loving all my boys

All week I have been thinking about love.  And I have been trying to be more grateful, more aware, and more conscientious of those around me.  These three {crazy} boys are all about the love.

The hugs, the kisses, the snuggles, and the laughter.

Oh the laughter!

 Get them talking about silly names or farts...

and they are gone! 

Gone! 

Sometimes they laugh so hard, they get the hiccups!

During the day I love holding them close, I love laughing with them.  But my favorite part of the day with them is bedtime.  I love tucking them in, watching as they hug their stuffed animals close, knowing that will not last forever.  

I love how the big boys always make sure they hug Wyatt, myself and Josh before they climb into their cozy flannel sheets.  I love how they say their prayers followed by rounds and rounds of "I Love You's" until I have to say, "Enough" in my mom voice.

I love singing to them- rocking Wyatt in the rocking chair while Logan adjusts my volume: "Not so loud, mom. A little louder. There, that's perfect, mom."

Lately I have been singing two of my favorite JJ Heller songs.  

Keep You Safe

Back Home

They can easily make me cry, but make such lovely lullabies.

I am also loving the boys doing quiet activities at the kitchen table while I cook dinner. It's exactly how I pictured motherhood.  I love the full feeling I have standing at the stove making a meal while my funny boys make alien creations and Angry Bird drawings behind me and Wyatt toddles around my feet.

I am feeling grateful this week for the ease with which I had my children.  I spent the weekend reading Signs of Life by Natalie Taylor, which I could not.put.down.  It's about how Natalie lost her husband of two years while pregnant with their first child.  She is an amazing writer and I loved the whole book, but the part that stood out to me was her idea that there's not an allotted amount of suffering per person. It's all random. 

It got me thinking about how little I have suffered in my life. I mean, really. I grew up in a loving home, raised by loving parents with a house full of siblings.  I met & married my high school sweetheart. I managed to put myself through college, as did Josh.  And when I wanted to get pregnant, BAM! The twins were conceived.  Even Wyatt, surprise that he was, is in perfect health and came into our family exactly when we needed him.  Why have I been so lucky? Why am I so blessed?

Every day I get to wake up next to the man I love and work with him to raise this family we've created. I just feel such a shift in my emotions (from when I was feeling so low a while back).  I find myself luxuriating in every item on my to-do list. It truly is a blessing to be home and be able to care for these boys.  During this week of love, that concept is really hitting home.

Today Josh is on a field trip with the school, moose hunting on snow machines. So this morning he had his gun (a HUGE rifle, a 30-06) on the table (unloaded of course) and the boys were looking at it and asking questions. Josh told them when they are older they can all hunt together.  They thought that sounded very exciting and have been talking about it all morning.

It's -4 degrees out, so I feel bad for Josh, but he was very excited to try and get another moose, and despite the cold, the sun is shining and there seems to be very little wind. So hopefully he will come home to us safe and not TOO cold!  I love how he has totally embraced this whole "Alaska living" thing.  It makes me proud of him.

Another thing I love? People following my blog! So be sure to use the e-mail option on the right side bar to get updates whenever I post something new! I'd love to have you!

Happy Wednesday!