Ready or Not

WOW - Three weeks until our baby girl is due to make her world debut! I haven't felt so unprepared for any of our kids as this one. Not because I haven't had to enter the land of all things pink and lacy before :), but because I feel like there is so much left to do before she comes.

The house is full of half-finished projects - painting, washing, wallpaper, you name it. We have appliances waiting to be installed, so there's more clutter than usual. The everyday (and thankfully, not so everyday) messes to be cleaned when you have two extremely active sons. Closets to be organized...the list goes on.

But in the midst of it, I am keenly aware of my two boys and the precious time that I have to be with them. Our family is about to change. A good change, a blessed change, a joyful change, but a change nonetheless. The reality is that there will be adjustments and mommy is going to have less time for a while to be one-on-one with each of them.

I am striving to find a balance between all the things that I want done before we enter babyhood once again and making sure that Caleb and Samuel are having opportunities to have fun with mommy, to be kids. That we are making memories and that I am building strong relationships with them. It puts a whole new perspective on wants and needs for me.

The boys during a recent, spontaneous

picnic lunch at a local park.

In the end, I'm finding the real needs to be a whole lot more fulfilling. The beaming smiles after catching a crayfish, the loud whoops of sword fighting in the yard, the word of thanks for making a favorite treat, the sweet snuggle as they sit with me to read. There will always be things waiting to be done around our house, but I'll never be able to regain these moments when my children need me the most. I don't want to stand before my Father's throne one day and have to explain why cleaning was more important than attending to my child.

I'll pray to be a better steward of my time. Perhaps I need to set myself on a task schedule or something like that. BUT, I am not willing to let the clutter of all that needs to be done invade my time and joy as I train and enjoy these special gifts from God.

So go ahead and keep swinging in the wind for now, Mr. Cobweb...I'm going outside to blow bubbles! And baby girl, we eagerly await your arrival whenever that blessed time will be!