Peaceful

It is a perfect day here in central Illinois.  The sun is shining, the humidity is low, there is a slight breeze, and I am relaxing on my front porch listening to birds and insects and someone using a chainsaw!  It can't be completely peaceful, I suppose.  There is a slight chill in the air that reminds me that fall is just around the corner.  Early fall is my favorite time of year.  I love the crisp days, cool nights, and watching the trees as their leaves change colors.  We have a beautiful park nearby where we had our family picture taken last fall.  At the time, I figured it would be our last official picture as a family of five.  As it turns out, we'll have one more taken this fall before our daughter joins us.  I find that I am learning a thing or two about God's timing lately.  If I had my way, baby S would have been home months ago.  I know that there is a reason why things have taken longer than we anticipated and I have been pondering what that reason might be.  We are about to embark on an entirely new season of our lives and I am realizing that we have had it pretty easy.  Our boys are becoming more independent all the time.  We have been out of the diaper and teething and close supervision stages for a long time (is it wrong for me to dream that baby S will come home potty trained and with a mouth full of teeth?)   I'm sure it is going to be a shock to our systems to have a baby in our home again.  As I consider what it will look like around here in a few months, I find myself really appreciating the time that I have right now.  I have a few hours when I get home from work to clean, read, cook dinner, and - I'll admit it - I do take a little nap most days.  All these things are done in quiet solitude in my house.  Ahhhh....  That solitude is going to be gone in just a few short months, so I plan to enjoy it while I can.  Soon, I will have a little one at my feet while I'm trying to get things done.  Rather than feeling frustrated when I can't accomplish things as easily as I used to, I hope that I always remember how far God has brought us and the lengths that He went to in order to make us a family.  She is His gift to us and I don't intend to take that gift for granted.  Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go make spaghetti sauce...

James 1:17  Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.