Thankful...

I know of a family who lost their 9 day old baby boy yesterday due a heart condition. Their story really got me thinking about myself as a mother. How often do I deny building a train track with Cael because I "need" to vacuum? How often do I refuse to let Avery sit on my lap in the morning because I need some "wake up time". I do these things too often unfortunately. When I hear stories about parents who have lost a child, or I think back to how I felt while Gabriel was in the hospital, and I am convicted about how easily I let the "little stuff" get in the way of living each day to the fullest. I know that God calls us live life joyfully. Oh, how I fall short of that calling.

As a reminder to myself about how blessed I am to experience motherhood I made a list of 54 things I am thankful for as a mom. 54 is equal to the number of months I have been a mother.

I am thankful for:

1. Cael's infectious laugh
2. Avery's independence
3. Gabriel's dependence as this stage is so fleeting
4. How Cael and Avery never want me to leave even though they spend all day with me
5. How excited they are when I return from being gone
6. Cael's curiosity
7. Cael's sense of humor
8. Avery's love for Cael - she is his shadow
9. Gabriel's precious giggle
10. How motherhood has reduced my own selfishness
11. How sharing parenthood with Corbin has really strengthened our relationship
12. How much the kids love Tucker
13. How much the kids love each other
14. Gabriel's awesome sleep habits
15. How sweet and innocent the kids are when they are sleeping
16. How inspiring Corbin is as a father
17. How the kids can have hours of fun playing rocks - what if we all kept life that simple?
18. Gabriel's baby smell
19. The kid's excitement for "jammie day"
20. Avery's love for her baby dolls
21. Sweet baby toes
22. Cael's big, brown eyes
23. Gabriel's soft head - I love baby heads
24. The way kids get excited for Christmas months and months in advance
25. Tiny clothes
26. The way motherhood puts life into perspective
27. The way motherhood has fostered a new respect for my own parents
28. Their energy
29. The way they love me!
30. Pink clothes
31. Learning to play again
32. Big hugs
33. Pinchy kisses - Avery's favorite
34. Avery's smile
35. Cael's love for his friends
36. Running through the sprinkler again
37. Jumping off the diving board again
38. How the kids love to hear me sing even though I am a horrible singer
39. Gabriel's smile
40. Cael's imagination
41. How the kids love their grandparents
42. Toys
43. Dresses - so cute!
44. The noise - things wouldn't be "right" if it weren't noisy
45. The quiet after the kids are asleep
46. How Avery gets so excited to see or hear an airplane outside
47. For the chaos - life is never boring
48. Having a reason to roll in the grass again
49. How Avery gets so excited to see a birdie...I had forgotten to appreciate all the little wonderful things around me!
50. How Cael gets so excited everytime he catches a fish - even seaweed fish :)
51. Squishy babies
52. A reason to always have goldfish crackers in my house
53. Playing at the park
54. Waking up each morning to a tiny voice saying "Mommy, I am ready for some breakfast"