The Years are Short

How did my 1st grader become a fifth grader??

I consider myself a slightly sentimental mother.  I strive to appreciate every different stage and reflect on every new memory.  I take tons of pictures hoping somehow the camera will freeze the days. However, rarely do I become truly sad and emotional.  Today was different! I realized I was watching the curtain close on Trevor's elementary school career.  After I dropped him off on his last elementary school field trip, I pulled out of the parking lot with tears in my eyes.  I knew today Trevs was taking his first step out of childhood and into adolescence.  The day I dreaded was upon me.

 It started out as such a fun early morning between the two of us.  We shared some silly boy jokes and watched Top 10 ESPN Sports Center.  I reminded him to take his medicine. We made sure one final time the long list of trip items were checked.  We packed deodorant for the first time ever and he was super pumped about that.  I drove him to the school and he let me take one picture in the van before he shot out of the van looking for his buddies.

As he walked across the parking lot I noticed he was trying to balance his IPad, water bottle, snack, pillow and blanket as they began dropping out of his arms!  I told him to turn around so I could organize it all for him.  I unzipped his backpack and helped him organize all of his important things.  I could tell he was a little embarrassed but it was necessary.  I knew this would be one of the last times I would ever be able to really assist him especially in front of his peers!.  He is no longer my little boy.  He is quickly becoming my little man.   As he hopped on the bus, I knew the little years were coming to a close.  They came fast like a freight train and I have enjoyed something wonderful in every single one of them.  It brought me back to what someone told me when my boys were very little.   "Remember the days can be long but the years are very short." I didn't really understand at that time how true that would become.  Enjoy those elementary school days Moms!  Try not to sweat the small stuff.  Savor the days.  One day you will be pulling out of a parking lot like me with tears rolling down your cheeks, wishing you could do it all over again maybe one more time!

Treasured Days

"Time has a beautiful way of showing what matters."

Each day is busy, messy and demanding when you are a mother.  Frustrations build up and the fighting can be maddening!  However, I received a beautiful reminder this week about the sacredness of time and how quickly the days wash onto shore.  The reminder came in the form of old videos replaying one of the happiest years of my life. The memories were discovered while doing a search for something entirely different.  I watched each video and smiled at the wonderful memories! I had three beautiful boys three years old and younger.  Yes, it was exhausting  but it was also magical!  I waited a very long time to be a mother. Finally, ten years into my marriage, I had three boys!

It was the year 2008 and everyday was beautiful.  I relished and thanked my God for every single second with these fellows!

One baby was born to me and the other two were in the final process of adoption.  They were mine all mine!  I cherished their every move and laughed at every funny thing they said.

As I watched those videos and remember being such a joyful mom, I felt convicted.  I knew I didn't appreciate my children like I once did.  The house is always messy, money is always tight, my thoughts are always jumbled. The laundry is never done, the to-do list is always long and the thank yous never come.   The boys are no longer chunky, squishy and cuddly and I don't get to dress them any way that I choose. (I miss that so much!!) The fights have gotten more physical and the competition between them has gotten fierce.  However,watching the old videos reminded me of the first moments that God  finally brought me to motherhood.   I cherished my boys even as they were still in diapers and completely dependent on me.  I couldn't get out of the house much because it was just too hard with three babies.  I didn't care!  I was so grateful to me a mother.  I knew heartfelt prayers had been so richly answered and I appreciated the moments.  Those feelings came back to me like a rush of love.  I want to get back to this!  I have been so richly blessed with these boys and they have brought me so much joy, so many memories and have enriched my soul. Those days were treasures but so is today as well as tomorrow!  Every second I will have with them is beautiful. The treasure of each day was always there, I just needed a reminder.

My answered prayers are getting so big!!

Sky-Sky: Eight is Great! (originally written October 2013)

What would our lives be like without our sweet, tender-loving Skyler.  I will never forget the first day I laid eyes on him.    He had on a tight red wiggles shirt and short blue jean shorts.  His lips were rounded and his eyes were wide open chocolate drops of deliciousness.  He was fat and soft and I fell quickly in love. 

