I live for little moments like that...

In the span of any given day here on the "homefront" while Nathan is gone, I often find myself begging God to please:

1. Bring him home magically for help with dinner/baths. :)
2. Let my kids sleep at the same time, PLEASE!
3. Allow me not to walk into any walls in my sleep deprived existence.
4. To let Christian stop calling me Mommy/Mom for 5 min...

The list could go on and on with all the little "requests" I send up during these days. I'm sure half of them don't even make sense. It's easy for me to get overwhelmed by my circumstances and forget the fact that I am in the constant company of two of the best blessings in my life. My poor earthly mind decides too often to focus on the troubles and annoyances of my day instead of the delights.

So, in this moment, I am reminding myself to simply live for the little moments like these:

1. Christian re-enacting "Are You My Mother?" after reading it twice in a row. He would run down the hallway and yell, nope, you aren't my mother! Then, he'd run back to me and say Hi, Mother! :)

2. Elena's beaming smile for no other reason than the fact that I'm her Mommy, and she likes when I talk to her.

3. Christian grabbing fiercely to my neck and hugging me hard and saying, Mom... I love you.

4. That's another thing... Christian now alternates between calling me Mommy and Mom. For some reason, "Mom" annoys me more coming from a two year old. But you know what? At least he CAN call me MOM. Thank you Lord for the fact that he is developing on track and that You've given him the gift of speech.

5. Elena's "talking" moments... she cracks me up with the little noises she makes, especially when conversing with herself in a mirror.

6. Christian handing Elena one of his beloved trains and saying, "Here, Lena...you have Harry!" I love that he's so willing to share with her.

7. Snuggles from my sweet, cuddly little girl. It's such a sweet feeling when she burrows her head in my shoulder and holds onto my shirt. I will miss these days when she no longer wants to cuddle. And I'm also reminded that I have been given these moments to treasure and hold so that I might be able to express them to Nathan in his absence. What an ache he must have not being able to hold our newest blessing or wrestle with his little buddy.

Lord, forgive my wayward, earthly heart for forgetting Your blessings and provision so many times. I worry about the future, I wish away the "hard times", I complain more than I should... teach me to live for the little moments. The smiles, the hugs, the cries, the tantrums... there's a lesson in it all. And everything is but a fleeting moment. I will blink and these days will be no more. Already, I feel as though I can barely figure out where Christian's 2 1/2 years of life have gone.

So for now, I will go without sleep... the body adjusts.
I will sometimes miss showers...that's what deoderant and lotions are for.
I will never complete a meal in one sitting... but I know that my kids are well fed and cared for.
I will miss out on more of the "girls' nights"... but enjoy the Thomas the Tank Engine movie parties with Christian and snuggle "girls' nights" with Elena.
I will go longer without adult conversations than I want... but know that these little conversations with my kids are things that forever memories are made of.
I will say "no" more times than I can count in a single day... but know that I am shaping the groundwork for the future.
I will wear dirty clothes longer than necessary... because sometimes the kiddo that spilled something or spit up on me needs an extra hug.

I will live for the little moments like this....