You're never too old to need or miss your mom

I just realized that I haven't yet updated my thoughts and answer to Anna's big question of the week last week. I'm not going to do that in this post but eventually I promise I will. The longer I'm a mother, the more I'm amazed by my child and my love for her - where did it come from? I remember being terrified only a couple of days before she was born that I would not feel love for new little baby. How can one feel love for someone they've never met before? And yet, it came perfectly naturally and my heart was filled to the top and continues to overflow. As she grows and changes and adds more to the conversation that is our small family, I am blown away by what God wants to contribute to our lives through her. She is our "Grace Given back to God," but at the same time, she is God's grace and love daily expressed to us. It's simply amazing.

Speaking of, we had to smile on Sunday as Brian unraveled a mystery that he had pondered for a couple of weeks. He had heard Anna singing "Diggy, diggy, doggy sir" and had assumed it was one of the numerous songs she had learned at school (there are songs for EVERYTHING at school - lining up, snacktime, you name it!). However, when he heard her Sunday morning after church follow it with "angels bow before Him," we realized it was "What a Mighty God We Serve." HA. Smiles for the day. We continued unraveling musical mysteries that day, as we put together the fact that she had been singing Ho, Ho, Ho goes Santa Hee, Hee, Hee Hallelujah which was really supposed to be Ho, Ho, Ho, Hosana... go figure - she still firmly holds to her Santa lyric though and will not be corrected. I guess it goes to show how non-readers hear and memorize things.

Anyway, thinking of my own daughter leads me to thoughts of my mother and the special bond we share. I had no idea how much my mom loved me until I had a child. And while I could say it was because I realized how much work a child is and how only someone who loved a child could keep up with the constant care and challenge that is parenting, it's not really that. Rather, the love that overfills my heart for Anna with every smile, giggle, hug, and kiss is the same love that my mom feels in her heart for me. It's good to really "get" that and know that. Speaking of my mom, she's currently in MS with a group from her church doing some hurricane clean up work. You can swing by her church's website http://www.fbcshelburn.com/Ministries/ and read the group's journal (written by dear 'ole ma) and see pics, too. Thus far, three days of the trip are posted.