Tender moments

This week I have been especially aware of all of the special little moments that I have an opportunity to have with our children each day. Perhaps its from following the journey of Nie Nie (read here if you don't know what this is about and want to). For example one morning Davis woke up first so I went into get him out of his crib and he just snuggled into my shoulder and hugged me tight. He didn't want to be put down either, he just wanted to hold me. We laid down on the couch (because it was entirely to early for me) and watched a Sesame street video and he sat there all snuggled up to me playing with my hand. When he finally had woken up enough he jumped down to play with toys.

Just a few minutes after that Caleb came out of their room, rubbing his eyes and came over and climbed up into my arms on the couch and snuggled. He even drifted back off to sleep for a few minutes. Davis had wandered into his room and seen that his ducky was in his crib and started crying. He walked in so sad saying, "Ducky..." I asked him if his ducky was in his crib and if needed help and Caleb jumped up and said, "I'll get it for you Davis." I heard him climb in the crib and throw it to Davis, who no doubt was hugging his ducky up to him tight and rocking from side to side like he does after any sort of separation from Ducky. I heard Caleb say there you go, Davis say thank you, and then a few minutes past and Davis came up and hugged Caleb.

These moments may seem small, ordinary, and just quick but they are the moments that bond me to them and them to me. They are so easy to glance over and so easy to miss but they mean so much and when I stop and am still for a few moments it helps me realise just how great my kiddos are.

How lucky am I that this is my job! Sometimes I feel bad for John that he misses these moments and in some ways life forces him to move at a quicker pace and so even when he is home he may not be able to see these darling little moments. I know that's his role and I have to remember to not make him feel bad that he misses things like that. I love the role that I have been given in this life as a mother, a nurturer, and the one who turns our house into a home.

Maybe that's why I love blogging, even when the things I write about seem like they are not that important. I want to remember these times. I want our kids to be able to look back at this time and read about themselves. I also want John to be able to share in some of these times. I love when I find him checking the blog because then I know hes getting a glimpse at what its like each day and all the cute little things that he might not be here for. This is such a good way to keep a record of the little things.

I know when I'm 50 I will remember the big things that happened in our life, but I want to be able to look back at all of the small tender moments and milestones and remember them clearly and bring back memories of what life was like day to day.

I have the best job in the world!

Updated: I was reading here in the early morning hours and this seemed to remind me of the purpose of our role as Females and I thought I would post just a piece of what I had read from Elder Hollands wife here (I only wrote about the part of motherhood since that is what has been on my mind but this talk is for all women and she addresses all of our walks of life and ALL women should read this) its wonderful...

"One Needful Thing": Becoming Women of Greater Faith in Christ
by Patricia Holland
Ensign, October 1987

Our loving Father in Heaven seemed to be whispering to me, “You don’t have to worry over so many things. The one thing that is needful—the only thing that is truly needful—is to keep your eyes toward the sun—my Son.” Suddenly I had true peace. I knew that my life had always been in his hands—from the very beginning! The sea lying peacefully before my eyes had been tempest-tossed and dangerous—many, many times. All I needed to do was to renew my faith, and get a firm grasp on his hand—and together we could walk on the water.

I would like to pose a question for each of us to ponder. How do we as women make that quantum leap from being troubled and worried to being women of even greater faith? One frame of mind surely seems to negate the other. Faith and fear cannot long coexist....

Yet it seemed to me that the young mothers had easily as many concerns. They described to me the struggles of trying to raise children in an increasingly difficult world, of never having enough time or means or freedom to feel like a person of value because they were always stretched to the ragged edge of survival. And there were so few tangible evidences that what they were doing was really going to be successful. There was no one to give them a raise in pay; and beyond their husbands (who may or may not remember to do it), no one to compliment them on a job well done. And they were always tired! The one thing I remember so vividly with these young mothers was that they were always so tired....

If I were Satan and wanted to destroy a society, I think I would stage a full-blown blitz on women. I would keep them so distraught and distracted that they would never find the calming strength and serenity for which their sex has always been known....

I believe we can find our steady footing and stilling of the soul by turning away from physical preoccupations, superwoman accomplishments, and endless popularity contests, and returning instead to the wholeness of our soul, that unity in our very being that balances the demanding and inevitable diversity of life.