Symbols of Love

It has been a dream of mine for years to be a mom. I was embarrassed to admit that dream when I was younger, but I really just wanted to get married and raise kids. That's why, on days when I get discouraged, Ron reminds me that I am "living my dream".

Part of that dream is my boys and Maddie too. They all show their love for me in different ways.

Ronnie is at the age where he doesn't feel he can say he loves me, but at night he will wisper "I love you", and turn my face to the side to kiss my cheek.

Maddie shows her love by those wonderful toothless grins she gives whenever we make eye contact.

Nathaniel and Eli - now they are a pair. They are close in so many ways.

Nathaniel began last year by picking dandylions for me. He would be so proud and would come in with an fist full of dandylions and tell me, "you can put these on the counter until they die". He has now graduated to clover. He loves to bring a fist full of clover to me and looks so proud when he hands it over. I kiss him and tell him that I love him and send him back outside for more adventures.

Well, now his little brother, Eli, has been watching these exchanges. So...he has begun to find his own Symbols. Eli began with sticks. He would walk around the yard and bring all the sticks he could find in as a gift for me. Then he graduated to pebbles. I had to put a stop to this and tell him that while I loved that he was bringing gift, the pebbles had to stay out in the driveway. Now today he has yet again graduated on to "better" gifts...grass. He came with a fist full and so proudly said, "momma, this is for you".

I love my kids. I love that my kids love me and I pray that they will always have a desire to give to others.