today you, today i (abby)

today you woke up calling for me as usual. today i ran up to get you and find that you still had the low fever you had when you went to bed last night. you wanted me to sit with you for awhile. you said," i don't like having the fever." today i got to keep you home from preschool with me and sam. we had a special day together. you gave your sister kisses and hugs as she went to school, and told me, "i love my sister emma." today i saw your kindness and love for your best friend and rejoiced that you have a twin sister.

today we had conversations. about rainbows and gymnastics, about school and playing. today you made me realize again that you are growing up. you make my heart grow.

today in the car you made sure that i was singing the songs you were singing along with you. you like for me to be singing too. you made up a song about rainbows and had me repeat it. you have me make up a lot of songs about rainbows these days. i love that you love rainbows. you love color and are very passionate about all kinds of things. i love your personality. God truly made you a masterpiece. you are beautiful and loved because of who He made you. you are learning to be beautiful from the inside out.

today you were such a sweet big sister to sam. you care about him so much. i can see it in your excitement every time you see him, and your effort to be calm when you really just want to give him big hugs and play with him like he is big already. today you gave him his paci when he needed it and told me in the car that, "he is taking a really good nap mom." today i can already see you being a wonderful mommy. today i wanted to stop time for a few moments.

today we took pictures of each other. i took some of you in your gymnastics leotard that we got together today. you especially wanted to see the one where you did this...
you really like to do that in pictures these days. you helped me pick out a leotard to surprise emma with when she got home from school. today i saw your thoughtfulness.

today we played board games with each other while sam napped. candyland and busytown mysteries. we searched all over the board in busytown with our magnifying glasses and got really excited when we found things. you made sure i was coming with you wherever you looked. today i treasured this time. just relaxing and playing with you. so often i am juggling or going going going. just playing. so great.

today you felt better and better as the day went on. at dinner you wanted to pray and said, "thank you jesus for healing me. thank you for the rainbow flowers. i really wish i could see a rainbow butterfly." and then, after dinner you saw a butterfly in the park with daddy and thanked God for it.

tonight at bedtime daddy sang songs about jesus and played his guitar as you got sleepy. you gave your sister one of your bunnies and said you wanted her to have it tonight. emma gave you her pillow pet to sleep on. tonight i saw a beautiful childlike moment of selflessness with some of the most special things to each of you. tonight i thought, "how often do i share like that?" and learned from you and emma. you asked me if i wanted to hear a secret and said, "i wish there was a rainbow flower here." you gave me three sweet kisses and then said, "are you happy that i'm not sick anymore and that i'm like this now?" when you said "this" you gave me a really big smile. tonight in bed you said that you wanted to dance with me real quick. tonight i took the opportunity to have a sweet moment with you and not rush bedtime. i let you stand up on your bed and spin around and dance with me for a bit. you did the cutest little dance and then dramatically laid back down on your pillow. tonight i am reminded not to rush life. it is only but a breath really. i should not rush what little precious time i have. for today, at least, i remembered that at this moment and savored your adorable bedtime dance in the dark with mommy. on my way out the door you whispered as you waved at me, "mommy. i love you."

i love you too abby. you are a treasured gift to me and daddy.

photos of abby in blue courtesy of russ with his excellent photography skills.

yes those are the legs of an ironing board in my living room, but that's what happens when you are trying to get some sewing done in the middle of days with three kids and you never put things away.

for other today you, today i posts... check here and here.