Celebrating my 7 year old....

I know, I know...I am behind on my posting...it has been very chaotic the last few weeks...some how I thought summer would slow our schedules down but it hasn't as of yet! So I am posting about the most important event of the past week...Braxton turning seven! I still can't get my head around that...it just seems like yesterday we were watching him take his first steps! It is odd, for every year that passes, I measure much of my self by the age of my children.."am I in a better place now than a year ago? seven years ago""am I leading them toward Christ with my actions, my words" "do they eat enough healthy foods - do they watch too much tv?" "am I really taking the time to cherish each and every moment?" because for each year that passes - it is another year closer to them leaving "the nest" and going out into the world to be all that God created them to be! And on, and on the list of questions go!!! I could drive myself crazy with all of this self-evaluation...but in the end, it was my seven year old that answered the questions for me... As I lay in bed talking with Braxton before he closed his eyes for the night...we reflected on the day, the party, the gifts and I tell him how much he has blessed my life and that I am so proud of him...he tears up and says "mom, some day I am going to miss you when I am gone" I of course respond " well, you will be with me for at least 50 more years" and he laughs at this as I wipe his tears away. It was a bittersweet moment for me...hearing those words and the affirmation that I must be doing something right, but also the realization that as I am seeing my time with him grow shorter with each passing year, he is seeing the same...that is after all how God designed it to be!