I Love Today

Side note: I should mention that all the pictures in this post are old, like a year and a half. No new camera yet and I thought it would be fun to show you some images of my kids before I started this here little blog...fun, right??

I came home from the gym to find our bed unmade and Joe still in his pajamas. Isaac playing his new Wii game from Uncle Jesse on the couch and Selah and Gabe still sleeping. No rushing around, no quick breathing treatment, grab your lunch and backpack before ushering Isaac out the door. No quick kiss before watching Joe drive away to a meeting.

Just us. Taking our time. Lazy breakfast, content kids playing. Me reading my bible without checking the clock to see if I have enough time to get another chapter in.

I love today. After the high energy that is Christmas (which was great!), it's nice to slow down. It's my favorite thing. Taking the time to actually play with the kids because we don't have somewhere to be in twenty minutes.

Selah and I have made coffee and eggs, lasagna, pizza, spaghetti, cake and ice cream so far in her play kitchen.  It's so sweet to see how much she adores the one on one time. Why don't I do this more?? Why??

Now I'm enjoying the scene as she pushes her baby around the house in her toy shopping cart. She takes "baby" out from time to time and gently pats her back, places her back in the cart and continues on her way.  I love this age. Why does it have to go so fast? It hurts, I tell ya! I remember Isaac pushing his cars and trucks (such a boy and just as cute) around in a little "doll" stroller. Seems like just yesterday.

And today is only going to get better. We are celebrating my firstborn. He doesn't know we are having all of his friends and family meet us at the local bowling alley in a few short hours. I can't wait to see his face when he walks in with Daddy.

Today, it's such a gift.

*****

We spent Christmas Eve watching Isaac sing up on stage with his friends at church. Later, we headed to Uncle Jim and Aunt Polly's house where we exchanged gifts, ate good food and shared stories...my favorite being from my cousin Pam. Her two year old had a rather messy ketchup incident. And, if you know my cousin, she has a way with telling stories. I couldn't stop laughing! So funny...and I hope (like, really, really hope) Selah wasn't listening!

We made it back home by about eleven p.m., promptly put the kids to bed and I began wrapping gifts. Yes, began! And, by five forty a.m., I fell into bed just to be woken up two hours later. I overheard Isaac exclaim that Santa ate ALL the cookies! There's no going back to sleep when you realize Santa has been in your home eating cookies and placing gifts under the tree...no matter how tired an up all night mama may be...

The boys loved their remote controlled monster trucks, Legos and Wii games and Selah loved her new toy kitchen. Her new Cabbage Patch has already been properly disrobed and, of course her hair is no longer tightly twisted into a perfect side ponytail... My favorite gift of all was Selah's "new" quilt I found on eBay. It's perfect! I've looked before but when I saw this particular one with the scalloped edges and bordered in yellow, my favorite color, I knew it was "the one" (not to mention the price was great at $39.99!).  Now I'm looking for the perfect iron bed and we will be on our way to a "big girl" room!

After opening gifts as a family we made the hour drive to have Christmas with my dad, step mom, brothers and sisters along with my grandparents and a slew of nieces and nephews. Wonderful, it was. All my favorite people in one room eating yummy food and nowhere to be other than right there. Having my nephew, Greyson (Selah kept referring to him as baby Jesus. Who can blame her after all the singing "Happy Birthday Jesus" we did and talking about his manger birth. She was convinced no matter how many times I told her it was Greyson!) my chest was dreamy. Next year I will have a new niece or nephew to breathe in. I can't wait.

We had a grand Christmas, how about you?

I'm off to shower and put the finishing touches on a bowling themed birthday party. A great day awaits!


XOXO,
Angie