i'm learning....

SO, this is what I'm learning.  

When you see a picture of someone's family, it's easy to forget that that beautiful, matching, smiling clump are made up of individual people.   And people are messy.  Especially little people.

Because they are happy one day, or one moment for that matter, does NOT mean they will be happy another.  

They will thrill the deepest pangs of your heart and a moment later, try your patience beyond it's without-Jesus limits.

The number of messes to clean up per day are LIMITLESS.  Unending sticky smudginess.  I am cleaning up messes in my nightmares.

When they are grinning, it's impossible not too...and it's ALMOST impossible not to cry when they are crying and not to whine when they are whining.

Whining.  OH, the torture.

There is NOTHING to do about EXTREME painful shyness.  I do NOT KNOW what to do to help Lily.

I love my girls.  I love other people's girls.  But raising them up in the way they should go, void from serious harm and with joy in their little hearts...oh my, there is no harder job I have faced! 

No job that keeps me up thinking more, no job that I spend more time fretting, no job that I am more grateful for.