This morning in the wee hours as I lay awake, I thought about the day. (That's much more fun than worrying about the bills!) Christy and Bree had been in fine toddler form - live wires, whirlwinds, bancies spreading messes, chaos and laughing all the way. Their mom's were exhausted by early evening after chasing them all day.I thought about the time right after we got out of the Air- Force and were living in a 2 bedroom duplex in Boise. Jed was 4 and Jessi about 18 months. We had no job, borrowed furniture and I was early pregnant with the twins. One evening, we invited a college classmate of Gil's for dinner. He was single and had just finished dental school. It was a typical dinner with a goofy 4 yr old, a "do it myself" toddler and I'm sure spilled milk and food on the tablecloth. Towards the end of dinner, the friend turned to Gil and said "They're a lot of work" (meaning kids). Gil replied to the effect of: "yes, sometimes it's overwhelming, but until you have children of your own, you can't imagine the joy and happiness and satisfaction a family gives."
I can imagine up in the pre-existance Lucifer says." Oh boy, THIS IS GOING TO BE A LOT OF WORK! I can babysit all these souls so they grow up, but you'll have to give me all your power. It will be a lot of work, but in the end, they'll worship me because I have the power and I won't loose a single soul"
Then Heavenly Father says: "O Son, you can't comprehend the deep joy free
ly given love brings."Over the years, Gil and I have been frustrated, overwhelmed, upset and worried about our children. Always, always we have also felt great joy and love for them. Now that they are adults we have great joy still in them. They are so tender with their spouses and children. They are fun to be with. They are great parents and with the grand children our joy has grown.
I am not saying Gil and I experience Heavenly Father's greater joy, but I feel that we are just now beginning to understand the "joys" spoken about in the scriptures. And I was laughing at/with Bree and Christy as they ran pell-mell through the house!
photos: Jed and Jessi - 1979 Pond Street house
5 comments:
At this very moment Bree is dumping out all the crayons/markers that McKayla so carefully cleaned up yesterday!
Thanks for allowing us into your home so often, for feeding us, helping with the kids and then after all that, thanking us for coming over! You guys are amazing.
What fun to see little me in pictures! I was too cute to be much trouble, I'm sure! Love you!
So while Maria is visiting her Grandpa Fun in Utah I'm stuck with this name tag which reads "Mr. Mom" It is great fun & I'm glad to do it, but every word of this post resonates with me right now. Thanks Mom.
What a beautiful post. It's true that a smile or a tight hug around the neck by chubby arms at the end of the day can make you forget all of the little things that had added together to make such a frustrating day. They are so worth it.
And Jed and Jess were so cute!
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