I am done with tax season. Wait, that deserves an exclamation point!!! (even three:))
I remember writing the post about my first day of tax season and that before I knew it I would be done. Now is that time.
It reminds me that time truly does fly.
Emma is almost four years old. I am filling out her application for preschool in the fall. It feels like I was just filling out her papers for her birth certificate and holding her as a newborn thinking: "I'm a mom! WOW! Now what?!" I was amazed that the hospital would just let me take this baby home. I didn't know how to be a mom, and yet, the Lord and my family have helped me figure it out along the way.
Greyson is 8 months old. I KNOW I was just holding him, preemie size, and barely able to believe he was healthy and in my arms. Now he's still in my arms, but has grown so much and is on his way to being mobile.
Jon is working, successfuly, in his new career. Weren't we just discussing what to do when he saw his last job was a dead end? Weren't we just clawing our way through his schooling? Here we are, past the hardest part (of that stage anyway:)) and thankful for his job.
And then there is me. I have been praying for conviction and the Lord has been gracious to answer that prayer. Daily I see things that I wouldn't normally notice in myself that need changed. I have started praying to be filled with the Holy Spirit as I often forget that doing so is a sure fire way to have more power in my life. A friend reminded me that I can take EVERY thought captive to Christ. How freeing! I don't 'have' to be chained down by the worst of me. Envy, comparing myself to others, selfishness, etc. I can choose to give my sinful thoughts to Christ before I entertain them and they grow into bigger sins. I have known this verse for a long time but the Lord has recently made it come alive in me. I am excited to become more like Christ as He continues to help me.
Our home is awesome. I thank the Lord for it daily. We enjoyed sitting on the front porch this evening after dinner. Emma was picking white puffy dandelions and blowing their fuzzy helicopters all over the yard. And then she'd run to the far end of the yard, passing tons of dandelions on the way, to find the perfect one to pick and run back to me and blow the fuzzies again. Greyson was on my lap and giggling everytime Emma would run. And he loved watching the fuzzies fly all around us. The big maple tree in our front yard is huge and the leaves are quickly providing shade as they blossom. Few cars pass by and Greyson loves that too. The air was cool but refreshing and I thought: "I remember dreaming of this when I was a kid" and now it's here. I feel blessed. I feel like this is the charmed life right now.
Don't get me wrong, our life isn't perfect. Greyson fusses and I get impatient with Emma who whines. Jon gets stressed about his job and I get cranky and selfish with my time and money. The dog eats grass clods and stinks up the house... etc. Bigger things plague us too. We need wisdom to make the right decisions for our family going forward and Jon and I pray for mercy and knowledge about how to raise our children to love the Lord and fulfill His plan for them. We want to continue to nurture our marriage and safeguard it from satan. We want to know when to buy the right vehicle. We desire God's wisdom to stretch our money and help us to know what to do with it. The list goes on...
But for tonight, sitting outside with my precious kids, watching the cars go by and the dandelions fuzzies fly, I could just appreciate that I have a charmed life.
