Twelve Years, Twelve Things I've Learned

Twelve years ago today, two little sweethearts twinkled down from heaven and took over my heart and soul.

Seeing them for the first time was like coming face to face with my true purpose.  I was a happy person before they came along, but they brought a depth and measure to my life that I had not yet experienced.

I think it was a blessing in disguise that we had to wait five long years for them.  Those were the hardest years of my life.  The sadness and heartache of thinking that I might never be a mother was beyond difficult.  But there is something about waiting for the desire of your heart that makes you so overwhelmingly grateful.  I can honestly say that I still have not come down off the thrill of having Lincoln and Rachel.

They are my joys and I love them with everything in me.

To celebrate 12 years, I would like to share 12 things they have taught me:

1.  Babies are like chocolate cake, they don't last long.  Tiny toes and fuzzy heads are only temporary.  You have to savor and enjoy every tired moment.

2. God made two year olds everywhere adorably cute.  He did this to compensate their parents for things like tantrums, potty training rebellion and their tornado like capabilities.

3.  Three is a milestone. They are big enough to send off to preschool.  Remember that it is absolutely allowed to camp out in the parking lot and peek in windows for the first month or so.

4. Four is the information age.  They ask SO many questions and they memorize everything they see and hear.  If you happen to be a Toby Keith fan, try to edit out the phrases like,
"We'll put a boot in your _ _ _, it's the American way".  Otherwise, your four year old may sing this patriotic line at church.  This can be especially troublesome if your husband happens to be the Bishop...

5.  Kindergarten.  This can be very emotional for moms.  Holding hands as you walk through the doors of that great big school, trying to hide the tears that keep sneaking down your cheeks, wishing they weren't so excited to say goodbye to you.  If you get lucky, I mean really, really lucky, their teacher may be a Mrs. Richards Type.  That means she will greet you wearing a back-to-school jumper with the alphabet embroidered on it.  You will be able to tell from the first moment that she is absolutely amazing.

6.  Six is a year of fun.  They know how to ride a bike and swim well.  Reading chapter books opens up a whole new world that they can disappear into.  They are able to do chores independently and they can start piano lessons.

7.  A circle of close friends start to come into the picture around age seven.  Your house will often be full of the sound of kids playing.  They will do things like put on plays, organize carnivals and build lego masterpieces.  Some of these friendships may end up lasting a lifetime.

8.  Eight is great.  Baptism is one of the most sweet and precious experiences you get.  Heaven is close and angels are near.

9.  If you have not already done so by nine, this is a great age to give them a little sister. (a brother would work well too)  Watching the gentle way they nurture and care for the new little one will make your heart swell.  There is no other love quite like this kind.

10.  By age ten they are firmly set in the things they enjoy doing.  You will spend hours and hours and dollars and dollars on things like baseball and ballet.  The first time your son smacks one to win the game or your daughter twirls on pointe shoes, you will know that every single hour and every single dollar was well spent.

11.  They are growing up.  This is the year when you start to see the first little fruits of all the things you have tried to do.  All those years of scripture reading is starting to pay off when you realize that they know the scriptures and understand them.  This is also the year when they start to confide in you about the fact that boys (or girls) no longer have cooties and germs. You can have long talks about everything.  Some of these discussions will be about alcohol, drugs, language, modesty and sexual relationships.  It is exciting to see the people they are becoming.

12.  This is the age where the things I've learned turn into the things I don't know anything about. 

But isn't that part of raising kids?  We just do the best we can.  Sometimes we fall short, we make mistakes, we wish we could have a re-do now and then.  Our kids forgive us, we learn to celebrate the good things we've done and then we move on to whatever is next.  Life keeps going and getting sweeter with each passing year. 

And hey, by the time we have grandkids, we'll have it all figured out.

Happy Birthday to my Twins!

I love you.