A Miracle Has Happened

Honestly, I never thought I would live to see the day that Zion started out in a white shirt and kept it clean all day. I know what you're thinking, you want proof. Well, this is the best that I can do. It was taken after lunch but I assure you that it looked just as good after dinner and even after she colored before bed.

Her typical pose - once I get her to stop moving faster than my shutter can click.

And of course it lasts only a split second.

Then she decides to make a run for it and hide in the tent/house/school/haunted house/whatever the kids call it today when they take all my pillows and turn the corner between the couches into a play space.

And low and behold, I forgot, today the area is a store. Silly me. And one thing this little girl loves is a good shopping trip.

See her satisfied smile. She must have some hit a pretty good sale in there and she can't wait to get those things home and in the closet where she can tell her significant other "Oh those old things, I've had them forever."

Someone else was looking mighty fine today.

He got to try the Jumperoo for the first time today and seemed to like it a lot. We are three for three with using it for our kiddos. I really hope that he is the jumping maniac that I sense that he is. There's just something about a baby going crazy in a jumper that makes me smile.

Awww, sleeping baby. Can you think of anything sweeter? I can't. Especially him. My doesn't-appear-to-need-naps baby. Also, my kiddos have always been such light sleepers that I'm never able to get sleeping shots. Luckily today I needed him to wake up 'cause he was sleeping too late anyway so I got brave and clicked away.

Gabe woke up with the major sniffles today complete with that totally adorable stuffed up nose voice (am I the only one that secretly loves that voice?). So I had him stay with me at my Bible study instead of going to the nursery where he would get all the toys germy even if other kids didn't show up today. He played quietly on his DS until he saw the colored pencils. My budding artist then took a spot in the chair next to me and began to color an extra copy of a map of the territories of the twelve tribes of Israel. And bent over his map he stayed the entire meeting. At one point I felt a little bad as we discussed Rahab's occupation and wondered whether or not that was suitable for his little ears (occupation in name only, not details of course). Naturally he won't know what it is but that alone may lead him to ask questions. At that point I never came to a conclusion as to whether or not he should be there. At the end of our time we closed in prayer as always. One by one we took our turn until the final "amen" was spoken and we lifted our heads. At that point Gabe piped up and said he wanted to pray too. Smiles, heads lowered and hands folded again and his small voice starting "Heavenly Father..." and what he said doesn't really matter. The rest of his prayers I fought tears of joy and overwhelming love for this little guy so willing to bear his heart to one and all and who understands at such an early age that he can bring anything before his Father. It was then that I realized having him there to witness our discussion and prayers was a good thing and that separating the ages too much is detrimental to our children. One of the best ways for children to become the adults we want them to become is to have them around and observing the kind of adults that we want them to become.