Firsts, Lasts, and Always...

As a scrapbooker, I have always celebrated firsts. First haircut, first bath, first smile. I have pictures, stories and pockets full of memories. They are all stuffed into books and overburden my bookcases in the living room. I remember the excitement of each first, they are easy to recognize, as my kids do things they never had done before. So easy to document, celebrate, and remember. 5 years ago I first held my little baby boy, Wyatt. and I will never forget those first moments of sweetness.

Last fall I attended Women of Faith in Denver, and I heard Karen Kingsbury read her new book, Let Me Hold You Longer.


When she was done, there wasn't a dry eye in that room filled of thousands of women... as we all missed our kids and grieved our yesterdays. I think the only book that made me cry more was "I'll Love You Forever."

So today is a last... the last time I'll have a 4 year old. Tomorrow is a first: first day of my "baby's" fifth year... but I'm not crying, because I choose not to dwell on yesterday OR tomorrow. I'm here, now, in the best time of my life. Sure, there are things to look forward to: life at the end of the budget, the feeling of a clean kitchen after all the hard cleaning is done, a time when we will leave suffering behind and spend eternity in the GLORY of the Father... But when it comes to my kids, today is the best day. I'm in no hurry. THIS is my favorite stage, and it always will be. In five years, when they are *gasp* 16, 15, 11 and 10... I will still say the same. " THIS is the best it's ever been, and I love where we are right now."

I am so thankful for my kids, and for their sweet bed time prayers tonight. At no prompting of my own, they each thanked God for giving them 5 years of Wyatt's life. And Wyatt thanked God for all the great mail he's been getting. (thank you friends for flooding our mailbox and making his birthday wish come true!) Yes, this is a great day, and so will be tomorrow when we look through his baby book and remember his firsts, his lasts, and then we will celebrate the day. And he will get more mail and say something funny, I'm sure. And he will even love this 'Mater' cake the kids helped me make tonight.