Precious Life

I cannot believe I have not done a blog post since New Years Day! Where has January 2012 gone? I generally think of January as a catch up month, a time where I can sort of catch my breath after the craziness of December. Maybe that's why I haven't blogged all month long too. But, the last two weeks have been so emotionally draining that I am feeling the need to dump all my thoughts somewhere. The last two weeks, TJ and I have been so saddened by news of people we know and love...from the accidental death of a child, to the suicide of a friend, to the marriages of friends being torn apart, the list goes on and on. It's times like this that make me really put my own life into perspective and thank the Lord for all the blessings we have, most especially the precious lives of our children. All week long, every time I've looked at Trip and Mady, (even if they are misbehaving) I've had this intense urge to run over and hug and kiss them over and over again and tell them how much I LOVE THEM! They are such precious gifts and I never want them to feel otherwise. Isn't that one of the hardest things about being a parent...setting boundaries and being a disciplinarian while making sure they know how loved they are!? I want to protect them from knowing all this sadness that is in the world we live in and keep them in their sweet, naive little bubble. But, on the other hand, it is often through those hard, sad times, that we learn to draw closer to our Lord and Savior and to strengthen our faith in His almighty power! And, I wouldn't want them to miss that kind of relationship with Jesus. So, I just wake up each morning, relinquish control and place them in HIS hands and ask him to protect them and teach them his ways! And, thank him for their precious lives and for changing mine forever by giving me the chance to be their mother.

The pictures are from Trip's end of the season basketball party this past weekend. Could the be any cuter? Seriously?