100 Things I Love...

I've had several jobs throughout my life, but none so all-encompassing as mothering my children. I've resolved to compile a list of 100 things I love about mothering. I challenge you to do the same. Time me....we'll see how long this takes!

1. I love baby belly laughs.
2. I love snuggles from Naomi when she first wakes up in the morning.
3. I love baking with Chase.
4. I love when the light comes on in a child's eyes after he finally "gets it" in math.
5. I love bouquets of flowers from Colton in the spring.
6. I love hearing "I found my missing shoe!".
7. I love gathering the family together, popping popcorn, and watching a movie.
8. I love cheering for my boys in football.
9. I love baking and decorating birthday cakes.
10. I love clean laundry (after it's been put away).
11. I love watching Shannon wrestle with the littles.
12. I love naptime.
13. I love holding hands with little children, just because we can.
14. I love when potty training is finally done.
15. I love painting little girl fingernails and toes.
16. I love dirty knees after the kids have been outside playing all afternoon.
17. I love the joy the children get out of making tents in the living room and dining room.
18. I love Easter morning when everyone is in their Sunday best and we take a picture together.
19. I love kindergarten.
20. I love watching the children's faces when they catch a fish.
21. I love playing bingo with the whole family.
22. I love mowing the grass with Jackson.
23. I love watching the big boys help out with the little girls.
24. I love watching Colton look up to Alex.
25. I love watching my girls play mommy with their baby dolls.
26. I love when my boys score goals in soccer.
27. I love Christmas morning.
28. I love when the the children dress up in Halloween costumes in March.
29. I love eating chocolate chip cookie dough with the kids for an afternoon snack.
30. I love working together to clean the house so we can have company over.
31. I love listening to bedtime prayers.
32. I love listening to little girls giggling for no apparent reason.
33. I love when school is all done for the week.
34. I love watching Shannon play football outside with the kids.
35. I love that the children think their dad is the greatest.
36. I love singing songs in the car.
37. I love watching the children swing.
38. I love listening to made up stories.
39. I love hearing a naughty child say "I'm sorry".
40. I love when Bryce writes me notes during evening church that say, "I love you Mom".
41. I love when my children sing along with the hymns in church.
42. I love watching my children race to the tree in the front yard and back.
43. I love it when my children play board games together.
44. I love sniping an Ebay auction with my boys.
45. I love hearing my son's name announced over the loud speakers at football games over and over again.
46. I love it when Katie and Naomi carry the little kittens around.
47. I love washing lots of dirty dishes on a cold day.
48. I love children in footie pajamas.
49. I love reading stories to little ones, all snuggled up under a blanket.
50. I love pink cheeks on a cold winter day.
51. I love putting pretties in the girls' hair.
52. I love when my children ask me to pray for them.
53. I love talking to Alex late at night when he forgets that it's not cool to talk to his mom.
54. I love when my children put money in the offering plate at church without me asking or reminding them to.
55. I love when we're reading the bible together and the boys have unbelievable insights.
56. I love watching Monday Night Football with Jackson and Chase.
57. I love when Katie and Naomi pretend to nurse their baby dolls.
58. I love when Hudson falls asleep in my arms.
59. I love Alex.
60. I love having healthy children.
61. I love trying to figure out what Naomi is saying to me in her little girl gibberish.
62. I love it when we take the kids to the Dollar Tree and tell them they can pick out any one thing in the whole store.
63. I love sharing french fries at Burger King.
64. I love hearing how many sections the children completed at Awana.
65. I love going to family camp at IRBC with my family.
66. I love watching four little children in the bathtub playing together.
67. I love watching the kids have water balloon fights on a hot summer day.
68. I love little girls in sun dresses.
69. I love playing cards with the kids.
70. I love Jackson.
71. I love giving haircuts.
72. I love moving the furniture around with Alex.
73. I love watching my boys make a basket during a basketball game.
74. I love sitting in a pew with my whole family on Sundays.
75. I love Chase.
76. I love it when Shannon bakes Dragon Cookies with the children and tells them the dragon story.
78. I love hugs.
79. I love it when Hudson's eyes light up and he smiles when I enter a room.
80. I love hearing the kids tell corny knock knock jokes.
81. I love leading my children to Christ.
82. I love Mother's Day.
83. I love listening to the kids talk to one another.
84. I love hearing "What else can I do for you, Mama?"
85. I love holding hands when we pray before meals.
86. I love seeing Chase and Naomi taking a nap together on the sofa.
87. I love fingerprints on my windows.
88. I love Bryce.
89. I love memorizing bible verses with the kids.
90. I love arm wrestling with the kids, and still being able to beat them (most of the time).
91. I love Colton.
92. I love watching Dora the Explorer and Blue's Clues over, and over, and over again.
93. I love Katie.
94. I love seeing my children succeed.
95. I love teaching children how to read.
96. I love Naomi.
97. I love looking for the Big Dipper with the children.
98. I love Hudson.
99. I love seeing a child show empathy.
100. I love my children's father.

That took 41 minutes, including bedtime for Hudson and a good dose of Monday Night Football watching. Will you accept the challenge and write down 100 reasons you love mothering your children? Send me a copy of your list!

"Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6