Nightime Ritual

We have started a nightime ritual here at the Kearley household. Since we haven't really attended church on a regular basis, I decided about a month ago that the boys needed to start saying a nighttime prayer.

So after the boys' bath, we always get dressed...have one more drink before bedtime...brush our teeth...then we head off to their bedroom. They kneel down onto their football rug and put their precious little hands together to say "Now I lay Me Down to Sleep". They usually jibber jabber the words in the same rythmic way that I say it and repeat "AMEN " at the end.

Oh how it melts my heart!

Then they ask for "MO, MO"... so I say "one more time, then NO more" and we have to say it all over. Then kisses are blown all over the room to their baptismal crosses hanging on the wall and the crucifix hanging above their door...and they tell Jesus nigh-nigh.

Once I put Jace into his bed, then Cade....I hear from Jace "I lub you" ... "bye-bye". Cade gives me a big boy kiss (a kiss without his binky) and says "lo you". I have to wait for him to lay on his tummy so I can cover him up with his blanket and briefly rub his back. He loves it!

I can still hear them yelling these things out over and over as I'm leaving the room. I can't help but smile when I walk out the door.

I can remember when Brittney was their age. I had to tuck her in tight-as-a-bug-in-a-rug and ALWAYS rub her back.

Look at the picture I found while I was decorating for Easter this year. My how time has flown. It's hard to remember when it was just me, Steve and little Brittney.

How our life has changed! I can't imagine our family any other way now!

s th