The days are long but the years are short...

Evan has recently turned the rocking chair in his room into a jungle gym; climbing all over it, all the time. So, since we don't use it very much anymore, we decided to take it to my mom's house for safe keeping in case we need it again one day. As Bryan carried it out to put it in the van, I realized that I should have rocked my baby in it one more time. He could see it in my eyes, so he put the rocking chair down at the edge of the drive way and I rocked my baby in it, one last time. As I rocked him in the cool air, the tears just rolled down my cheeks. It seems like only yesterday I was rocking him in it for the first time. Now Evan needs more room for all of his toys and more room to play instead of a rocking chair for his mother to nurse him in or rock him to sleep in the middle of the night. Where did the time go?

Dylan only a few hours old

Evan only a few hours old

Don't get me wrong, I know they can't stay babies forever. More than anything I want them to become strong godly men, who become exactly what God wants them to be. But, I have to admit, it is bittersweet to watch them grow. I am so proud of them and enjoy seeing who they are becoming but I miss holding my tiny babies. I've heard it said, "the days are long but the years are short." That has never seemed more true than now. There have been a lot of long days and nights with these adorable little ones but as I look back, I feel like it all happened so quickly. Has it really been almost 5 years since I first met Dylan and almost 17 months since I laid eyes on Evan for the first time? Yes, it has. And what a blessing each moment has been.

Today I am thankful that God is teaching me to soak up every minute with my children. Before I know it they will be all grown up and I will be fondly looking back over these years. I am also thankful for these precious moments of realization. I see these as gifts from my Heavenly Father. He is always using my family and my circumstances to teach me. Because of today's realization, I will do my best enjoy every second of the time I have with my babies. I know that I will absolutely love being the mother of a teenager, a college kid, a newlywed, etc but right now, I will aim to enjoy every moment of these long days before they become short years.