These are THE days

My 10 year old walked in the kitchen the other day and all the sudden he looked GIGANTOR!
 I took him to the door frame, where the recording of heights is taking place in our home, and discovered that he seemingly grew 3 inches over night.
Over.the.night!
He is currently coming up to my chin and I foresee him passing my 5'8" in the next couple of years.

My 8 year old is doing school more independently this year; needing me less. He tells jokes that make us all hold our sides and his dimple makes me want to say "yes" to everything he asks.

My 6 year old is learning to read. She has gained 15 pounds this last year and has grown half a foot. I can't keep her in clothes and her legs are as long as a jackrabbit. I think her growing incredibly fast is so bittersweet because I missed out on the first 5+ years of her life and I'm like, "slow down already!"

My 4 year old has grown with almost equal speed as her sister. She is joining us in school doing some  "pre-school" type activities. She is full of sass that would rival most pre-teens with drama and spunk.

And I am realizing, once again, that these days [right here] are fleeting.
They are growing up so fast!
I mean people tell you that it will happen, but you don't really get it until it happens with your own.
I want to soak every minute of them up.

This week, on our day off, we ventured out to try some new things.
A new town, a new place to eat lunch.
Watching the kids play in the grass.
Flying their paper planes.
Giggling, running, jumping, exploring.
A day just for the 6 of us, to pour back into our kids.
I treasure these days.

Having sweet days like this makes me want to try and be more intentional with my time with them.
I am with them 24/7, but I want to really be "in the moment" with them.
Look them in the eyes more.
Listen to their stories fully.
Manage my time better.
Because I know one day I'll look back and wish for more time with them.

I never want them to look back on our time here and feel like they were put on the back burner compared to our ministry.

Balancing family and ministry is a tricky one, but we are slowly finding our rhythm.

What do you do to spend intentional time with your kids? Love to hear your ideas/what works for your family!

{come back on Friday and I will tell you about part 2 of our Arkansas to Africa story}