{A mom of all boys}

Being a mom of all boys is no easy task. They are more destructive , busy, and energetic than girls , not to mention their brains are wired differently, which requires a big learning curve for me. :) They are just different.  Sometimes the testosterone in our house is a bit much for me. It can be hard to handle. The farting, wrestling, tough talk, destructiveness, energy, and their ways i just can't understand, can be overwhelming. They always want to go play football, or basketball, or golf, or xbox. It's always boy centered. I don't always want to do those things. Sometimes i feel like i am losing myself in all the testosterone. The more time goes on, the more grateful i am that i am a mom of all boys. I am also grateful for who they are, and for the gender differences. I am learning a lot from it all. Boys are such lovers. My boys love me, and want to take care of me, and they show that often. I love that about them. And i am so grateful for that.

Would i really WANT to play with hair all the time? And do makeup and nails all the time? And would i really WANT to deal with what comes in a girls life as she becomes a teenager? NOPE. I remember all too well what I was like as a teenager and the thought of having had a girl like me stresses me out. I am sure one of our boys will give us a run for our money, but it's still very different than having a girl. Yes, i wanted a girl, but i have come to peace(finally) with the fact that it's not in our plan. At least while here on this earth. :) For some reason, the Lord knew we needed boys. I feel like i have already realized a few of those reasons. A part of it was for me and because of me. :) I know it. It's something i needed for various reasons that i won't get into. But i hope that it isn't just them teaching me a bunch of lessons. I hope they were also sent to Shane and I because there is something we can provide to them as parents that nobody else can. I hope they were sent to us because we too have lots of things to teach them about life. I hope that we are the kind of parents to them that will make them grateful to have us, respect us, and love us, and follow and trust our direction. I hope we can be exactly what they need. That is my biggest prayer i hold in my heart constantly. I just want to be the kind of mom they need. That's my deepest desire.

And i also pray , constantly, that i can live everyday to make them GLAD that i am their mom. It is hard to live that way everyday...or maybe i expect perfection of myself and i am just too hard on myself....but i try everyday to be a good mom to them. Boys are special. They are more special than most people realize...more special than i ever gave them credit for years ago in my life. But my eyes are opening. They are very different from us girls, but that's a GOOD thing. We need them for their differences, even if it can be frustrating sometimes.  And there is a lot to be learned from them that we could not learn without them. They help us learn and grow and progress in this life. They help us become more like our Heavenly Father. And it's up to us(myself) to learn to love those differences, embrace it, and learn from them, and love them for it.

Boys can become extraordinary men if they are loved, nurtured, appreciated, carefully lead, and lovingly guided throughout their growing years. And i know that this world needs a lot more extraordinary men in it, and i hope and pray i can be the kind of mom to help mold and shape them into the kind of man that makes them extraordinary... not in the way the world would define extraordinary, but in the way God believes is extraordinary.