When You Stick With It (In Marriage)

Inevitably, every young new mother who flusters her way through church or the store, will run into some sweet Grandma who lovingly states "Oh, appreciate them when they're young...they grow up so fast".  I heard this so many times that I thought Ya Ya, come over and nurse a baby all night and then tell me how lovely it is.  Not that I didn't enjoy nursing my kid, I was just so tired.  So in transition...


But I've turned a corner. We get these little babies, and their spirits are big and bright enough to fill the measure of a grown man.  I imagine their spirits like a package of giant, oversized, sweet, puffy and soft marshmallows.  So you have that package of marshmallows bigger than your head right?  And you cram and squish and cram it inside a small little box of cracker jacks.  That's the spirit meeting the body and coming to earth.  So even though you can pick up that little box of Cracker Jacks, it's got enough calories to fill space and time.

I love to hold my babies up high, around my heart, and contain that sweetness from heaven.  It's so MINE, at least for the moment.


You can't tell by this picture, but he loves it too.


When you're just starting out, sometimes it's easy to lose the perspective of heaven, of time as a fleeting thing. You lose your looks, your waist (well at least SOME people do), your hobbies, your time, and you can get caught wondering if it makes a difference.

I wonder if the people on the left ever wondered these things?


But the fact that they loved me, held my marshmallow spirit close to their heart, fixed me dinner and told me stories and let me jump on the couch and made me a prom dress...well that's how I reason my own mutts will give me a good payoff in years to come.

Can you believe that my parents have been married FIFTY YEARS this year?  Their getting older, coupled with pubescent strained outbursts in my house, have made me sweetly aware of my time.  Not enough to get me to stop playing Words with Friends, but enough that I kiss on my kids every stinkin' day.

We had a reception for my parents this summer.  We had family come from as far as New Mexico!

Clay's family doing a skit re-enacting my dad running Ricks College B-Ball Camps.  Long story, but a classic!

I sang a song to my folks and cried like a stinkin' baby.  Annoying.

This is my family right now.  Good night!