Sweet Moments...

Yesterday, my Dad came and picked up

my brother's three children to spend

a special weekend with Papa and Nana.

So as of about 1:30 yesterday afternoon,

it's been "just us".

And it has been oh, so sweet.

I have been savoring this blessed time that I've been given

to re-connect with my two boys.

I really feel like in all the hustle and bustle

of the recent changes in our home,

(though I know with out a shadow of doubt that He is in this)

that my boys have kind of gotten a little lost in the shuffle...

and that's the last thing on earth that I want.

So....

last night, after a fun day doing silly little things together,

as I was tucking the boys into bed,

Malachi, my three year old, says,

"Mommy, let's all snuggle in my bed together."

What a great idea.

So the three of us (Daddy was out looking at a truck)

pile into his bed (the lower half of a bunk bed),

*smile*

and in the soft glow of their favorite snowman night-light,

we snuggle. and talk.

We chat about what the tooth fairy might look like -

(Cade recently lost his first two teeth, hence the interest),

and we talk about the fun things we had planned for today-

a trip to the library, making pinecone birdfeeders,

and anything else that popped into their little minds.

We decided that the tooth fairy has gauzy gray wings

with shimmery pink swirls,

she had medium length, curly, green hair

and beautiful sparkly blue shoes.

*smile*

We lay there together in the soft light,

snuggled under layers of blankets,

and we said our nigh-night prayers and then

we just kept talking and sharing our hearts

until Malachi's started to drift off to Dreamland.

It's THESE moments that I sorely miss.

THESE tender moments that I long for.

This connection.

This sharing of hearts.

This T*I*M*E.

I find myself so very, very grateful for the gift of a

respite weekend that my parents have given us.

It was much-needed.

So, off I go to spend the rest of my day with my boys.

We're going to ambush the library -

*smile*

(only kidding, my kids are very good a the library)

and then I hope to make some pinecone bird feeders!

But first I must purchase more birdseed.

Here we go!!!!!