The first week of Sky's life in our home was a mixture of wonderful and difficult.  He had severe breathing problems, so bad that his oxygen levels were at dangerous levels.  He required frequent treatments for a four day period, as well as a ongoing treatment of Albuterol.  He was severely anemic and had his days mixed up with his nights.  However, he was sassy and sweet with his turned up lip laugh (we called it his "Elvis")

He crawled like a pro and could pretty much get himself anywhere he wanted to go.  He could get into most anything including bags of colored goldfish.  He loved to get up and smash them into the carpet permanently as he walked away.  He loved sitting in the bottom of the stove, inside the dishwasher and any small compartment he could find.

  Mommy and Sky immediately bonded and quickly became the best of friends.

 He was a very messy eater and didn't mind being covered in food, slobber or grime at any hour of the day.

He has always had such a deep dedication and love for his big bro, Trevor.

Skyler has always loved any kind of sport and actually played his first team sport for the YMCA at age 2!

Now as he turns age 8, he can dribble the basketball for hours, shoot pucks with heart, throw footballs with gusto, swing bats with might and bike for hours in full BMX gear.  He is a true Renaissance man when it comes to sports!

He is super sensitive and takes things very seriously.  This is a angry, hurt and sad Sky face.  He has the rawest of emotions and has always had a quick, hard temper.  It is hard for him to control but it is so cute at its purest.

Sky has a great balance of artist sensitivity and bold strength and determination.

Skyler has been my biggest challenge.  He can't be moved when he has made up his mind.  He fights back and can be extremely defiant. He pitches fits frequently and stands his ground.  However, he also gives great morning hugs, his cheeks smell like puppy dogs after sleeping and he loves his friends deeply.  Skyler defends his brothers and works diligently to become the very best at his favorite sports. He is brave and full of determination but he has a very sensitive center core. I pray that he will be immovable for the things in life that matter most with his stubborn spirit.  I hope that he keeps his sensitivity and use it to help others and I pray he keeps living life full of bravery and determination.  

                                                  

                                                         Welcome to age 8, Skyler!

Tweva

It is hard to believe that our beautiful, blue eyed baby is eight years old. (original blog from October 2013)

A little over six years ago this amazing boy and his pudgy brother turned our lives upside down and all around.

Trevor was an old soul with a pretty intense sense of responsibility due to early life experiences.  He felt that it was his duty to take care of his younger brother Skyler and protect him with fierceness.  When they first came into our care as foster children, he would not let anyone be alone with Skyler.   Even now, when he is not tormenting Skyler to the death, he still  has the deepest bond with his Irish Twin.

Trevor has been throwing perfect quarterback spirals since he was two years old and sleeping with his beloved football.

He continues to have a passion for football and loves to play front yard games with his friends more than anything else in the world.

Trevor loves Christmas and enjoys every moment of this special holiday season.  He loves to proudly put out cookies, milk, reindeer food and a friendly letter to Santa Claus.  I know these days of "Believing" are quickly coming to an end.  I am afraid Trevor is going to crash hard at this news. He seriously has mad love for jolly St. Nick.

Trevor lives with great determination whether he is playing a sport or hunting a lizard, he has laser focus.

Happy 8th Birthday to our brave guy.  Our prayer is that Trevor will continue to live his life with such great love for his brothers, loyalty to his friends and passion for so many things.   I also pray he will stay competitive, focused intently on what he loves and continue to work hard. May he hold on with prayer and diligence to be all that God has planned for his life.



My Little Thing and Angel Wings

Greg and I had plans for a much needed night away from the kids.  His parents had graciously volunteered to host all three boys for the night.  Reese had much different plans!  As I was walking out the door after leaving, he ran after me crying.  He promptly buckled himself back into his car seat.  I knew he didn't feel great and he rarely behaves this way, so I took him back home. I then exclaimed to him that the three of us would be going on a date!  The night was a huge success.   We listened to Reese talk and we experienced a deeper part of his personality.  We enjoyed his pure spirit and delighted in him alone.  Reese had the best time being heard, not fighting among two other brothers for attention.   Also, the most amazing thing happened that night.  We were headed into the movies when we saw an absolutely beautiful sunset.  I told Reese that it looked like one giant angel in the sky.  I meant it in the sense that it was so glorious and breathtaking.

Reese exclaimed "Yes, there are his wings!  Oh, and I see the head and the body."  I looked closer and rushed to take the picture.

