Here's to Hoping They Never Change

I was looking out the kitchen window while washing the dishes yesterday and I saw something so cute, I had to go out and take some pictures. (It kind of reminded me of one of my favorite country songs that says "I've been here and everywhere, seen paintings brushed by the hand of God/But the view I love the most is my front porch looking in")

And here's something (I swore I would never do) that's slightly ridiculous and totally adorable at the same time...

I've just been pretty enamored with my kiddos lately...I just want to freeze them in time!  I know I'm going to blink and they are going to be big enough to shave and go places by themselves and (heaven forbid) ride motorcycles.

But right now, I love the excitement they get over new dresses from yard sales and swings in the yard...

And how cute this one looks all dressed up in her pretty dress that grandma sent her

My kids pick their noses a lot...just an FYI

And how they think it's really exciting to read their Bibles, even if they can't read yet...

And how good of friends they are and how hard they play...

And wrestling time (otherwise known as Total Domination) that happens almost every night.  I don't want them to get too big and grown up to be on the bed together like that!  (Already they do chest hair inspections on themselves when they have their shirts off...ew).

And I don't ever want to give up the snuggles and reading "Goodnight Moon" (and looking for the mouse on every page).

But I do like going to the park and sitting on a blanket and watching them play...not having to hover over them because they are too small to climb by themselves.

And I do love watching them gain new skills and develop their own interests...

And watching them make their first real friends besides each other is really sweet...

But still, I don't want them to get self-conscious and embarrassed about playing dress-up and make-believe!

And I don't want to keep taking it for granted that their answer to "What do you want to play?" will always be "With you!".

Even though I don't want them to grow, I know there are other flavors of motherhood to come...like hearing them share their own thoughts and ideas, watching them learn to make good choices that aren't based on immediate rewards, and seeing them have families of their own (okay, that's way too far in the future...I got a little carried away). This weekend, Jeremy got to baptize some youth group students at church. Our kids sat front and center on the stage to watch--Evan was first a little appalled at the thought of Daddy dunking people underwater, but after the first one, he announced loudly (from the front row, remember?) "Oh, we go under for WAY longer than them!" as if it were a swimming competition. Despite my children's un-pious reactions, a sweet moment transpired when Jeremy introduced a couple fathers who baptized their young teenage daughters. There wasn't a dry eye in the place as one of the father's said in a voice broken with emotion, "I baptize you, my sister and my daughter." I held tight to Annie on my lap (mostly because she kept lifting up her dress and showing her underwear to the rest of the church), but also because though I desperately want her to stay little, I know that the day I see her grow (hopefully) into a young lady who loves Jesus will be a day of great tears and celebration.