Time passes so quickly...

It's been over a month since my last journal entry. Time seems to pass faster and faster every day. And I feel like I'm left trying to savor each moment and grasp tightly to every memory, all while speeding into the future.

Brian turned 36 this week. It's been 20 years since our first date. That's amazing to me.

He's amazing to me.
God, please help me be the wife You want me to be.

Olivia will be four in ten days. Four. Years. Old. Today, for the first time, I almost couldn't lift her off the floor. That scares me to death. I'm not ready to think about her being too heavy for me to lift. I can't fathom it.
God, please help me focus on today and not worry about the future. Remind me that You will be there with me, in me, every second of every day.

Jacob is almost finished with third grade. I'm sure he would say it has been a good year, but he has continued to struggle so much with reading, and I've worried and wondered how to help him be more successful. He's such a good, kind-hearted child. I'm so torn... I want him to read well and I want school to come easy for him. But, I don't want to have unfair expectations or spend time worrying about a tiny part of a bigger plan.
God, guide me and Brian to help Jacob become a better reader. Help me to focus on what is really important and remind me to lay my worries at Your feet.

Things to remember...

Jacob had to guess my favorite things for a Mother's Day activity. He said my favorite restaurant was... Quackl Bell ... which is exactly how he pronounces Cracker Barrel. That "r" sound still evades him, bless his heart.

We decorated his room in an ocean theme. Even though it isn't finished, it's the closest thing he's had to a decorated room since his nursery. It's always been hodge-podge. He wanted a fire truck themed room, but Brian vetoed that. I guess you can have only handle so much firefighter stuff in your life before you reach your limit.

I'm still in awe of how much Jacob loves his baby sister. He blows bubbles in the tub with her, he talks to her, kisses her, hugs her, praises her few words- he utterly adores her.

Olivia's new hangout is the mudroom. She pulls everything within reach off of the pantry shelves and has even preceeded to eat a few snacks when we weren't looking. We'll "fuss" from the kitchen, "Olivia Paige, what are you doing!?" and she will turn and smile or point or giggle. Then we clean up the scattered pantry items off the floor.

One day at Target, I heard Olivia spell Y-O-U. I started looking around and finally realized that she was reading the letters on the handle of the buggy that read THANK YOU. But, she reads right to left. And, sitting in the buggy, the letters were upside down for her. I listened as she read it again... T-H-A-N-K Y-O-U. No "momma", but letters upside down- no problem.

Jacob spends every minute he can at the Lowe house. An almost-ten-year-old boy wants to play every day with twin six-year-old girls. He loves every minute. Funny kid.