed!

 There were lovely moments between father and son

Between sweet friends 

Mrs. Jill Pyle and me

Me and the bride (isn't she GLOWING!)

The rehearsal dinner was awesome full of sentimental and funny toasts...a special time to share one of the best love stories.  It is so evident that God wanted these two together!

The most amazing Jenny

Sarah Morgan (aunt Te-a) and Cherrie Warden (all the way from LA)

SE even shared (love you Manda, love you Tyler)

 The wedding day was perfect.

The bride and her girls

Waiting for Amanda

SE kind of walking down the aisle.  

SIDENOTE: SE didn't make it all the way down.  I had to battle some disappointment.  I wanted to be sad and upset, but had I chosen those feelings, the rest of the evening would have been rough for me.  Instead I did what we always tell SE when he's having a moment...I chose JOY!  I looked at my son and said "I'm so proud of you Sean Edward." because I was.  And I needed to remember that he's only 2.5 years old, and the last thing he needed from me was to withhold feelings of love for him because my flesh wanted something different.  He did a GREAT job and looked pretty darn cute!

And then it was time to partay!  And party we did.  SE danced and danced and danced.  And when it was time for the newly weds to leave, they exited to cheers and tears and the anticipation of how amazingly awesome their marriage is going to be!

To Mr. and Mrs. Hardage:  you are perhaps some of the loveliest people we know.  Your marriage will be blessed and anointed, marked by the love of the Father's hands.  

The Boyds love you guys!