This post is sponsored by Lily Jade.

It was Sunday night.

We’d been boating all day, the sun was setting, and we’d finally wrangled all 4 kids inside for a quick dinner.

Ranging in age from 14 months to 7 years, our babies sat at the kitchen bar, quietly gobbling chicken drumsticks with their hands. The baby finished first, so I scooped her out of her high chair and hurried her to the bath.

I expected the boys would shower in their own bathroom as they usually do.

But for some reason, this night, they came into the baby’s bathroom.

And one-by-one, they peeled off their clothes and piled into the tub.

First and foremost, I couldn’t even believe they all fit. *laughing*

And if I’m being honest, I definitely wondered how much longer it’ll even be appropriate for my 7-year-old to bathe with everyone.

And with that thought came a pang of sadness.

This may be the last time all my babies are in the bath together.

It sounds silly now, but I know it will be months, maybe even a few days until my oldest realizes it’s no longer cool to splash with your little brothers and baby sister, innocently in the bath.

He’ll be self-conscious and too cool and… well, too old.

Suddenly, this experience felt blessed. It felt magical.

And as my 4 little children splashed in the water and played with the toys and sang their silly songs, I sat Indian-style on the tile floor. I was captivated by the thought of how fleeting this moment might be.

And I didn’t want to lose it.

It was almost like I was grieving a future that hadn’t even come yet.

Remember this feeling. You don’t get it back.

There are so many parts about parenting littles that we can’t wait to be over.

Poop accidents, interrupted sleep, needing help with everything from cutting their food to tying their shoes to wiping their butts.

The list goes on and on.

But what if we pivoted our perspective to see that all these times of being needed are fleeting? What if we focused, instead, on the blessing of this overwhelming-and-exhausting-yet-oh-so-short season?

Because it will soon be over and we will have no idea how that happened.

I saw a meme on social media recently, and it’s stuck with me. It goes something like this:

When you have little children, remember this: you will NEVER be this loved again.

As my husband tucked the kids in bed that night, I sat on the couch and scrolled through photos in my phone from earlier in the day.

Suddenly, they had a different shine to them.

Yes, the kids were misbehaving and arguing. Yes, the husband and I both said “I’m so done” under our breath at least once (or maybe screaming out loud, only the 6 of us will ever know *wink*)

But if we look at the day in a different light, these moments are bathed in blessings.


The blessing is being needed.

The blessing is being loved.

The blessing is being treasured. Possibly more than we ever will be again.

Yes, even when your 14-month-old is pushing you away because she thinks she can swim. *wink*

And yes, even though I wish my butt didn’t have cellulite and my back fat didn’t show. (And let’s just be honest, a slight tan on the midsection wouldn’t kill me either.)

I was actually trying to show a sideview of my Lily Jade bag because the backpack feature came in so-very-handy when we took that trip to the Sandbar earlier in the day.

Since I have to hold Hunnie, it’s a legit #momgift to have a high-quality leather bag that will stand the test of time, and that I can carry hands-free.

I’ve literally had my Lily Jade bags for several years now, they all look practically brand-new despite using them for daily errands, weekend trips, Starbucks writing runs and everything in between.

Our days of mothering littles are seriously over even before our diaper bags wear out.

It’s just another reminder to savor these moments because… yes, they are frustrating and sometimes awful, but they do not last.

And in a few years, we will do anything to have these moments back.

A huge thanks to Lily Jade for sponsoring this post, and for always supporting my message of self-love and grace! Check out their site and then send your hubby your picks for Mother’s Day. #kiddingbutnot