The First Post.

Gifts.

1. Warm sun shining in my windows on a January day.

2. Little braids on a sweet little girl.

3. Our garage door working again.

4. Humidifier to help little man's cough.

5. Closing my eyes for a small nap while little girl watches Veggie Tales.

6. Spoonfuls of honey out of the jar. (Beware: if you eat at my house I double dip in the honey jar quite frequently.)

7. The start of new friendships. Much needed friendships during these long winter months.

8. Footie Jammies.

9. Lip gloss.

10. Little man saying, "I yub you" over and over.

Little girls and little boys are different. Very different. Well, mine are at least.  I don't think I remember seeing Malia bleed before she was at least two and a half years old.  Micah, well I don't think I can remember going longer than a week with out Micah getting a bloody lip/nose/cut.  Micah wants to yell and climb and jump off things.  I am currently wondering what will happen first, Micah going to the ER with some horrible injury or me going to the ER from a heart attack.

Malia asks me everyday if we can go to the store and look at shoes.  Or purses.  She likes to wear four necklaces, some clip on earrings, a bracelet, her current favorite dress, and a skirt underneath.  Her nails are always painted pink.  Yesterday I gave in a let her try on some of my make-up she is always begging to put on.  She looked quite adorable.  However, I failed to think this through as three-year-olds cry a lot and the cute mascara was quickly not so cute streaks of black down her face.

I am so thankful for how God intentionally created each of my children.  I love both the endearing and shall we say "quirky" aspects of their personalities.  I pray as a parent I will always work to help them be who they were created to be and not burden or pressure them to be someone they aren't.  It has taken me a great many years to begin to gratefully accept who God made me to be.  I have spent too much time trying to be things I am not instead of investing in who I am: God's child created in his image.

Kelsey