When your life is changed forever... !!!

Tomorrow my oldest turns 8.  I've been thinking about the last 8 years.  An eternity ago, a blur, a whirlwind, and most especially how my life has been changed forever.  It started 8 years ago with Aaron being born, and then Jordan, and then Isabel.  They've all changed my life and changed me, forever!  I am a different person than before having children.  I hope less selfish at the very least.  But no one can NOT be changed after a little bit of heaven is gifted into their home.

Aaron has many talents and gifts that inspire and lift me.  He is GOOD and I don't know any other way to describe him than profoundly good.  He is strong and firm.  And seriously at 8 years old has some killer brute force.  He has strength.  It's one of his gifts from God to help him along his path in life, because we definitely need strength.  He's also generous when he decides to be.  Willing to give up his very favorite things in the world for those he loves.  Aaron has the gift of obedience.  He loves to listen and obey when he thinks it's right.  Sometimes to the other extreme of wanting to help others to have to be good too, and it frustrates him.  That profound desire to do what's right is ingrained in him.

The other night at dinner I heard the two most sincere and spectacular prayers of my life.  It started with Jordan.  Jordan thanked Heavenly Father for the things he loved about every single member of the family- and then Aaron did the same.  It was funny but mostly just beautiful to hear them open their hearts to their Father and tell Him about each one of us.  Aaron described himself as full of fun ideas, an inventor, and creative.  One thing that's come out in Aaron over the last year is his love for funny jokes, and to play jokes on other people.  He loves to laugh and tries to make others laugh too.  His sense of humor is very innocent and naive.  It makes me grateful to have a pure soul in my life.

He has reached the age of "accountability".  He is accountable for his choices in life.  The last 8 years have been a gift of time to teach him all that I can about what's right and how God has a plan for him.  Now he continues using his choices to make himself into his own person.  I hope that he will choose to be a lifter to those around him.  I hope that he will realize that his greatest power comes when he is making choices that helps those around him be better than they were before.  There is great power in this!

I hope that he can come to feel deeply within himself that he was born onto this earth with a purpose that God has designed, and that God will help him along the way.  I hope that He will come to know that he doesn't have to be strong, or good, or obedient, or anything else alone.  I hope that he comes to feel and know deeply that he has a Savior who has payed the price for sin, pain, sorrow, weakness, accidents, tragedy and anything that may come his way, and that this Savior has conquered it all.  I hope that Aaron comes to know that in giving his heart to Him that he conquer all things that come his way.  I hope that Aaron feels the Savior's profound love for him, now and throughout the rest of his life.

I hope that Aaron knows when he gets baptized in about 10 days that he is literally binding himself to God and His power, and that it's the way to help us return home to that God who created us.  I want Aaron to know that I his mom, know that God loves him, and know that He has a plan for each one of us.

So now, 8 years and counting to my life being changed forever, I'm grateful for Aaron.  He is a gift and blessing from God.  I love this kid with all my heart!