Mother's Day

 Mother's Day 2012

 Mother's Day 2013

Mother's Day 2014

No, this picture was not posed.  Gavin truly decided at the exact moment the camera snapped to yell the most ear-pitching scream just inches from my ear. The photo that I chose not to include was the following shot of me palming Gavin's head with my hand as I pushed him away from my now-ringing ear.  Steve laughed saying my hand looked more like a T-rex claw!  I guess the picture really captures the tone of our house.  It's rarely quiet and things rarely go as I have planned. 

This picture was different than the previous two because, in addition to the three in my lap, I had a fourth little one growing in my tummy.  A child I honestly didn't know was in our future.  Steve and I always thought we would have three children, for us, that was the perfect number.  Somewhere in there Steve, with his 'bigger is always better' outlook, thought a fourth is what was needed to complete our family.  I, however, wasn't so convinced.  My lap and my heart were full with our Bruisers and I couldn't see where a fourth would fit.  (Steve pointed out that if I shift Cannon over just a bit there's plenty of room for another.)

That's the funny thing about life.  I think we often are disillusioned with the control we think we have.  The decisions we think are ours to make and not make.  I think God gets a kick out of people like me who try and mold this life into how I think it should look or be.  God must have seen some space in my lap because a fourth child is exactly what's been given to us.  We are all looking forward to adding another Bruiser to our amazing family.  He will most certainly fit right in!