Can you believe it? These two little wrinkly peanuts…

…now look like THIS.

And what amazing little people they are becoming.

Alexander is a learner and thinker. If he’s interested in something, he becomes a veritable encyclopedia about it, and whatever he learns, he shares in crazy detail with whoever will listen. He is also quite a collector; he’s got a “village” in his bedroom for the family of stuffed dogs he’s been given (or managed to talk his siblings into letting him have). But Scruffy Puppy is still the favorite, no question.

Our Alex loves to laugh. He loves jokes. And he’s super creative. He draws all the time, and he writes books and stories. He’s even started to brainstorm a video game he’d like to create someday. And he enjoys the outdoors. He loves to go to the barn when Daddy does the cows’ foot baths. He loves the trampoline and wandering down at the creek. And because he’s in Cub Scouts this year, he went fishing, camping, and shot a bow and arrow–all for the first time.

Erin Elizabeth is turning into a special lady, herself. She is a helper and order-keeper. She likes to know what to do and the “right” way to get it done. She’s a voracious reader and a natural teacher (both Megan and Timmy have had “lessons”) and she loves to learn new things. She always says she likes lunch and recess best, but school is an easy fit for my smart and capable girl.

Erin loves sparkly, pretty things. She is a born night-owl. She has a collection of stuffed bunnies (still ruled over by Jingle Bunny, of course). She loves to jump on the trampoline and play with friends, In fact, the measure of a good time is always whether a friend was there to do it with her. And she is a great, great friend. She’s considerate of others, always wants to help, and no one is better at thinking of others than my Erin-girl.

Being twins, they still have to share a lot (like birthdays). But every year, they’re growing up into special individuals. They have faced many new challenges this year; they are learning to deal with more difficult things. But each one is a natural support and encourager for the other. They protect each other. They rarely fight. And I am thrilled to see them connect with Jesus more, also in their own special way. Alex was deeply touched by the concept of a “peacemaker” in Sunday School, and Erin loves to read the Bible on her own more and more.

These two little people rocked my world 8 years ago today. They are unique individuals and a powerful team, but they are and will always be wonderful gifts to our family.

Happy Birthday, Alex and Erin. 🙂

The other day, I posted this picture on my Facebook page:

The twins were 22 months, and Megan was barely a week old. And what a sweet picture, right? But after my initial “Oh, they were so cute,” an odd sensation balled itself up in my chest.

Looking at that picture, I suddenly FELT the exhaustion of those days. As adorable as those three were, those days were just plain hard. The never-ending needs, the constant attention they required, the mental fatigue, the lack of sleep. That time of parenting we called being “in the trenches.” It is so.very.hard.

And just this summer, I realized that my family is finally coming out of the trenches. My kids’ needs are rarely immediate. The twins can make a basic PB&J or get a drink of water for themselves if needed. Everyone is potty-trained. I sleep all night more often than I don’t.

We are moving on. And I’m grateful for it. Man, am I grateful for it. But I’m also grateful that I still remember. That this picture was enough to remind me. I’m not so far away that I’ve forgotten just how hard the trenches are.

And I was even more grateful because, shortly after seeing this picture, I had a meeting with a young mom who works at the kids’ school. We were chatting about our families, and she said her oldest turned 4 in August and her younger daughter is 18 months.

As she said it, this picture popped into my head, and I said, “Wow…so you’re totally in the trenches.”

She stopped, turned to me, eyes wide. There was a tiny pause, and she said, “Yes, that is exactly what it’s like. That’s, that’s, just the perfect way to say it.” And then she told me about picking up her kids from daycare and how it had been hectic and disorganized and she was holding the baby and trying to find sippy cups and blankies and it was just…hard.

She said how her younger daughter had ear infections for months until finally tubes, but then she’d had another rough patch where, in the middle of the night, all she wanted was her mom. And of course, she still had work and daycare drop off and pick up and dinner and clearing and life.

“Yes, the trenches. Definitely the trenches,” I said, as compassionately as I knew how.

And I know, oh how I know, that she is not the only one.

So to the moms who are, today, in the trenches…let me say this: You are such a good mom. You are doing a great job. Whether working in your house or outside it. Whether you are following all the conflicting “expert” advice on everything. Whether you have social media sites convinced you’ve got it all under control…to you, mom…it really is as hard as it feels. The trenches are no joke.

And while you’re in those trenches, you don’t have to love every minute. Some day, I promise, you will look up and realize you made it out of them. But for today, just know that we moms, we get it. We understand it. We see you. Even in the hardness of it all, you are doing a great, great thing.

Keep up the good work.