Time, please just pause for a little bit....

There are many things that keep reminding me lately that time is just rolling on.  Things that remind me how quickly things change and go from one season of life to the next.

I am reminded of these things when I am talking to my girlfriends and our conversations center on how we keep getting in ruts over what to make for dinner, the best way to discipline our kids, new recipes to try, breastfeeding, how our clothes don't fit exactly the same since having a couple of babies, how we still keep getting on those treadmills and trying our best in spite of it, our husbands, preschool and kindergarten and the list could go on and on.  This is the season of life we are in.  I once was in a season where conversations centered on grades, tests, friday night football games, friends and boys.  I liked that season, but to tell you the truth, I love the season I am in now way more. 

I am reminded of it when our Friday nights involve our family of four going out to dinner together and arriving somewhere in the early 5:00 hour because we have to be done before kids get too tired and start melting down.  And, then when we come home and the girls are in bed, Troy and I curl up on the couch together and look for something on t.v. and will often choose something like 20/20 or Dateline (yep, that's right).  And, every time I am so happy because I am with the person I love the most on the planet and we are so happy just to be.  We don't feel the need to be out painting the town red every Friday night (not that we could right now anyway).  We are more than content in our house on a Friday night with each other.  I love this season.

I am reminded of it when I see pictures of Justin Bieber and all I can think is, "What is up with his hair?"  It makes me feel old because I know there are preteen girls all over America who are convinced that they will marry Justin Bieber someday and scream every time one of his songs comes on the radio (I could not even name you one of the songs he sings).  I am not in that season....but I remember when I was.  That season for me was the New Kids on the Block and there was a time when I thought I just might marry Joey McIntyre someday.  But, times change....life keeps moving and brings you to a new season.  And, I must say again how much I love the one I am in now.  (For those of you who are way into another season of life and have no idea who Justin Bieber is.......he is a very popular teen singing sensation who has moppy hair that hangs in his face).

I am very much reminded of it when my 3 1/2 year old comes home from preschool with things like this:

I have a child who is starting to trace letters and learning how to spell cat.  It blows my mind sometimes because I can remember not very long ago when I was dreaming about who my husband would be and dreaming about having babies and a house.  And, here it is.   I am living it......I am in the season of seeing with my eyes how God orchestrated everything and is surpassing all my dreams.  And, I know years from now I will be in different seasons and they will be so good for lots of different reasons.  But, for today, I am loving this season of life.  And, the other day when Kyla and I were outside together I was thinking how much I would just love to hit a pause button if I could. 

Ashlyn was already down for her afternoon nap and it was beautiful outside so Kyla and I went out for a little bit.  We were kicking a ball back and forth and then moved on to looking at leaves and finding rocks.  It was just me and her and it was so simple.  It was 1:00 on a Monday afternoon and Kyla was home with me.....I know it won't always be this way.  Right now she is full of innocence and the littlest things excite her.  Life hasn't gotten too hard yet....she hasn't been hurt yet.  It was just me and her in this happy, simple place....

 Kyla showing me the stick she found...she was using it to rake up leaves

 Just me and my girl....enjoying the warm sunshine in November.  Pause button, please?

 Hand in hand....loving every second

I am absolutely thankful for each season I have had in my life to this point.  I am thankful for all of the ones to come.  There is just something about this current one that I wish I could slow down a little bit.  When you have young kids people always tell you to really enjoy it because it goes by so fast.  And, the thing is, you don't have to convince me of that.  I know it....I feel it already.  It goes by fast.  And in the blink of an eye this 3 1/2 year old playing pretend in the driver's seat of our car, will be a sixteen year old with her drivers license:

And, because God is so good, I know the days ahead are good, no matter the challenges that will surely be ahead.  I am just soaking up this particular season.....me and Troy loving each other and having a blast raising these two babies of ours.  These are such sweet days....I know I can't pause them so I am going to try to feel them and embrace them the best I can while they are here.  Loving this moment.