Joy of Love: Day 18 "Staying In"

I will admit that my opinion of little girls has always been along the same line as Miss Hannigan's. When I pictured my family, I always pictured a house full of rough and tough little boys with wild hair and mud on their face. I was scared of girls for multiple reasons, first being that I myself was one so I know fully what they are capable of! When God blessed me with my first girl, I thought okay. I knew this was coming. My mom always prayed that He would give me a child that was just like me. (I'd like to go ahead and take this time to say  something to my mother. I'm sorry mom. Would you please take back that prayer now? No point in both of us suffering, right?) Then when we were told that another precious girl was on the way, I almost fainted. Crap. Now it's double time!
As my girls have grown, I have totally changed my opinions. Granted, give it about 13 years and I'm sure I'll be right back in line with Miss H. But I have so much fun with these angels. Just dressing them up in frillies and bows is the height of a long day. I can't tell you how excited I was when I realized I was going to get to play with Barbies again. As much as I love the days we get to go outside and get dirty, I love the snow days that keep us inside having tea parties and "folding" laundry together.
Thank you Lord for showing me this side of the girls first. Now when they are 13-25 and I am wandering around the house cross-eyed and talking to myself, I can look back on these times and remember that they are precious. They are precious. They are PRECIOUS!

Joy of Love: Day 17 "Going out"

I love this day. It's the first day after such a long, cold winter that the kids can finally go out and play with no coats, no gloves, even no shoes. It's the day that makes you forget that there is still plenty of cold days left to come. It's the day that when you crawl into bed underneath the open window to take a family nap, you never want to fall asleep for fear you may miss just one wisp of that fresh air whistling through the screen. It's a beautiful day!
I had such a blast watching the kids explore the backyard today. I chased them and pushed them all around. We drew with chalk and blew bubbles until they at last discovered the giant mud puddle. Boy is great to watch kids play in a mud puddle! I grabbed my camera and as I was snapping pictures of their mischievous faces, I had a moment.
It's so easy as a stay at home mother to turn parenting into a "job". You get caught in a routine and before you know it, the day is gone. You can't remember if you told your children you loved them enough times, or read them enough books, or even gave them enough kisses. It all becomes about a schedule and did the dishes get done? How much laundry is left for the next day? How much wine is left for the after bedtime bath? Is the alarm set for the morning?
Then God stops you. He gives you a day. A day that suddenly the laundry and dishes can wait. A day that you actually consider taking a nap in the first place. He gives you this day. As I captured each grin, God was telling me "Take this day. There will be plenty of time for work. This is the time for them." Being a parent is a job, no doubt. But there are times that it doesn't have to be work. There are days that you need to step back, and remember to have fun with your kids, not just play with them. Laugh with them. Enjoy them. Because the laundry isn't going anywhere without you. Just stop, and love this day!

Joy of Love: Day 16 "Their Kiss"

When you think of a kiss, what comes to your mind first? The end of a movie? Or maybe the beginning of a marriage? There are ultimately hundreds of feelings associated with even the smallest of smooches. It is, in my opinion, one of the most powerful tools God has given us to communicate with one another. Used for good as well as evil, a kiss can change the entire course of your day, or even your life.
The very first thing I think of in a kiss is the incredible healing power. Just one tiny little kiss can heal anything from the most unfortunate of boo-boos to the most broken of hearts. I can think of many circumstances where I was just down and out, where I just wanted to crawl back in bed and try again tomorrow. My husband noticed that I was not myself, and swooped me into his arms and gave me that special kiss. Suddenly, I can see a brighter day. I especially love when that healing comes innocently. When my child, who has no idea that her mommy has trouble in her heart, gives me that kiss that comes from her whole body. That's when you realize that in all that you've done wrong as a parent, you must've done something right!
A kiss is so powerful that even in its absence, it can affect your mood. Of course, every mother knows that moment when your child is "too cool for school" and refuses to kiss you goodbye in front of their friends. Why don't they just take out a knife and stab you straight in your heart, am I right? The lack of affection by way of kiss from someone you love can hurt you even subconsciously. I've noticed times where I am just irritated with my husband for no logical reason. Once I realize that we haven't had one good kiss since he got home, I can put two and two together and easily remedy that situation. Or how about that overwhelming first kiss, as it hangs in the air of a date just waiting to be given, or received. The anticipation fuels the butterflies in your tummy to flutter and dive as you just think of what it will be like.
Of course there is always a dark side to every power. A kiss can betray us. One of the most famous betrayals came with a kiss of death on the Jesus's cheek. An unloyal kiss can rot a holy union, and destroy families. A forced kiss can unleash a beast inside one, and at the same time take away another's self worth. It's sad how the devil can take such a precious gift from God, and turn it onto a tool of destruction.
Always remember to cherish your kisses. Keep them close to your heart. When you see your loved one hurting, kiss them all better. Take full advantage of your ability to smooch up all of your children, because that dreaded day will come and then you will have to wait until they get married to do it again! Keep your kisses pure, don't let the devil take this gift from you. God has given his children so many wonderful tools to help us grow in our relationships. The kiss is a magical one!

Joy of Love: Day 15 "It's just me!"

It's hard to do a self portrait. First there is all of the technical stuff, such as balancing the camera on a mound of paint cans since you don't have a tripod, and focusing on a teddy bear and then chucking said bear to the side in the short five seconds you have before the continuous shooting begins. Next there is that awkward moment where you realize the middle school bus just drove by and gawked at you as you threw out your best "Posh Face". Lastly, you have to try your hardest not to be overly judgemental as you look through the camera's eye at the person everyone else sees when you enter a room.
After several different settings and backrounds, I felt as if I'd gotten as good as I was going to get. I had done all of the senior picture poses that I could think of. But shouldn't my self portrait have some sort of resemblance to my personality? Once upon a time, I would've loved a good shot of me playing peek-a-boo behind a tree. No longer am I that person! I am the kind of person that salsas down the aisle of the Dollar Store. I am the kind of person that not only wears a mullet in my friends basement, but owns that look on the streets as well. I sing along to every song that I hear, even if I don't know the words. So, after multiple crowds had gathered in their lawn chairs to laugh at my shenanigans, I got the perfect shot. The one that just screams Erin Ferguson.