Mommy's Family Night

Tonight was family night in honor of--me! I took the opportunity to get some acts of service for myself, one of my love languages. :) Actually, Jeff is great about acts of service--always willing to give the boys a bath, build a bookshelf, help me with the computer, or even help our "northern neighbors" with various projects! :)

Fairly recently, Jeff painted our old church pew and moved it into the kitchen, then the black bookshelves were added, and tonight it was time to do something to the wall. So Jeff moved a painting that was in the living room into the kitchen; and on either side, hung plates that had belonged to my great-grandmother, Grace Ellen McKee. She was the only great-grandparent that I ever knew, and I am named after her (my middle name is Grace). I love these old plates and thought they were much too special to simply sit in a cupboard. On another blog recently, I saw a picture of a woman's house with special, old plates hung to decorate the walls...and I thought, "Hey, I could do that!" Usually when I see things like that--whether it be on other blogs or in home magazines--I feel like it's too difficult, expensive, or doesn't fit my character. But this idea was a good one for me to grab, and I'm very happy with the results!

Other highlights of this day for me:

~ Josiah exclaiming as I was brushing his teeth, "I'm so happy you're my mother!"

~ Jeff sending me this quote today...

I love you not only for what you are

but for what I am when I am with you.

I love you not only for what you have

made of yourself but for what you are

making of me. I love you for the part

of me that you bring out.- Elizabeth Barrett Browning

~ having the following conversation with Josiah:

Josiah: I just wish we could all go to heaven NOW.

me: Yeah? What would you like to do when you get to heaven?

Josiah: Give God a great big bear hug!

~ sitting on the couch this evening reading to the boys by our cozy wood stove, while Jeff hung a different painting in the living room (since we took the one from the living room to put in the kitchen)

~ being silly with Josiah as I was putting him to bed--which involved pretending to fall asleep while I was singing his lullaby and him having to waken me, "rapping" a prayer to God (when I finished and got up to leave, Josiah said, "You forgot to pray!" I said, "I DID pray!" :) Then he wanted to do it, too. It's good to expand his concept of what prayer can be!), and also intentionally mixing up a little ritual we have...it goes like this...

When Josiah was going through the "no" toddler stage, we would turn the tables on him when he started saying "no" and would ask him, "Do you know how much I love you?" He would then say, "no," and we would get to say, "I love you THIS MUCH!" and stretch our arms as far to the sides as we could. Then we would say again, "I love you THIS MUCH!" and reach as high in the sky as we could. Once more we would say, "I love you THIS MUCH!" and wrap our arms around him and give him as big a hug as we could.

So tonight as I was leaving his room, I did that ritual with him; but when it was time to hug him, I hugged the wall, then said, "Oh, no, that doesn't feel like Josiah!" Then hugged the door and said the same thing, then the bedpost, then his teddy bear, acting more and more confused all the time. By the time I actually got around to hugging him, he was literally doubled over laughing. It's such fun to crack him up!