Even when. . .

Even when David pulls down the entire bag of M'n'M's and shoves two fistfuls in his mouth...

Even when Gabi says "No, I don't think so" when I ask her to do something...

Even when Michael screams for an hour solid, takes a minute to breathe, and begins screaming again...

Even when David sings the only line of "Jingle Bells" he knows over and over again...

Even when Gabi takes every crayon out of her crayon basket and snaps each one in half...

Even when the kids team up to produce mass destruction on a nuclear level...

I still want to hold them close and kiss them and hug them and thank God that they are mine!

So then when David tugs on my skirt and says, "Momma, love you more!"...

Then when Gabi sings "Jesus Loves Me" to her dolls...

Then when Michael offers up one of his "whole-body" smiles...

Then when David chants "I will obey right away" as he marches around the room picking up toys...

Then when Gabi says "Momma, Jesus is my favorite!" and hugs me spontaneously...

Then when Michael gets a case of the baby giggles and sends the other two into bouts of hilarity...

I know that I have been blessed by God more than I could ever have imagined or hoped.  God had a special plan as He put each one of these unique souls into my life.  It is mind-boggling and certainly a little intimidating that He finds me capable of guiding these young minds and hearts in this life.  Truly I must lean on Him daily to accomplish that task.  Mrs. D's posts on guarding your children's hearts and being a good example to them have rekindled the desire to do this whole mom thing right and have reminded me that many of the things I am already doing with my children will eventually pay off some day.  

Something else has caused me to think much about the precious blessings that God has given me.  What if I considered my children "punishment", as our new President has termed unwanted pregnancies?!  To take the intense and incredible miracle of new life and somehow twist it into a meaningless, irritating intrusion is against God and His whole plan for us.  It angers me and simultaneously saddens me that taking innocent life has become so commonplace now.  The change that Obama is calling for is destroying homes, families, and most importantly, thousands of little but viable lives.  And so I hold my children a little tighter and pray each day that some woman, somewhere, will make the decision to keep her baby even in the midst of uncertain circumstances.

(On a much lighter note, go to The Scrappy Frog to see how to make these little cuties!)