This is sappy, but that's okay

At the end of the day many times I feel exhausted and spent. Tonight is not one of those nights. I want to remember the feeling I have right now. I wish I could freeze my kids and keep them exactly as they are now.

My son is still so sweet and loving and not afraid to tell me how much he loves me. He lets me hug and kiss him (for the most part) and he is so open and honest about his feelings. He still thinks I am great and wants to spend plenty of time with me.

My daughter has a couple of years until she is officially a teenager and yet I notice subtle shifts and changes occurring in her. She still wants to spend plenty of time with me and the family and she still values my opinion. Yet, I notice that she spends just a little more time alone these days. I can't really put my finger on specific changes and yet I sense that my girl is growing up.

Today flowed nicely around here and that doesn't always happen. We have a houseful of strong personalities and that can cause some major conflicts. This family of mine love each other with the intensity of a thousand suns and yet those intense feelings permeate our relationships. We love hard and our conflicts can be loud and purposeful. But in the end, we always come back to each other. This is our safe place. We can be ourselves here and we can rest assured we are loved. As mother, I will try and help my kids to become the best that they can be but in the end I love them for them and not because of anything they say or do.

My kids can wear me out, frustrate me, challenge me, scare me, push me and make me think I will lose my mind.  They can also make me feel like the most important and loved person in the world.  That is why I know in my heart that this is the best time of my life.