My First Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen reasons why I love being a mom:

1. I love doing the laundry and finding stuff in my kids pockets. I remember the first time I found something in Marley's pants pockets. I was like she is really growing up and I will have to check pockets from now on. I have found: coins, flowers, rock, suckers, and my favorite melted chocolate candy!



2. I love watching my kids play together. They love each other! And I hope that that bond will continue to grow as they get older.

3. I love being able to look back and see how great our mother's are. You take on a whole new understanding when you become a mother. I think it helps you appreciate your mother even more. I know I feel that way about my mom and Jon's mom, Suzanne.

4. I love changing three kids at the same time in diapers. We are in size 5, 3, and newborn! I don't even want to think about how much they cost. I need to work on potty training when things calm down a little. But I don't think it will be calming down anytime soon. I better make a start date and stick to it!



5. I love seeing the acceptance of Jesus Christ as the personal savior to our kids. What greater joy can you experience, than seeing them ask for forgiveness and take up their cross and serve Jesus. Marley has accepted Christ, we are just waiting on her to walk down the aisle to be baptized. We are not pushing her, just praying she will get up enough nerve.

6. I love not getting any sleep! I wonder if I will ever experience sleep again! Sleep in the sense of sleeping the whole night through and not having to worry about anyone else in the morning.



7. I love having a mini-van. I never in my life thought I would own a mini-van. But with four kids you kind of have to have one. Hello my name is Stacey O. Long and I am 26 and own a mini-van. Next we will either have to get a SUV or mini-bus. I can see me picking up Marley as a teenager in my mini-bus. She would die of embarrassment.



8. I love taking our family out and about. I know it sounds chaotic and it usually is. Going out to eat or going to the park is an adventure with so many little one's. And sometimes after we go out to eat Jon and I are like why did we even attempt that. But it's fun to take the kids out and experience new things while trying not to get your tea poured all over you!

9. I love that all of my kids have a unique personality! I love seeing it develop, grow, and change. They make me laugh, cry, and smile in all that they do. Marley is sweet and gets tired of being the oldest sometimes. Carpenter is really caring and hates to see his sister's get hurt or in trouble. Sadie is hilarious and loud. Rowan, we'll we can't wait to see what he will be like.

10. I love that God has given me this wonderful opportunity to be a mother. When the preacher came to visit Rowan he left us with these verses. "Children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them" Psalm 127:3-5. I had never heard that verse before about having a quiver full of children.



11. I love cleaning up the same toy mess over and over again. I have two cleaning times. I clean when the kids go down for a nap and after they go to bed. Please come and visit us during these times so my house looks presentable. My house is not perfectly clean, far from it. But I enjoy the time I spend playing with them!

12. I love being apart of the mom club. I love the mother's at our church and my friends that are mothers! I love being able to ask how they are doing and ask for advice. You just feel this sense of community and that we all care about every one's children!

13. I love being able to see Jonathan be a wonderful father. They all love being with their dad. Sadie asks me 40 times a day, "Where is dad-da?" Jon works hard so I can stay at home with the kids. I love seeing the kids faces light up when he comes home and love seeing how happy Jon is to see the kids. I love you, sweetie!