Appreciating Special Times

The past week or so hasn't been quite as relaxing as I was hoping it would be but as I was thinking about the time that I have had off, I realized that even amidst the craziness, there are times to appreciate.

Olivia Grace had a very bad virus right before Christmas that lasted about 5 days. We ended up going to the doctor and getting a prescription for nausea to help her through Christmas. She is feeling much better now but she was a very sick little girl for those few days. I am sure all of you mothers can relate when I say - I hate it when my kids are sick!! Once they start feeling better after being as sick as OG was, it makes us moms really appreciate the time we have with our little ones.

Craig has been selling fireworks this Christmas in order to supplement our already pitiful income so he hasn't been home much to help out with the kids. To top that off, he now has a staph infection so I won't allow him out of our bedroom for fear that he might touch something. I definitely won't allow him to touch the children just for the sake of helping me out. When I talked to our pediatrician, he said not to treat Craig like he had the plague. Bless his little heart...we have treated him worse. We have treated him like a leper. When he does leave the room, I follow him around with the Clorox wipes wiping down everything he comes in contact with. Since I haven't had much help, I plan to be more appreciative of the help he gives me in the future.

As a mom, it is often easy to take for granted those little things that happen. Since Craig has been sick, the kids and I have moved into OG's room. I had to wake OG up from the couch in order to get her in the bed last night. It wasn't easy while holding Carter and trying not to wake him up. She was half asleep when we laid down and she immediately grabbed my hand under the pillow. Carter is a snuggler so when I rolled over his way in order to better hold OG's hand, he grabbed hold of my other finger. As I laid in the bed holding my children's hands, I found myself thanking the Lord over and over for allowing me that precious moment. My eyes filled with tears and I began to wonder how often things like that have happened before and I have taken them for granted. As crazy as it sounds, I never want to forget how I felt last night holding the hands of my precious babies. They will soon be married and have their own children to enjoy so I only have a short while to appreciate the gifts that God has given me - to appreciate them as they are now while they still want to hold my hand that is. I don't think I have ever felt as thankful as I did last night - and it was something so small. Now, I am determined to pay closer attention to the "small" special times that I usually take for granted!