Bittersweet

Watching my children grow and develop into the amazing people they are becoming is so precious to me. What an amazing gift God gives us when he allows us to raise His children as our own. I pray that I am doing what He wants me to do in leading the children He has entrusted to me in the way they should go. It is unbelievable that the tiny persons who were completely and totally dependant on us have become such independent people. I am thrilled to be able to ride around the property with my husband or even get a Sunday nap and know that my children will still be in the house and safe when I get back. It is also sad that they don't need me for every little thing any more. I don't bathe them any more, they can handle that themselves. Though Josh does like for me to get the water started for him. I don't have to hold their toothbrushes for them when they brush either but it is still a good idea to be in the room when they are doing that to keep them on task. They wipe their own bottoms, wash hands and flush all on their own. All are capable of clearing the dishes from the table when they are through eating, they can help with laundry and cooking of meals. Where does the time go? Just yesterday I was sitting quietly nursing a precious tiny newborn and now she is making my dinner for me. I am admittedly the hard one of the girls in the family. I haven't gotten teary when so many of the milestones passed. I took my oldest to her sitter for the first time and left her without any problem. Of course the sitter was my Nana and I went home to nurse when my new baby was in need. I was honestly thrilled to finally take down the last crib (I needed 2 for a while) and loved to see my precious angels walk into their classrooms on the first day of Kindergarten and happily wave goodbye. I love to have children who are healthy and able to do all of those things. Being their mom is a gift and life is good.