Thankful in November: These Three Boys of Mine

Today I am thankful for the three rowdy and irresistible boys that God has entrusted to Eric and I.  When I became pregnant with our first born, I lived in a fairy tale world where everything went according to plan.  People didn't have a hard time conceiving and they certainly didn't lose their babies.  As I have gotten older, I have grown-up, so to speak, and have become even more and more thankful for these little men.

Eric and I always marvel at how complexly different they are.  They are as different as the pictures below.  And yet, they complete our family somehow.  {Sam doesn't feel like our family is complete because just this afternoon he was begging for a baby sister.  He told me he has two brothers and really needs a sister now.  He told me he will name her Nabie.  Baby Nabie.  Now isn't that cute?}  OK, back to the post at hand....

Cade makes my heart proud.  He has the gift of seeing something that needs to be done and stepping up and getting it done.  Besides his amazing detail for remembrance, he is always very tender towards his brothers and classmates.  His math teacher even suspects that he sometimes lets the other kids win in the math competitions.  I simply couldn't ask for a kid to be more obedient or respectful.  We'll name the holly berries after him because he loves organization and for things to be in nice groups.

 Next we have Eli.  Eli brings me pure delight.  In a family that can be too hard on themselves, Eli brings in grace and laughter.  He is the splash of vibrant red and he isn't ashamed of his favor among people.  He also doesn't take advantage of people or become manipulative when people are drawn to him.  He is extremely creative and loves to write down stories and make up jokes.  We'll name the Japanese Maples after him because he always seems to be full of color and life.

 And finally we come to Sam.  He is the evidence that things can be done a different way.  He shouts yellow when everyone else says red.  He is content to play swords with crayola colored pencils for hours.  He will sit and fill up blank white pages with all sorts of creations...from robots to swing sets.  He reminds me that God doesn't always do things in the way that I would expect him to...and that good things come in the unexpected.  He isn't afraid to push the boundaries...he is asking for a baby sister when that is not the norm of this family.  I have a special place of tenderness for this child in my heart.

Thank you Lord for these boys.  I am overwhelmed at the responsibility of raising them to be Godly in such an ungodly culture.  Set their hearts apart for you and your glory.  I pray they would love you with all that is within their beings.