Nostalgia and Halloween

My kids have made me a nostalgic mess :). From the day I found out I was pregnant with Brayden to today when Paytin first rolled over, and actually long before, when I met and was woo'ed by their amazing and breath-taking Daddy, nostalgia seems to be a word that creeps more and more into my life and life dictionary. I find myself getting teary eyed at the smallest moments, and trying to constantly take "heart pictures" of the moments as they are happening that I never want to forget. I seem to get lost in the little moments and big moments these days and just love love love my little family. I love seeing my friends love their families, I love hearing my friends talk about what their kids are doing thats new, I love hearing them share their latest family adventures and I look around at the high schoolers in my youth group, at myself and the young age that I got married and started having kids, and just life, and realize on a constant basis how fast this roller coaster can whiz by, and how this life really is only a breath in the glimpse of eternity but how I don't want to miss the "moments" in it by rushing to the next thing. This comes on the backside of spending far too much time cleaning this weekend, and not nearly enough time on the floor hanging with my kiddos, and after way too many excuses for weeks and weeks without a nice date with my favorite man. But alas, tonight, kids are sleeping, hubby is working, and I just got to thinking about tomorrow being Halloween. It's Paytin's first Halloween, and Brayden's FOURth. Then I mentioned that to Mike, Brayden has now been Tigger, a Pumpkin, Thomas the Train, and now this year, Captain America. Tonight, we were watching Captain America, and he jokingly asked me to hold him like a baby, which he does when he is being super silly every now and then, and I held him on the couch, and got all nostalgic (but held it in) thinking about how 3 years ago Mike and I were so excited to dress him up in this fluffy, stuffed belly Tigger costume, to take him to his first pumpkin patch, etc. And here we are, again, so excited for Brayden to really get "into" trick or treating tomorrow, and super excited to get Paytin dressed up too. She is going to be a butterfly this year and even though I am bummed the costume was made very cheaply, she rocks it like nobody else ;). And it will fly by in a blur of Merchant Trick or Treat, costumes, candy, walking, jolly jumps, Harvest Festival, in and out of the stroller, sticky hands and face, falling asleep in the car ride home and before I know it it will be next year, and I will be having these same thoughts with another year under my belt. I so love memories, I so love blogging about them, I so love my family and my God who has blessed me beyond what I could ever have dreamt up (which is a whole other nostalgic post in itself) and I am so grateful for nights like this that I have a moment myself, to just sit and remember, and cherish, and be grateful :).