A Time for a Blessing

Yesterday morning Gabe and Will decided that 5 am was a great time to be awake and playing at full force. I am normally up at 5 but mommy is the only one who is allowed up at 5 because that is my "alone" time and the time I use to mentally & spiritually prepare for my day. I got Gabe and put him in my bed so the two would be separated and have more chance of maybe going back to sleep. When it was time to start the day I went upstairs and could hear Will crying at his door-it really sounded like a dog whimpering. I went in and asked him what was wrong. He said between sobs that he missed Gabe and wanted him to come back. I said, "you miss Gabe?" and he says to me, "yeah, I miss Gabe, he's my best friend". It was the sweetest thing and it made me so happy to hear.

It has been very important to Ben and I that our kids understand that God gives us our brothers and sisters for a reason. We have tried to instill early on that their siblings are their friends that God has given them and while it's great to have friends, those friends should never come before their siblings. We have been so blessed to watch this very relationship build between Noah and Owen. Almost from day one the bond between the two was evident. Noah just loved Owen right away to the point that each morning he would climb into Owen's crib just to be near him. As soon as Owen was able to recognize Noah it was obvious how much he looked up to him. They really are each other's best friend and it is so fun to watch them just play and make each other laugh, hear them talking till late in the night (yes, they are night owls like their parents) and sharing inside jokes. It is such a blessing to my heart to see the bond they have. I've prayed that Gabe & Will could have this same kind of relationship and when I didn't see them bond quickly the way I did with the older two I started to get nervous they wouldn't be as close. But apparently it just took them longer because I am starting to see the bond form and see how they share jokes, and play and interact and it's so, so fun!

I was in Rite Aid the other day with the younger 3 and the lady working there started talking to me. They were 5 in her family and she told me how her mother's rule about having friends over was that it was fine as long as that friend wasn't causing strife between the siblings. If they could all play and get along the friend could stay but as soon as it seemed a sibling was treating another sibling badly and the friend was becoming more important, then it was time for the friend to leave. I love that. I love that she was a mom who saw the importance of her kids having friends but not at the expense of ruining a sibling relationship. Don't get me wrong, they still fight and have arguments, they are kids after all and we're all just a bunch of sinful people living in one house together. But the arguments are resolved quickly and they end in forgiveness and lots of hugs! 

I receive so many blessings from my kids but one that I enjoy the most is the bond of friendship I am seeing them develop. Our prayer is that they always remain close. And a little part of me is praying God provides Jena with her own little sibling friend in the form of a female! :)