I Hope I Never Forget...

...how little things are big things right now.  Like dirt and bubbles and bulldozers and firetrucks and bugs and rocks.

~

...how little prayers are so tender.  Eli's always mentions gratitude for things like "a Christ," "the Gospel," and "the temple."  Alden is often grateful for things we've talked about somewhere along the way like having three meals a day and a warm bed to sleep in.  And of course Gracen's little echo prayers always warm me up from the inside out.

~

...Alden's excitement over everything out of the ordinary.  There are a lot of "best day ever"s around here.

~

...the way Gracen personifies everything.  Tonight she asked me if I wanted to play spoons.  "You be the mommy spoon and I'll be the baby spoon!"

~

...how every single day Gracen asks me to play Littlest Pet Shop and Eli asks me to play cars.

~

...how when Alden watches an action movie, he burns more energy than I do in front of a workout video.  He bounces all over the living room and is so animated!

~

...the way Gracen and I talk while I rock her right before bed.

~

...how Eli and Alden and I talk while I lie in the bottom bunk right after bedtime.  I love that they always want to hear stories about when they were little or when I was little.  It's a fun way to share family history.  They also like scripture stories that have a little action to them. :)

~

...that all three kids are at this point motivated by the reward of a little sticker star.

~

...Eli's collection he keeps in a yellow bucket by the back door.  The kid physically cannot pass up a half interesting rock, anything metal or plastic, shells, shiny papers, broken toys, etc. without sticking it in his pocket.

~

...Gracen's never ending excitement over dance class.

~

...that they are so eager for family night - eager to be "in charge" of something (song, activity, treat, etc.), eager for activity, eager for treat, etc.  It makes family night awesome.

~

...how they struggle with the concept of time yet try to count down to every exciting event for weeks.

~

...how Eli is always the peacemaker - willing to share everything.

Sometimes having little ones is a tough job. Sometimes it is so hard to remember that all this won't last forever.  Tonight I'm grateful for it all.