i am not a germ-o-phobe.

Ok i said it. I got it out in the open. I am not afraid of getting dirty. I actually like it when my kids get dirty. I feel a little sense of pride when they smother their clothes in dirt or roll down the muddy slide at the playground. We go hiking a lot, and I always feel like we accomplished something when Gretta comes home covered in dust and with scraped knees.

I am the type of mom who thinks its important to be exposed to some germs in the world in order to learn how to fight them off. I feel lucky that my kids don't get sick the minute they breathe the same air as a sick kid around them. But its because they are strong kids! These little girlys of mine know how to fight off the bad.

This is becoming a really far fetched metaphor but I don't care. I want my parenting approach to echo this attitude I have towards germs. These girls have got to make some mistakes while they are under my care. And this needs to happen so that they will learn the right way to correct their mistakes and get back up again and keep on going. Being an intentional parent, in my opinion, doesn't mean protecting my kids from all the scary, hurtful or dangerous things this world has to offer. It means showing them how to be strong and not let anything keep them from trying their best at life.

I love my girls. Right now, this stage they are at is so incredible. I really love the people they are becoming. I love the moments throughout the day when I look at them and know they are happy. To be truthful, I've never been this exhausted or stressed but those feelings pale in comparison to the pride I have for Gretta Elise and London Keira. I see parts of Spencer in them and I see parts of me in them. And best of all, I see they have their own strong personality, and way of seeing the world. How fun for me to get to observe that and learn from it.

^^^digital scrapbook pages by my mom @shelleysdigitals