Who are these kids?

My dear friend Jen came over this morning with her son Gavin who is 18 days younger than Josiah. Because of the massive volume of family traffic we've had come through our home since Joey's birth, I've only been able to see Jen one time since Gavin was born. It was a wonderfully refreshing visit, and so beautifully comforting to be sharing this newborn time in life with one of my closest friends.

We sat and talked, alternating who was nursing, burping, and changing our sons. Then we laid them on the floor beside each other and watched them wiggle and coo and fuss and fidget, and I couldn't help but have visions of the years to come. I joked that they had no choice but to be friends, remembering how I played with my mom's best friend's kids all through our growing up years, whether we liked it or not (and we usually liked it). But I couldn't help but see these two wiggly babies and envision them as toddlers, running after each other or perhaps fighting over a treasured toy. I couldn't help but see them as school children tossing a ball to each other in one of our backyards. I couldn't help but see them as young men, sharing stories of pranks they pulled in college and talking about music and movies, and maybe even girls (tee hee).

I can't even count how many people have said the very same phrase: "Enjoy this time; they grow up so fast." And while the hours or individual days can sometimes feel like they drag on, it really does pass so quickly. I work hard to cherish this time and enjoy this phase in each of my kids' lives, and I often find myself having to stop wishing for the next new phase and take a deep breath to make the most of the moment I'm living in. But part of me is so excited and eager to see what God will do with them and who they will become as they grow. What will their interests be: trucks, dinosaurs, baseball? Will they go to college, beauty school, or become an auto mechanic? Will they live near us as they grow, or be a missionary in Africa?

Ah, I'd better put my imagination to rest before I get ahead of myself. Time to go change that diaper...