Mother's Day. (Picture Overload).

For Mother's day, I asked Dave if he could snap a few pictures of me with the kids.  He took us on a walk to Silver Falls and then we all sat down in this little grassy spot for a while.  It seems so strange to have to my arms free in some of these pictures....just watching them all able to run around together....
....making daisy chains and racing and spinning in their daddy's arms....
....laughing and bringing me their flower collections......

It was dreamy.
But most days aren't all dreams and flowers.
Many days are full of chaos and lack of balance and awkward bouts of learning new things (on all our parts).
Many days, even in the midst of obvious beauty and blessing, I feel like I am running in place not sure where this is all heading.

Like I read this morning....

"Will my children make the right choices?  Will they become the kind of people I hope they will become?  Am I loving them enough?  Do I sacrifice enough?  Am I making huge parenting mistakes?  Am I making a series of small mistakes?  How will I know if I'm failing?  How will I know if we are going to crash?
...[But] I have new peace and new strength- and a new companion for the journey.  God is here with me in this beautiful everyday riot of my house and my heart.  He is with me as my redeemer, my sovereign, and also as a parent himself, a Father who has revealed his own tender, hurting, hope-filled heart.  I know now that parenting is not meant to paralyze me with guilt but to send me running freely to God.  Parenting is not meant to cripple me with insufficiency but to lead me to God's sufficiency.  Parenting is so much less about me and so much more about God!  This is God's holy enterprise- and wondrously, joyously, I get to be a part of it.  
Now I am able, even in the midst of the questions and delights of a parent, to return to the highest call upon my life:  to love God with all that I have and all that I am.  I hope to teach my children the same.  Together we can marvel at this sovereign God, this fiercely devoted heavenly parent, this loving, holy Father who will one day call us to live with him in his perfect, unending home." -Leslie Leyland Fields

It was really just so nice to observe and enjoy the kids yesterday.  In the same way, it refreshes me to know that I can enjoy this journey and internally rest in my sovereign Savior as I try to be their mom.

Eadie Cate, Levi, & June----you guys are more of delight to me than I could have imagined, more than I can say, and more than I even know.  I am so glad I'm your mom.  I love you!