Late at night when all the world is sleeping...

It's late, and everyone is fast asleep but me. Isaiah couldn't sleep because he had a late nap today, and he stayed up with me until about a half hour ago. But now it's just me in a noisy dark house. The fish tank bubbling and the clock ticking and the rain machine in the boy's room are all so loud when you are alone in the dark. I tried to go to sleep, but it's even noisier in my room with a husband who is so tired he snores sometimes. I love that I can hear him there next to me sleeping. But I can't fall asleep to it.

So instead I am up thinking about how blessed I am.

My poor tired Omar who works so hard every day so I can stay home and play with our babies. I never have a question in my mind about how important we are to him, because he shows us in a million ways every day.

Like getting up early and getting dressed in the dark so he won't wake me up. And like waking me up so he can kiss me before he leaves as quietly as he can because I've probably gone back to sleep.

It takes him an hour (at least!) to put the boys to bed at night because the talk and tell jokes and stories about a mouse named Charlie who lives in a house made of cheese and finds tunnels in his backyard that lead to other worlds. He is so patient and kind with them. And they love him to pieces.

And my little opposite boys are such a blessing. They couldn't be more different, and yet they love each other so completely. They are perfect for each other. They are perfect for me.

And don't tell anyone I said it, but today it feels like a blessing that we live in Ridgecrest. We have people who love us and who we love. We get to ride motorcycles out of our garage and right into the mountains. We go hiking and exploring, and learn about tortoises at the musuem and dig holes in our sandy back yard.

The desert really is beautiful in it's own way. I even love the desert.

We have everything we need, and a lot of things we just want. We are surrounded by angels who help us in a million ways every day. We get to be a family forever!

I'm grateful that XL sodas are 99 cents at McDonalds so I can stay up all night and think about this. Well, mostly....

Goodnight world. (I hope!)