Honey if you love me...

This past week, I was researching games for work and came across several that I had totally forgotten about. One of those was "Honey if you love me." This is the game where you sit in a circle and the person who is "it" goes up to one of the others and says, "Honey if you love me would you please, please smile." The other person has to reply "Honey I love you but I just can't smile" without cracking even the slightest of grins.

On the way home from soccer tonight, I explained it to the girls and they played it with each other in the backseat. After @10 tries each, Hope was finally able to say it without smiling, but couldn't do it a second time. Tons of giggles carried us home. There is something about hearing your children laugh together that makes you forget about how hard the day was or the frustrations you're facing.

I don't often just live in the moment, but when I hear them giggle--or better yet--am giggling along with them, everything else just fades. I am engrossed in that place in time and all else fades away.

Hugging in the hall

Brian leaves in the morning for Wyoming. He'll be gone for @ a week---UGH! After putting the kids to bed, we had a spontaneous hug in the hallway. Hope decided she needed something (I can't remember what it was--it's different every night) and got the biggest grin on her face when she saw us standing there with our arms around each other.

She and Caroline love when they catch us kissing or hugging or holding hands and I have to confess--it's not often enough. Their eyes light up and they ask us why we don't "long kiss" in front of them.

While I am so glad they like to "catch" us, I pray that this is as normal to them as buckling our seatbelts when we get in the car or washing our hair every day. And, I am praying, even now, that they are one day "caught" by their kids hugging in the hall.

Nikuze Grace

Over the last year, God has been softening my heart toward the country of Rwanda. We decided as a family to sponsor a child from Compassion International. The four of us sat around the computer and looked at the little girls available in Rwanda--where our friends Paulo and Rose were born. We chose a little girl named Nikuze Grace (or Nikki Grace, as she's been dubbed in our house). She is 5 and is in kindergarten. What a different world she lives in than my Caroline Grace!

Darlene Zschech said "We have been filled up so that we can be poured out." How true! He does not bless us so that we can sit on our blessings; He blesses us so that we can bless others. It was fun to see Caroline draw a picture of her and Nikki Grace. And Hope wants to tell her about Jesus. They, at age 5 and 7, already understand this idea of "pouring out."

As a parent, I struggle so often with how to teach my girls about blessings when they are surrounded by the money and glamour in our world. I think Nikki Grace is God's way of providing that for our family. So, while our heart in sponsoring her is to share some of our blessings with her, I believe her life will bless us even more.

Welcome to the Royal family, Nikki Grace. God is already using your life in a big way!

I did it!

Okay--so I finally did it! After talking about starting a blog for years, I have finally made the plunge. Not sure what I will write on here, but was inspired by a friend of mine to leave some lasting memories for my daughters.

I have asked myself over and over what I hope to achieve by writing a blog. I'm still not sure, but I'm tired of letting that hold me back. I don't expect to inspire anybody or post valuable info, but I do plan to be authentic--you know--like the difference between "The Girlfriend's Guide" and "What to Expect." I'm the girlfriend who will tell it like it is. Oh--and hopefully not embarrass my family too much by doing it.