:: Designing a FAMILY that I love ::

Having a full-time job and having limited time with my husband and two beautiful babies means the little time I have needs to be the best I can make it. I can't change the amount of time I get in a day (God knows I've tried!) so I have to face the day knowing that I want to make the time with my family memorable. I started scrapbooking in the mid-90s, and even though I TOTALLY enjoy the hobby, I don't always have the time to do it. I'd rather play with Miss Peyton in her cute "girly" room, or watch Mr. Brendan outsmart bad guys on his Batman Wii game. I guess I have to sacrifice the things I love for the things I love MORE.

The other night in Brendan's backpack, I found a proof from the school photographer with his school pictures in them. He had his jacket on the first picture, and then they took it off for the second one. So cute! But, I almost didn't recognize the little guy! He's growing up so fast. His little toddler cheeks are gone, and replaced with slimmer, more grown-up features. He's becoming a big boy now. How did that happen!? I look at him EVERY DAY. But somehow I missed seeing the new features of his face... I don't know how it happened, but time has taken my son on his own life's journey. He's becoming a man.

Okay, time. You win again.

I put down his picture, and at 9:30pm last night, I crept into his room (and ended up waking him up) and held him like a baby. I knelt down at his bed, and I scooped my arms around his shoulders, and his legs, and I just kissed and cried, kissed and cried... I couldn't believe he didn't fit into my arms anymore. He wakes up enough to begin "twigging" my hair. Twigging is a term he made up to describe the need to gently tangle his fingers deeply into my hair. I LOVE when he does this. This makes me cry harder. I must've been in there for almost a half an hour. He whispers, "Mamanini, tell me a story. . . " and I tell him a made-up story about a little boy that has a magical book that he pulls from his shelf and opens it, and goes to ________ (Bren fills this part in. It used to be Scooby Do, then Cars, and now Transformers.) and the boy gets to interact with his favorite characters. Bren loves this. It makes him feel as if he's right there. Except this time, Bumblebee wishes to go back with the boy, and I left the story with Brendan coming back home, putting the book on the shelf, and hearing a black and yellow mustang motor revving in the driveway. Brendan smiles, and goes back to sleep.

I know I'll miss these times. It's these times I want to hold onto with every bit of me. I pray God gives me the wisdom to make time for the important things, and the courage to say 'NO' to everything else.