What a Difference a Year Makes

One year ago today we learned that twins were on their way to our family. In a moment we went from our assumptions that children would continue to join our family in an ordinary, approximately-every-two-years fashion, to the realization that we would have four children under the ago of five. Shocking and a little scary. There was no longer any discussion of having three or four children; four it would be.

This year has been the most challenging, crazy, busy, beautiful year of my life. From the six months I spent (knowingly) pregnant with the twins to the six months I've spent raising them so far, they have dominated my life. Twins are all-consuming.

But that's a good thing in its own way. I am so easily distracted by the things of the world. The temptation to neglect my family and pursue my own interests (think Facebook and fluffy reading material) is strong, but the simple matter of keeping the twins fed, dressed, and in clean diapers takes a lot of time. My focus has been rightly redirected toward my family since the twins' birth.

If I have grown one way in the last year, it is in my understanding of the sovereignty of God. Or perhaps I should say, in my understanding of the mystery of God's sovereignty. So many questions: why did He choose us to have twins? Why were our twins healthy when some suffer from TTTS? Why did He think I could handle four children so close in age? More recently, why oh why will they not sleep well at night? :) But as there are not easy answers, I've been learning to trust more and question less. To use some biblical language, He is the potter and we are the clay. Twins are how He is molding our life and I trust He will use them to make us more beautiful vessels.

Pictures to come soon. I have taken some but need to transfer them to the computer.