How I know our kids are our kids

Since I invited you to my pity party yesterday, I will share something a little lighter today.  We have 2 kids, Noah who is 11 and Emma who is 8.  Noah is the spitting image of his dad.  Emma is the spitting image of me.  While their features are gender matched, their personalities are cross matched.  Noah is mine.  He is content to be at home, with a book.  He is more introverted and quiet.  He has a specific order for things, and he likes them that way.  Emma is Joel.  She is a party waiting to happen.  She is ready to go at a moments notice, even if she doesn't know where.  She is definitely more extroverted and spunky.  She is more free-spirited - let's just have fun and let the chips fall where they may.  Here is another example.  When I go to bed, the sheets and blankets have to be straight, with the sheet folded back over the quilt, so the quilt doesn't touch my face.  When Joel goes to bed, he just gets in, wrinkled up sheets, blankets can be askew.  He can be asleep before I even get in the bed.  So, ponder this interaction last night.  We were tucking the kids in, Joel was in Noah's room, and the sheets and blankets were all neat and orderly.  Joel pulled them back for Noah to get in.  Noah said "Dad!!  You messed them up!!  Now I have to fix them all over again!!"  Then he goes to Emma's room, where she is already in bed, with the sheet hanging out, all wrinkled and askew, and her comforter in a big lump of waddedness on top.  Joel came out laughing, acknowledging the fact that these are indeed our children. 

I think it is amazing how the Lord knits all of this together.  In His kindness and goodness, and also sense of humor, he takes 2 strangers, brings them together and then creates these tiny humans that, without any coaxing, take on the likenesses and characteristics of their parents.  Simply amazing.