And Again, Grace...

Somehow, we're not sure how, Eli had the day off yesterday.  On a Monday.  Clearly, it was God's grace to us.  We spent the day napping when we could and eating frozen cookie dough because, let's be honest, that's how we rejuvenate :)

Then we went out for dinner...at the food court at the mall.  Because we're that classy.  But honestly, where else can you get gyros and wantons and breadsticks with marinara sauce all in one place?

We also stopped at the bookstore and I found a book about planes for Caleb.  He would NOT let it go.  As we walked through the mall, our little boy walked with his nose in a book, literally.  He was focused, mesmerized, walking into people he was oblivious to.  It was awesome :)

He read the book in the car, then again and again and again at home.  What a successful purchase!

Until this morning when he remembered the plane book but couldn't find it.  I had just put Kai down for a nap and was attempting to take 3 minutes to myself to use the bathroom and brush my teeth (silly me to think I could take a few minutes to myself) when Caleb came in saying "Ana?  Ana?  Ana?"  I told him his airplane book was upstairs and he ran off while I proceeded brushing my teeth.  I heard him go upstairs but apparently he couldn't find the book because soon I heard him crying in a panic.  "Ana!  Ana??  ANA!!!????"  And I heard him go into the front bedroom where Kai was trying to fall asleep and tromp around looking in a wild panic for his new book.  So much for letting the baby sleep in heavenly peace.  (By the way, if Jesus ever slept in heavenly peace, as the song suggests, I'm convinced it was only because He didn't have any other siblings at the time.)  So I spit out my toothpaste prematurely and went to the stairs where Caleb was then standing at the top shouting down to me.  "Mama!!!  Ana!!!"  I ran up the stairs, shut the door where Kai was no longer falling asleep and gave a two-second, useless lecture to my toddler about volume.  Then I showed him where the airplane book was, and he sighed and giggled in the same breath and sat down to read it immediately.

It is by God's grace that I have a son whose panic attacks are because he can't find his favorite book.  It is by God's grace that I have a baby who can eventually fall asleep despite his brother's insane noise in the adjacent room.  It is by God's grace that I have these boys to love and cherish and nurse and give useless lectures about volume to.

And it is by God's grace that I have their dad, who comes home to us even if it's after we're all in bed.  Who kisses our sons on the head and prays over them long after they've fallen asleep.  Who loves and appreciates me for taking care of our boys while he's working long hours every day.  Who also knows that God's grace is sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9).

So here's to 8 years of loving and learning and living in God's abundant grace!