There are many reasons why I love my boys, but nights like tonight when the laughs are gut wrenching and the excitement is at its greatest I engrave those reasons in the precious memory section of my heart.
It started as a normal evening...Mommy cooking diner. Joshua stealing french fries as fast as I can cook them. Matthew asking every 30 seconds when the meal will be ready because he is starving. Caleb holding on to every minute of play before the heart breaking call to come inside and Jacob claiming that he is never hungry unless swiss cake rolls are on the menu. The steak sandwiches were in the panini press and the fries were being taken up batch after batch and I realized we had NO ketchup. You can't have homemade fries without ketchup. Knowing that my nieces and nephew love ketchup as much as my children do, I knew they would come to our rescue. I left Matthew in charge of swapping over the french fries as I made my less than 5 minute journey in search of ketchup. On the way home I called and I heard Caleb's voice on the other end of the line. In his best "indian" accent voice he says, "Hallo" "Caleb, can you ask Matthew to take up the paninis and put two more on the grill." Continuing in the accent I love, he says, "What da matter? You do not think I can do dis? Do not doubt me lady, do not doubt me. Ok, done and two more on the grill." "Caleb, what is the status of Matthew's french fries?" "Fry, I see no fry. I see steam, lots of steam. What I need to do for you lady? Do not doubt me." "I'm around the corner so hold on. We need to finish frying those french fries, but I don't want you to get hurt." "Let me see here lady, I know what to do..." crackling, popping, whishing..."Caleb what was that?" "Lady, I have it all under control. Drop and run, drop and run. I just throw one in da oil and run away." At this point I am laughing hysterically at this accent and how hilarious my Caleb is. He can make me laugh like no one else can. As I open my front door and hope that behind the billows of smoke or steam as Caleb apparently calls it, I can find my way to the kitchen. I recognize Jacob sitting on the floor with his hands over his eyes yelling," my eyes, my eyes, the smoke, the smoke." Joshua begins to open doors and blow like the big bad wolf huffing and puffing the smoke from the house. I remove the pan ready to burst into flames while still holding 6 black and crispy french fries and in walks Matthew. Slowly. Calmly. "What's going on out here?" "Matthew, you left the grease on the stove and it was about to catch fire. You were suppose to watch the fries." "I did, but then after I took them up I wasn't sure what to do so I went to the back to rest. Mom, you really shouldn't leave an 11 year old boy with a brain tumor in charge of something that can catch fire. I'm just saying." The house did not burn down and we had the greatest night. The laughter filled the house as thick as the smoke. I love my children. The voices. The impressions. The dramatic covering of the eyes as they overreact. The lackadaisical attitude of my oldest son. Everything about them I love. As I think about how deeply I love them and how much I treasure spending time with them I am reminded even more how much my Heavenly Father loves me. I John 3:1 "How great is the love the Father as lavished on us that we should be called the sons of God and that is what we are." The love we have for our children pales in comparison to the love our Father has for us. It is so hard to imagine sometimes when I look into those faces and know how deeply I love them. But oh how much greater He loves me. Matthew 7:11 "If you then though you are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly father give goods gifts to those who ask him." Delight in Him. Embrace the time spent with your Father. He loves you. He rejoices over us with singing and he cherishes every moment we spend with Him. He is our Abba, Papa, Daddy, Father! He is our protector, our provider, our deliverer, our confidant, our wisdom, our comfort and everything else we need today or will ever need. Oh how He loves us!!
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