I Love

This evening I was putting Nicholas and Celia to bed and Celia was so tired. They are both fighting a cold and Nicholas' is almost all done but she is fighting a cough and runny nose. Well, she was so tired that I wanted her to be able to fall asleep quickly, so I had Nicholas come lay in our bed. Uncle Matthew, Jason and Uncle Russ were going to be playing Wii in the livingroom, so I was going to walk over to my parent's house and hang out with my sister Angy and my mom. So I told Nicholas that in a little while Daddy was going to help him go to his bed and I was going to be gone to talk with Grandma and Aunt Angy for a while. I always tell them that I will be gone otherwise if they wake up looking for me and I'm not there they will cry.
So I said "I'm going to go to Grandma's house for a little bit but I will kiss you when i come home"
Nicholas "No. Stay here Mommy. I Love you"
Me "Awwwwww"

. . . But I still went and he did great going to bed for Daddy. This was his first REAL 'I love you' with meaning on his own terms. Lately N&C have been saying, for example, in talking about a toy, "I LOVE that plane!". Everything is "I Love it" instead of "I like it". ha

So tonight at bedtime when we were reading their Children's bible I was telling them how much God loves them and how God wants us all to love each other. They both looked so excited to hear that. We were reading the story of when Jesus was born and I was telling them that Jesus is God (the best I could explain it to them right now) and that when God/Jesus was born that people knew he was special and that when we pray we are talking to that same Jesus. So then we prayed a super simple prayer together that basically went like this

Hi God and Jesus
I love you God. I am glad you love me. Thank you for everything. I'm glad that you love Nicholas, Celia, Aaron, Daddy, Mommy, Grandmas and Grandpas, Aunt Angy, Russ, Lauren, Sammy,.... (on and on - please don't feel left out if you're name isn't in there - We're So thankful for everyone).
Thank you for my warm bed. Thank you for Daddy working so hard for us. Thankyou for our 'nummies (food). Thank you for our toys. Thank you for 'Max and Ruby' (their favorite cartoon this week).
Please help us to get all better so our yucky noses and coughs can be gone. Please help Lauren and Sammy to feel all better too. Please help Sammy to sleep lots at night (that one was for you Angy!).
Thanks God. Goodnight. Amen.

And I do thank God for my husband, our beautiful children, family, friends, warm home, food, medicine, healthcare, Jason's 3 jobs, our health.... so much. My big problem is I worry it can all be taken away in an instant and I oftentimes think about how each moment could be our last. Perhaps its just too much cause it often leaves me worrying too much. Could this be the last time I say 'goodbye' to someone or how long can all this wonderfulness continue before something bad happens. I really wish Jason could not have to work 3 jobs so he could be home more and not so tired all the time, but in times like this its great that he can have 3 jobs and make ends meet. A lot of young families are struggling out there right now. And this will pass someday. But we have our health, our children whom I couldn't live without , each other, ... gosh, I could go on and on. When you really think about it, I think Thanksgiving is probably the most underrated holiday ever. So, hug those around you and think about all your blessings - even in tough times, there are probably a few in there.