30 Days of Being Thankful- Day 29

Well, I'm a day behind...again.  I ran out of time and by the time I realized I hadn't posted, it was already midnight and I was going to bed.  It was a good day, and the boys were in rare form.  The twins slept in until 9 am, and 2 of the 4 boys had wet sheets, so I had extra laundry to do yesterday.  I thought the twins wouldn't take a nap, because they slept in so late, but boy was I wrong! They took over an hour and a half long nap, which is pretty good for them during the week.  With all of the eating the day before and the great sleeping yesterday, I'm starting to think these 2 are about to have a growth spurt.  How much bigger can they get before they turn 3?  They already wear size 4T clothing!

 Before I went to pick the big boys up from school I got a phone call from the school nurse.  She said Gunnar had run into a pole on the playground and had a massive lump on his forehead.  Poor kid! She said he never cried, and they held an ice pack on it for 15 minutes, but the lump didn't go down.  Well, at least he'll have a great memory of it since today is school picture day!  The kids all played together in the backyard yesterday, which was pretty fun to see.  Usually, the big boys ride their bikes in the front and we let the twins play in the backyard, but they all ran around in the back together.  When the big boys decided they wanted to go ride their bikes and they left the twins, Parker came inside crying because he wanted his brothers to come back out and play.  It was pretty sweet to see, actually. 

So, what was I thankful for? My boys.  All of them. I love those affectionate little guys to pieces and would do anything for them.  They truly are my world at this stage in my life. Yes, it was sad that we didn't have any girls, but I've realized that there is only room for one big female personality in our home.  Essentially, there just wasn't any more room for a girl- especially if she would have been like me! I love the fact that I am the first love of my sons' lives.  I love that they all need me right now, and I love taking care of them.  I hope they listen to me when I give them dating advice, and that they find strong, independent, intelligent, spiritual women to marry someday.  So, to anyone reading this blog who has daughters, listen up! I am doing my best to raise my sons to be worthy of your daughters.  I am teaching them how to cook, clean, stay organized, be polite, and love the Lord.  And yes, I have explained to one son in particular that if he doesn't learn to respect me he may not respect his wife.  We're working on that one...but, the point is I'm raising my sons with the awareness that what I'm trying to teach them now will affect them the rest of their lives, including when they're married.  I think about my future daughters-in- law, and I pray for them and for their parents to raise them to the best of their ability so they will grow into the wonderful young women who will join my eternal family.  I may not have had any daughters of my own, but somewhere out there in the world are 4 little girls who will someday marry into my family, and I hope to be able to love them and treat them just as wonderfully as my mother-in-law treats me!

P.S. Welcome to our new reader in China!