"Children are a blessing."
I have a necklace with this phrase engraved on it, because I believe it. I truly, truly do believe that children are a blessing... even when it's hard, I believe it.
Saturday is usually my day to tackle whatever I can't manage to accomplish during the week, so this past weekend, my to-do list was long. However, my sister needed help getting her kitchen back in order as they near the much-anticipated end of a kitchen remodel. Blossom1 and Blossom2 stayed home to muck out pens, which is their normal Saturday morning chore. Daddy was changing brakes on the truck. The little girlies and I took off to help my sister. Blossom3 and Blossom4 were very "helpful" in playing with their cousin and spreading popcorn all over their living room.
It's always fun to work with family... to fellowship, to joke, to tease, to work. Many hands make work light... and more enjoyable. We got 'er done; getting my sister's kitchen much closer to livable while the last few remodeling tasks are finished. Yay for food in the pantry and pans in the cupboard beside a sink with hot running water!
Late in the afternoon I headed home with my tired little girlies. I knew that technically I was "behind," but it's rarely convenient to help someone, as my dad says. I just took a deep breath and said to myself, "I'll just go to it when I get home. I'll do the best I can and not worry about the rest." That's me pep-talking myself and my attitude. There's nothing stinkier than a mama attitude gone awry and everybody usually knows about it when it does.
Two big Blossoms excitedly met me in the garage.
"C'mon upstairs, Mama!" Upstairs I trudged, with my dusty hair and achy feet.
My first glimpse was of tidy desks. Then, a clean schoolroom. I peeked into my bedroom to see all the clothes folded and mine delivered to my bed. Another peek into their bedrooms, revealed neat beds and clean floors. Blossom1 and Blossom2 triumphantly whipped open the doors to their closet to reveal a freshly organized closet.
GASP.
I walked into the kitchen to find that sparkling clean and all the clean clothes (all four loads!) gone from the love seat.
And I just hugged them and said, "WOW. Thanks. You really blessed me!!! WOW. THANK YOU SO MUCH. WOW, WOW, WOW."
All above photography credited to NaomiElle Photography
I hugged them again and again. Later, I wrote a note on the board about how I have the best daughters in the world and that I'm so thankful God decided I could be their mama.
It took a long time to get here, friends. I'm not bragging on myself, our daughters or our parenting. But I think this is one of the ways that children are a blessing.
Thanks for celebrating this blessing with me. I'm just so grateful.
Dominique
