cyber style venting

not that anyone needs to know or even wants to know, but i've got some suff that i just need to say...

i could LIVE WITHOUT a few things:
potty training
sibling bickering
the incessant desire for kids to put things in their mouths (like a pick from the high school gym bleachers)
public restrooms with four kids
sticky floors
peeling oranges
used band aids in random places (floating in my coffee cup)

some days i can't see the forest for the trees or maybe it's that i can't see the trees for the forest?? either way there are days that i just shake my head and wonder how i got here.
the fact is... love got me here!
a love for a God
that lead me to love a man.
our love lead to four kids
that we hope will love their God.

when it comes down to it... there are so many things i could do without, but there is the other list.

the list of things that i would NEVER give up:
giggles and tickles
"snuggle with me, mommy"
kissing ouchies
singing worship songs in the car
sibling team work
bear hugs
reading stories and watching imaginations soar
watching my kids grow and mature

the job is not clean, orderly, or easy and most days i think i would be happy to throw in the towel. the second list keeps me going.
God, give me grace to focus on the joys of being a mommy and not the things that easily frustrate. may love continue to be what drives us... a love for you and one another!