"It was just yesterday..."

A year ago, Sunday, we had a church service outside on the lawn preceeding our annual Ministry Fair. I vividly remember sitting on a folding chair under the tent and watching a cute little family with three young (maybe ages 5-8) red-headed children walk in a couple rows ahead of us. What struck me was that neither of the parents had red hair, and for some reason like a bolt of lighting it dawned on me that Matt and I could have more red headed children...maybe we just make red heads!! Hadn't thought about it before... (For the record: I'd love nothing more :)

By now I've learned that it's almost a universal truth...all parents feel like their children grow up too quickly. Well this Sunday, while there was a gallon of sweat dripping down my shirt (non-relevant detail), I walked up to a table with a burger for myself and a hot dog for Emma (Matt was manning his prison bball ministry-booth), this same family walked up to the table, red headed cuties in tow, only they were a little bigger than last year. The dad sat down and looked at Emma, his eyes glazed over with that look of nostalgia and he said to his daughter, "It was just yesterday, that was you." I get a lump in my throat just typing it now. It was a sweet moment, the way he looked at Emma, and then at his own daughter, emotion written all over his face.

It never goes away, does it? This elated feeling of excitement one moment as your child does or says something new, followed by a gripping sense of almost panic and desperation in the next second as you realize this little thing that was just a newborn baby YESTERDAY is a walking, talking, thinking, cuddling, silly human and you try to live in the moment with her. Soaking up every little inflection in her voice, and freckle on her nose... Emma says "pointing" when she wants me to paint her toes, and she recently started saying "hi boy" to Matthew ALL the time. It's the first thing she says when she wakes up and the first thing she says when he walks in the door. It is hysterical. I want to remember!

Side Note: (Just so we're clear and this blog doesn't leave you with the impression that life is all roses with my "teriffically" two toddler these days....this stage is hard people!!! The other day she had an accident in the kitchen. After I had cleaned up the mess *thank you, Lysol wipes* Emma bolted in defiance (not in a cute, playful I want to run around naked way) because she didn't want to put on clean panties. It was honestly more about her listening to mommy than being naked at this point anyways. I nailed my head on the granite counter top as she ran away from me for the third time. Thank heavens Matt walked in as she was laying on the floor screaming at this point, and I was keeled over holding my head. It was time for a Mommy time out, seriously, frequent occurances in my house lately.

I feel like in 5 years I'll be saying, "It was just yesterday, that was you"...and it will feel like I just blinked. Until then, let's cuddle lots Emma girl! :)

**Thanks to Emma's babysitter, Mrs. Roland, for taking this sweet picture of her**