Explaining myself.

Scenes from this weekend, so far:

Today, right now, is my favorite age for all my kids.  I love them so much, just like they are now, and if I could freeze them like they are right this second I would.

Except.  Last week, and last year, and five years ago, I would have told you exactly the same thing.  Well, maybe not for the one in 6th grade.  Sixth grade kind of stinks.  But in general, I marvel every day at how much I love where my children are right now.

If I had been able to freeze them, I would have loved it.  But I would have missed out on the incredible blessings of who they are today.  That’s what I learned.

If I get too caught in loving all my circumstances right this second, my happiness will be shattered if anything changes.  And it WILL change.

Instead, I’ve had to choose to love who my kids and husband are right now, in this moment.  And it’s a choice I have to make every single day.

And so that is why I’m writing this blog now.  First, so I can have a record of how awesome our lives are together.  And to share how we have learned to adapt to new circumstances that are inevitable as the kids get bigger.

I’ve noticed that there are lots of mom bloggers with little bitty kids.  It is fun to write about the hilarious and painful things they do all day!  I’ve been there.  But then the kids get bigger, and busier, and sometimes the problems are less fun and you actually need to be more private.  And the mom bloggers of older kids seem to be a rarer breed.

I had this lofty idea that I would write to help those younger moms–just to let them know that where they are going isn’t so scary, that the changes don’t mean the end of all the good stuff.  More good stuff, just different good stuff. And what a great idea.

But when I sit with it, it doesn’t feel like ME.  I just want to tell the world what we are up to.  How it changes and moves.  As I was thinking about my post today, I realized that documenting the changes is important to me.  It’s good to remind myself of the good that comes with some changes.  Because we all know it won’t be the last change I’ll have to adapt to.

This month I’m going to be posting, just to share bits and pieces of my life. I’d love to have you come along with me. I’ll be a little meandering–that just comes with this territory. I hope that my blog will take shape and you’ll find some hospitality here.  So while things are a little rough around the edges, I’m so glad to be here. Thank you for reading just one post or all 31.