Without Reese there, I wouldn't have noticed the intricate details in the sky.  He believed he saw an angel and he was excited. However, he didn't seem overly surprised by this beautiful observation.  I felt gently reminded me that this childlike faith is the kind God wants from us.  If our eyes and heart are open to it, we will catch glimpses of God's glory.  We really shouldn't be surprised by these moments. Our five year old sure wasn't! When we came out of the movies, he looked up to the sky and proclaimed, "Awe,the angel is gone!  I guess his work day is done."   What an amazing few hours it was for our little trio and my faith grew just a little big bigger that night.

"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."--Jesus

Matthew 19:14

Krispy Kreme Reese

You never really know what is going to excite your children.  You can plan the funnest day full of adventure but they still seem completely bored.  (Kids these days are way overstimulated anyway, don't you agree?)  Other times, the simplest plans can lead to the greatest joys.  I decided to run Reese down the hill to our local  Krispy Kreme before big brother carpool time. His face lit up as soon as we walked in the door.  He jumped up onto the platform to watch the donuts on the assembly line.  He began dancing, swirling and watching delicious donuts run smoothly down the conveyer belt.

He excitedly took the timeless Krispy Kreme hat from the cashier and placed it forecefully on his little head.  He then, with a painfully slow pace, picked his donut of desire.  He could not of been happier to sit down with me and enjoy his selection.

He laughed and told adventure stories while enjoying every last bite of his donut.  He knew he had me to himself, away from laundry, cleaning and adult preoccupations.  He shared a bit about his friends, his feelings, his dreams and his vivid imagination.  It was a wonderful 45 minutes of delicious bonding.  In the future, I  plan to take him and my older two sons on simple, individual mini-dates much more often.  I will savor the conversations and enjoy their innocent thoughts and excitable chatter.  I think it is in these moments that you learn the most about who your children are becoming. You learn their heart and your children get a gentle reminder that they are worth these divine moments of undivided attention.

It Matters to Me!

I was shopping at my beloved Target, when I spotted a crate of awesome pumpkins for an incredibly low price.  I quickly threw three in my basket for the boys.  I didn't think too much about it and I didn't think that they would either.  I couldn't have been more wrong!  I picked the guys up from school and told them I had a little surprise for them but not to get too excited.  The boys spotted the pumpkins and they were extremely ecstatic. They snapped out of their seat belts and lunged for the van door to claim their favorites.  Trevor fought viciously for the latch first but quickly fell over.  Sky took the advantage and dashed out, running to the pumpkin of his desire.  Trevor pulled himself up and with great distress ran toward that exact same pumpkin.   After a few crocodile tears and gut-wrenching compromise, the boys settled on their favorites.  They reluctantly let me snap their picture.  If you zoom up closely you can see the tear-stained cheeks.  These pumpkins actually mattered quite a bit to my little guys!

Next, the boys decided it was a good idea to take the pumpkins inside to decorate with their own creative touch.  They each grabbed their new treasures and ran excitedly up the stairs.  I anxiously awaited a loud splatter of pumpkin all over the floor and prepared for deeply embedded orange goo in my already despised wall to wall carpet.  However, to my great surprise, they all made it to the kitchen safely.  They grabbed their Sharpies and began their artistic endeavors. They took it oh-so seriously and worked tirelessly to make their pumpkins a one of a kind treasure. 

I thought by this time the guys would be bored. Trevor and Skyler, however, were still ruthlessly focused on these orange, round vegetables!  Now came the very important task of placing the pumpkins on the porch.  The boys took to this task with great determination.  More tears were shed as they disagreed on the exact placement.  These issues were settled after a couple of bloody fist fights.  The two quickly became a great team and quite creative on their placements.  I cheered them on as they paced the pumpkins carefully on the steps.

Trevor and Skyler finally decided to make a giant pumpkin face on our steps. Get it?  Two pumpkin eyes and a big pumpkin nose?  The second step was painted with white rock to create the mouth.  The boys were so proud of the final product!

Wow, I never thought when I threw those three pumpkins in the grocery cart at Target that it would mean so much to my three cubs.  I guess there are many things that may not seem like a big deal to us "grown-ups" in our weary adult world.  However, they can be very significant to our children. These little ones still live a life of wonder, adventure and raw emotion.  Those pumpkins and the events that followed meant a lot to my boys and I would not trade those hours for anything in the world, even with the drama and tears.  I hope my boys will have great memories of these fun moments.  I also hope they know that what matters to them, will always matter to me.