A Good Night's Sleep

I slept well last night. All of the things that contribute to a good night's sleep were there: the bed was particularly soft and comfy, the temperature was just right, the covers stayed in exactly the right spot all night and I didn't have to get up even once to use the bathroom. All in all, a perfect night of rest.

Then came 5:45 am.

The motion sensor light in the hallway came on, indicating to me that Gracie was prowling about the house. I rolled over and ignored it, hoping that she would get the hint when she came sneaking into the bedroom and saw my back to the door. At 6:00 am my alarm went off, which was like the gunshot that starts a race in my house. Gracie's door immediately slammed open and she bolted around the corner to my room. Nathan followed at a close second with tales of a nightmare where a witch had taken all of his toys away (horror of horrors!), but that he was particularly upset that she took Ralph. Ralph is the stuffed dog that he has been sleeping with since Gracie was born. Mama and Daddy gave it to him in the hospital to help him adjust to the new baby.

So, there I am....grasping at the quickly diappearing remnants of sleep, but realizing that my love affair with my pillow and perfectly warmed bed was over (at least for another day). They both crawled into bed with me and I breathed in the scent of their hair and skin (and tried to avoid face to face contact....it was first thing in the morning, after all!). I realized how much my babies have grown over the past summer. Their warm, sturdy bodies pressed against both my sides caused me to say a silent prayer of thanksgiving that my children are healthy, happy and blessed with intelligence. Not to mention that they are the most beautiful children on the planet....

Thank you, Lord. Thank you for all the small moments that make me stop and give you thanks for all you have done for me and my family. You are awesome and I can never thank you enough.