Lately, I’ve been hitting the pillow so hard at night that I literally don’t think I even move a muscle the entire night. Sawyer was going through a phase a couple of weeks ago after we moved where he would wake up about six times every night crying. Our sleep reverted a little bit back to when we had a newborn. But lately, he’s been sleeping through, thank goodness. . . and James and I are out like a light. His alarm doesn’t even wake me up. I am out COLD.

Maybe it’s because we never stop. These three little ones of ours keep us on our toes and going nonstop. While we wouldn’t trade it for anything, we do often reach our limit. I announce that I need a vacation to James. James announces that going to Brayden’s baseball game and having to keep an eye on our other two kids while watching the game at the same time is a lot to handle. At this time of the year, I have evening sessions many times a week, so we are tag teaming daily.

Amidst all the busy, we are trying to still be intentional with them too. I have to remind myself to sing Sawyer songs and teach him things like body parts and animal sounds and words. With your first child, you just do it because that’s all you have to worry about. With child number three, it’s not so easy. We also have to try to make time for Brayden to memorize all of his AWANA Bible verses. There are only a couple of weeks left, and he’s so close to finishing his third book. The verses are long and hard, and it’s been a struggle since he has about twelve of them left.  Verses like “After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.” And “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” And “But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”  And that’s just a few of them. Have there been tears? Many. Tears because he didn’t want to learn them? No.  They were tears that he didn’t think he’d be able to memorize all of the rest of them before the end of the year. But we practiced and practiced, and this morning he said every single one of them by himself.  He’s such an amazing kid.

Carter’s journey with AWANA this year has been interesting. The boy has an immaculate memory. We listened to the CD a few times in the car, and I think he memorized his whole book of verses just by that. He only does one verse per week though, compared to Brayden’s many. So, you can imagine it’s been a lot more tolling on Brayden. But James and I have memorized many in the process, so it’s been good for everyone!

I’m so glad I have lots of pictures to share with you in today’s blog post. Some of you comment to me how you love the posts with lots of pictures, so today is your lucky day. Happy May, everyone!