a thousand words

pictures tell a thousand words...or something like that, right? :-)

a friend commented when i posted these pictures a few weeks ago, that they were telling of my individual relationship with each kid. and i think she's right! it's just how i grabbed them when we took the pictures...but it IS interesting how each picture DOES tell a lot about my relationship with that child!

so, you've seen these before. but let's look at them one more time :-)

levi. my baby. i could kiss his cheeks all.day.long. and he really is the happiest little guy! i'm often getting RIGHT down on his level, in his face, to make sure he sees my eyes. he still avoids eye contact a lot, and we try to encourage it as often as possible. he also is very quick to get upset and cry, so if i'm in his face with a smile and a "it's ok!", he can quickly recover.

lincoln. goodness. could i hug him any tighter? i don't think so! we struggle. big-time. we push each others buttons - unintentionally...and on purpose. on a good day, we fight HARD for the other's love. on a bad day, well, it's bad. but we always apologize. we always forgive. we always say, "i love you no matter what." and we keep walking forward. my prayer is that after fighting HARD for each other, for as long as it takes, we will be rewarded with a victory of a most beautiful love that goes deeper than either of us could have hoped for.

joshua. our relationship is changing. we are entering a new stage. he holds doors open for me and notices when i need help...and jumps in to help me. he is starting to see me through new eyes - that i'm a PERSON and not just his mom. he notices my moods and feelings and cares about them. he protects me and respects me. i think you can see that in this picture, and i couldn't love it more.

rebekah. i adore her. we love to be close. and i love to hear all (ALL!) about her life. she is considerate and thoughtful and so easy to be around.

sawyer. i could eat him. my first baby. he writes me notes every day that say, " mom. i love you so much." when his bus turns the corner to come pick him up, he comes right to me to give me a kiss and a hug. i know it won't always be that way, so i cherish those hugs and kisses that much more. i usually peek at them all before i go bed...to see their precious bodies still and at peace. but when i peek at him, i still usually put my face real close to his neck, to smell "his" smell (you know how each kid has a different smell? the one they've had since you brought them home from the hospital? or met them...) i'm sure one day it will change...but right now our relationship is so easy and so comfortable and i'm thankful.

bailey. oh this GIRL! she is so FUN! and full of JOY! and i just don't know how we'd get through life without her! she is also very INTENSE. so when things aren't good (in her mind), it's not pretty. but she always recovers quickly and is right back to seeing things with a "glass half-full" mentality. even though she is JOYFUL, she thinks very deeply and feels things for herself and others VERY deeply. her mood and demeanor can change in an instant...so you have to be on your toes! or you might miss something!

mothering these 6 kids is the joy of my life. it takes everything i have every single day. but i do it gladly. with honor. i take it seriously. and look forward to each new day i have with them.