The Last time.....

I recently had the opportunity to go to Greenville and exprience the Extraordinary Women's Conference. I had prayed before I left that God would speak to me and that I would learn something that would be "life changing" for me. I loved the whole conference and can't wait to go back next year.

While I was there, I had an opportunity to listen to Karen Kingsbury.


She is a christian author who writes amazing books. I get lost in her books. I think I have read 1/2 of what she has written and I yearn to read all of them.
While she was speaking, she read her newest children's book called Let me Hold You Longer.
If you haven't read it, please by all means, run to your local bookstore and buy it.
It is about a mom who experiences all of her kids "lasts" for the very last time.
As mothers, we celebrate with our children when they experience a first. First tooth lost, first time sleeping by themselves, first time using the potty, first trip to the dentist, etc etc etc.....

Karen wrote this touching book about relishing your childrens' last moments.
When she read this book at the conference, I don't think there was a dry eye in the stadium. I truly believe all 8,000 women were crying.

Listening to Karen read this book was a "life-changing" moment for me. Being a mom is so hard. I get stressed so easily, I cry, I fuss, but Karen changed all of that for me. She made me sit back and realize that the time I have with my precious babies will come to an end one day. I have to enjoy it now. I can't sweat the small stuff so to speak.

I've been thinking about how this book applies to my life and my children. Lately I've been thinking about all the "last" moments that I will miss terribly when they are gone. Listed below are a few of the ones I have been thinking about and wondering how I'll feel the last time I see my kids experience these things.

• The last time I read Ava a story before bed.
• The last time she tells me "I love you more than......"
• The last time I nursed my babies. (This hit me hardest w/ Dawson.....I am probably most excited to do this again w/ a new baby. I truly LOVED every minute of nursing my babies!)
• The last time I get to cut their finger nails.
• The last time I hear Dawson say, "What's that Mama?"
• The last time Ava gets really excited that I come to her classroom.
• The last time I'm cool enough for my kids.
• The last time they come to me when they are hurt w/ boo boos.
  
• The last time they confide everything to me.
• The last time we have a family vacation where all is right in the world.
• The last time my babies will have "baby teeth."
• The last time Ava is young enough to still take a shower with me.
• The last time I see the excitement and wonderment in Dawson's eyes when he hears a "cycle." (Motorcycle)
• The last time I can lay beside my boy and snuggle with him while he is sleeping.
• The last time I can stare at my beautiful children while they are sleeping.
• The last time Dawson begs for "papi." (His paci...)
• The last time they use children dishes when they eat.
• The last time Ava wears 50 outfits in one day, because eventually she will tire of this (right, Mom)? ;)
  
• The last time my babies eat their yogurt together in the bath tub or on the floor in the kitchen during "dessert time."
• The last time I get to pray with Ava at night time because she is scared. We always pray and ask God to protect her and to put His angels all around her while she is sleeping.
• The "last" time........
  

See, these don't have to be morbid "last times".....it is a last time because children do eventually grow up and they experience their "last time"of doing most everything that children do.

I have truly been thanking God every single day since coming home from the conference. He opened my eyes to see that my babies will not be babies forever. This is the time of their life that I have to relish and make the best moments possible for them. I hope I never lose sight of thanking God for all of His blessings. For w/out Him, I would be nothing. I would be a lost person.

Thank you God for opening my eyes and helping me to be the best "me" for my children.