8 days left

I can’t believe there are only 8 days left in 2009. This year went by so fast. I never imagined that time would pass so fast when you get older. But it does. This year was a learning year for me. An amazing one. I’ve grown relationships with amazing new friends. I’ve been challenged far more than ever before. I’ve watched my children grow another year older and all the wonder that ecompasses that. There have been good times and bad times. And with all this, I finally feel like I “get it”. I understand what I am supposed to be doing.

Yesterday was Andre’s birthday. I sat for a moment and just looked at him. How could this be? How can he be six? Wasn’t he just born? Didn’t I just bring him home? Now he’s a big boy. He’s so expressive and so happy. He’s kind-hearted and caring (He gave me a gift last night. He got a few of his favorite books and put them in a gift bag for me). And he’s completely different than his brother and sister.

We decided this year that we weren’t going to have big birthday parties or a big Christmas. It’s been such a challenge to teach my children grace, humility, understanding…Especially after years of indulging them. It was my fault. I wanted them to have everything. But where I went wrong was that “everything” can’t be found in toys, games, and items that can be bought. Everything can only be found in Him. And so we spent Andre’s birthday as a family. We went to breakfast at his favorite breakfast place (IHOP), then we followed that with a free game of put-put at one of the county parks (where I was able to enjoy photographing some nature). We came home and gave him his one gift (a bike ramp he’d written on his list to Santa) and he and his older brother spent the afternoon playing on that. I asked him at the end of the day if he had fun, and he wrapped his arms around me and said that it was awesome. Afterall, what they really want is us, and spending their time with us.

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