Love
Love is messy. Love is consistency. Love is practical. Love is doing the hard thing. Love is big things, but also the million little things. Love is decision, while also emotion. Love is doing dishes or laundry or garbage or cleaning ears. Love is changing diapers . . . again! Love is the hug needed on long days or the simple reminder "I love you." Love is long days and short nights and everything in between. Love is sacrifice. Love is remembering together the good and consoling through the tough. Love is praying and supporting.
But more than all these things, "We love because God first loved us." (1 John 4:19) Celebrating how one love invariably leads to more love. It was the love Vikki and I had for each other that has lead to the love we have for all four of these little people. God's love leads to our ability to love others - even those who drive us crazy at points! May God continue to help us love and continue to enable his love to pour through us to others.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7: Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.