
I bought this book and finished it in a few days...Sparkly Green Earrings by Melanie Shankle...( visit her blog at Big Mama Blog) I love a good book in my hands (no, I just can't bring myself to buy a Kindle) I like the smell of a book, the sound of pages turning and just having a book in my hands, maybe someday that will change, maybe, but I don't think so. This book made me laugh, it made me cry at times just thinking of how fast life goes by, but it made me stop and remember to make sure that I soak in all the little memories of my children. Here are a few lines that I loved from the book.
"Real motherhood is different. It's better and it's messier and it's more complicated. It will break your heart and make you laugh harder than you have ever imagined."
"I look back on those days and think that's exactly what people mean when they tell you the days are long but the years are short. Those were the days I would look at the clock and couldn't believe it was only eleven in the morning. Those were the days I 'd count down the minutes until bedtime. But those were also the days that seemed to be gone in the blink of an eye"
"Sometimes I regret that I didn't enjoy them more in the moment, but isn't that the way motherhood goes? Looking back the sweetest things are often the hardest things. They teach you the level of sacrifice you didn't know you were capable of, and for me, having a child was the beginning of a glimpse into the kind of love Christ has for us. Sacrificial love. Love that doesn't keep score. Love that isn't independent on what's in it for me. Love that is consuming and protective and unconditional."
" We become mothers and immediately realize our job is so raise these little people and pour into them and pack in eighteen years of wisdom, love and protection."
" Because raising a child is a fleeting moment in time that sometimes gets swallowed up in the daily routine of car pools and soccer practice. And yet it's quite possibly the most important thing we'll ever do. It's the daily balance of treasuring the moments even as we wish some of them away. It's treading water in a sea of imperfections. It's a delicate dance of guilt and joy."
"Even though there are times I can't be there and times she'll act like she doesn't necessarily want me there, God is always there. Watching, catching, loving and molding her into the person she was created to be. She's safer in His grip than she'll ever be in mine."
For me motherhood has been the BEST gift ever. I love my children, I love that they get to call me mommy, I love that we get to pour into them and I love that I am a mom! Some days may be hard, yes, some days may be too busy, but everyday I am filled with joy and I feel nothing but blessed. My children will always have my heart and I will cherish them forever. I love being a mom, especially to T & E!

