My life's blessings

My incredibly busy life never ceases to amaze me. I woke up this morning with the plan of laying out and getting some small stuff done around the house. When my sister sent me a text at 7:15 my plans suddenly changed. Two hours later I had a gift on my doorstep...2 little girls and their big brother. It was gearing up to be an interesting day to say the least! Ava, she's 3, had somehow found an old milk cup (don't ask) and finished it off. This of course resulting in puking all over herself in the car on the way to my house. She was promptly stripped and put in her bathing suit while her clothes went in the wash. Alexa, she's 2, was in rare form. She started talking to me the minute she walked in the door. This is the child who said "octopuss" on her first birthday. You can imagine how profound her vocabulary is now! We talked about her Dora book, her shoes, Ava puking in the car, the cats, and swimming...all within the first 5 minutes!

Their big brother Ryen has got to be the BEST big brother I know. He's so patient with them and doesn't mind helping with them at all. He will watch Dora, play with Barbies, kiss their boo-boo's, and he even takes them to the bathroom! I would watch him out of the corner of my eye and he would be giving one a kiss or talking to them and telling them he loves them. While he can be a typical boy and a complete pain in the butt, his true nature is loving and gentle. I love this about him and it makes my heart melt every time. Ryen wasn't the only boy at the house today. We added Aiden to the mix and that was one more blessing. The girls absolutely love him and Ryen will talk to him and play with him. He was only with us for a bit, but we all enjoyed it!

Tonight Brian's oldest neice, Emma, came to spend the night. I haven't seen her in a month because she's been on vacation and I really missed her. She is 14 and so much like Brian. Emma is such a sweet kid and she and Brian have such a connection. One night, before I had moved in and we had another bed upstairs, she stayed the night with Brian. For whatever reason she decided she didn't want to sleep on the couch so Brian told her she could sleep with him. She chose to make a pallet on the floor...next to his bed. He couldn't understand why she did this. I had to explain to him that while she wanted to be close to him for security, sleeping in the same bed as him was probably "gross" to her. This was so hard for him. "She slept with me all the time when she was little." I really think his heart broke a little that night. He realized she wasn't a little girl anymore. That has been a hard reality for him to grasp. I can't imagine how he's going to feel when she starts dating!

The house is quiet now. The little ones have gone home and Brian and Emma are fast asleep. My body and mind are exhausted, but my heart is the fullest it's ever been. I have a wonderful fiance who I love more than anything, beautiful neices and nephews who love us, a beautiful home, an amazing mother and in-laws, and so many exciting things to look forward to. When I go to bed tonight I have to remember to thank God for my life's blessings.