"I love you too Mommy"

As a mother we all live waiting to hear these words out of our children's mouths. We grasp at the faint utterances that might have the hint of "mama" in them. A tiny gesture of our children showing their affection or need for us is what we live for. Now why else would we have gone thru pregnancy pains and childbirth tortures if it wasn't for those tiny hugs and sloppy kisses and "I love you too's".

Well my day finally came on Nov 11th,2008 just 3yrs and 14days after her birth. Yes I have heard it before from Joshua and Melody and even Madyson who is now 19mo, don't get me wrong I didn't take those for granted or mean any less, but Josslyn was one I wasn't sure I would hear it from. See, even as an infant she didn't like my touch while I nursed her, hard to fathom even harder to endure. She never liked hugs or kisses and her favorite word has always been NO!, even before she could speak, she would sign it. So every time we asked for hugs or kisses that's what we would get and big fat NO!

It wasn't until Madyson was born that she showed affection in her own way that is, but it was mostly towards her, we got some random hugs, never kisses,never "I love yous" but Mady must have made an impact on her because by her 9mo Josslyn was hugging her and kissing her gently.

I knew then my time would come, just not soon enough. By then she was mostly attached to dad, still is, he was and is the light of her life and her safety net, me I'm the one who takes her to Drs and therapies and gives her shots and meds, I'm the one she tells to "GO AWAY" when I walk in her room. But my day finally came...I remember it like it was a second ago and I'm sure I will remember it just like this for the rest of my life.

Like any other day, I woke up and got the kids ready for school and waiting for the bus as I am in the kitchen Josslyn comes around the corner and runs to hug me and I hug her back and she whispers in my ear "I love you too Mommy", right then and there I knew it was going to be a GREAT day. We hugged for what seemed like hours and I cried of joy.

Such simple phrase and it means soo much, I had not even told her I loved her yet..but she knew what I meant by that hug. Just 19mo ago she only had 4 words in her vocabulary and in such a short time she has made some major achievements we can not and will not ever take small steps for granted.

Christmas came early this year!

Christmas at Home

Well this has been on VERY interesting month, some of you know what I'm talking about..LOL

I have been super busy, ahh when am I not? Christmas was creeping up on me without hesitation and I was running low on time. But I did get what I needed in time to give my family our traditional Christmas. (sshhh still have some 3 Kings Day gifts to mail off. What am I waiting for...get your butt into gear)

We had my sil and her girls come over Christmas Eve and we enjoyed our Christmas Eve dinner, change into PJ's to drive around looking at lights, tuck kids in bed and finish playing elf till late that night. We woke up casually late for us after 7am and I started our Christmas Morning breakfast. Yummy Egg casseroles for kids and us and Eggnog French Toast, that is super yummy. Homemade Hot cocoa mix and after breakfast we opened gifts.

Needless to say kids were on cloud 9, as usual we try to keep it simple with items they need and want but will use and it all worked out. We have lounged and played for hours with them and watched movies, all in all a Good Christmas.

A very GOOD Christmas now that I put it in perspective because Mel is home. I often thought of the soldiers missing their families during the Holidays. I tried not to cry, but it's very close to my heart. My best friend and sister Agnes is out there serving while her kids are missing her back home. Her and many others we know personally are still out there. We just pray they come home safe and sound and SOON.

Now Bring on the New Year!!