Differences

It amazes me how much three kids can be so different. I think that some people don't fully realize how different children are, and how much personality they have even at such a young age. These little people that God has given us amaze us every day. And I think they amaze others too. Especially Miss Emily Grace. I can't tell you how many countless times we've been out in public and her sweet personality has dazzled strangers. She truly has so much to offer the world, and I am so excited to see exactly how she will do that!

Anyhow, in honor of our three sweet-peas, I wanted to share what I've been thinking about and appreciating them each for, as individuals.
First of all is Miss Elsie Faith. This child is a heart-stealer. Watch out! Some of my favorite things about Elsie are:
- Her entire facial smile. Its not just her mouth, its her eyes, nose and cheeks too!
- Her patience with her brother. Even at this young age she puts up with a lot of his antics and rarely gets upset.
- Her contentment. Elsie can stay in the same spot with some toys and play for over an hour and is just content to watch what is going on around her and play.
- Her desire to be at home. When we return from picking Em up from preschool, or return for the grocery store or church, I feel like if Elsie could talk she would say, "Oh! I am just so glad to be home!" She loves routine and her family. Staying at home and being with us is at the top of her list. And how fun to know that about her already!

Next is our ornery and curious Eli! Some of my favorite things about Eli are:
- His curiousness. Animals are at the top of his curiosity, with Dakota being his favorite. Eli will truly be a boy with his dog.
- His hair. Seriously? Have you seen this boy's thick head of hair that stands up all over the place? Its a conversation starter for sure!
- His activeness. If there is anything to pull, push, grab, hit, or kick, Eli is on the move! My mom nick-named him "Bam-Bam" and it just fits so well! So far he has overturned countless bowls of baby food, three water glasses (one all over me at a restaurant), and just about every day he empties the napkin holder.
-His love for attention. Every night around 10 or 11 p.m. just as Scott and I are about to go to bed, Eli wakes up. When I go in to see what the problem is, I find our boy with wide awake eyes, throwing his legs up and down to make as much noise as possible. Its as if he KNOWS that Elsie could wake up, so he makes lots of noise so I will hurry up and pick him up. It works. He lights up with a big smile when he sees Scott, and its like Eli needs just an extra half-hour to have us to ourselves. A bad habit? Yes. But we enjoy it every night!







Finally is Emily Grace. I guess as she has gotten older I have found more and more out about her. The list could go on and on, but here are my favorites:
- Her love. I've never met a little girl who loves her younger siblings like Emily. And she is just so PROUD of them! I'll never forget when they were first born and we took them to church for the first time. There was a lady entering the front door at the same time as us, and she was probably running late like we were, but she didn't pay much attention to the two car seats. Emily very quickly said, "Excuse me. Did you see our babies? I have TWO babies!" The lady didn't hear at first, and so Emily repeated herself until the lady finally acknowledged the twins.
- Her energy. I've always said I could make millions if I could sell her happy energy.
- Her smarts. Sometimes I believe she is really smarter than me, and while it is funny, it is probably true, and definitely scary!
- Her ability to see what is important in life. I don't remember many times when Emily has gotten into arguments with friends about toys, or fought with me about wanting to wear certain clothes. Now this may certainly come as she gets older, but as for now the most important thing to Emily is her relationships with people. Christmas wasn't about santa and presents (though she did enjoy that too!) Christmas to her was about a birthday party for Jesus, and a time for us to visit those people we love so much. I hope this never changes for her.

Anyhow, I guess I've just been thinking a lot today about how God created three totally different children for our family. Its exciting to see them interact with their differences and to enjoy each one for exactly who they are.