Feeling blessed

I know that's a phrase that people like to throw around a lot these days, but it's truly how I am feeling lately.  I don't know if it's because Carrie just turned five or what, but I've been spending a lot of time lately thinking about the family that Jerry and I have created, and just how perfect it really is.  Goodness knows I wasn't planning on having a third baby, but I cannot fathom life without my little boy.  God knew I needed to have Jacob in my life, and I am so very thankful for that.  That's not to say it hasn't be hard, because it has.  VERY hard!  There were a lot of days immediately following when he was born and while I was on maternity leave that I felt so utterly overwhelmed I didn't know which end was up.  There are still days of course that I feel like that (seems to be when Jerry travels!), but for whatever reason (and I do think it has a lot to do with Carrie turning five - I don't know why but that just seems like such a big milestone) I've been trying to be better about slowing down and not being so worried about having all the laundry done or the house just so and just enjoying my kids at this age.  This is HUGE for me.  I'm sure when Jerry reads this he'll be thinking "Really?  You feel that way?  Cause I'm pretty sure you stayed up too late the other night folding clothes/washing bottles/picking up tiny pieces of toys scattered about/fill in the blank." 

I am finally realizing that they aren't going to be little forever.  One day they will pack up and move away to go to college, and the days of them depending completely on me and Jerry will be over.   Jerry and I always joke about what we'd be doing if we didn't have three little ones to take care of.  The running joke right now is that instead of getting a trip to Italy for our 10 year anniversary this year, we got Jacob :)  And while I'd obviously love to go spend a couple of weeks drowning myself in Italian wine, I'm good with what will hopefully be a nice dinner out and coming home to the munchkins.  Besides, Carrie keeps begging us to take her to Paris, so who knows? ;)  That would be quite appropriate for our 10 year celebration since that's where we had our first date....but somehow I don't think taking a 5 year old, a 3 year old, and an almost 1 year old to France sounds relaxing. 

I don't think it was luck that brought Jerry and I together and resulted in this amazing group of people that is our family.  Someone had a hand in getting us together so we could go through life together and bring into the world one very precocious girl, one very high spirited girl and one very happy little boy.  I thank God every day that this is my life.  Now, if someone could remind me of this when I next start to flip out a little when Jerry's traveling or the pile of laundry rivals Mt. Everest, that would be great :)

The entire family and godparents at Jacob & Isla's Baptism, 4/29/12

Carrie, Ashton, & Anna