Brothers

James and Luke are brothers. They share the same last name. They are both often prone to silliness. Sometimes it seems like that's where the similarities end. They are so different! Take this little story, for example:

The other day, we walked to the park (because we can go the park in the middle of "winter" around here-crazy). It had rained the night before (I mean, we had experienced our first tornado warning the night before, which did involve a thirty minute stint huddled in the laundry room-which is basically a large closet-fun!) so...there was mud at the park.

James immediately set himself up to stay out of the mud by climbing to the top of the playground and sitting down to enjoy a little picnic with his granola bar and water. He went down the slide once and freaked out because he landed in a puddle, while wearing his rain boots, and got his sock a little wet. He promptly removed the boot and sock and climbed back up to the top to stay out of the mud. If he desired to get anywhere, he would hop on his one dry, booted foot. Mud? No thank you.

Then there's Luke. When we got to the park, I had just called my dad and was on the phone for maybe three minutes. I was distracted enough to miss Luke's sudden discovery of a large pool of muddy water under the swings. And before I could stop it, he made a bee-line toward that puddle of mud. And so it began...

He danced, kicked, slapped, stomped, laughed, splashed and thoroughly enjoyed the wonderful muddiness. He was soaking wet. He could care less. He had mud splattered across his face and he simply smiled...and yelled a few times, but I'm pretty sure that was because he wanted to scale the playground equipment, probably so he could muddy-up his big brother.

James in his rolling throne...nice and dry.

After a couple more passes, I determined it was time to get going before muddy man turned into cold and chattering man. I gave James the traditional we're about to head out warning and he replied with, "but Moooooom! I don't want to sit next to Luke! He'll get me all wet and dirty." To which I replied, "James, I wouldn't let the chariot (our beloved double jogging stroller) get all dirty. You can ride (your highness) and I'll carry Luke." Notice my concern was solely for the wonderful stroller-not my sons cleanliness. How nice of me.

I stripped Luke to near nakedness, wrapped him in my sweatshirt, carried him, and pushed James in his royal rolling throne, back home.

Upon arriving, James asked me to carry him inside-remember, we have only one dry boot on-while his brother squirmed out of my arms, basically naked and officially barefoot, and promptly found a bit of mud to play with on the edge of the driveway.

And then we took a bath.

It amamzes me! They are so different. And that sure makes it fun.

It makes me stop and praise our wonderful Creator. How awesome that we have a God who is so creative, a God who loves our uniqueness and our differences. A God who made us and loves us, just as we are.

Goof Ball #1 = Mr. Clean

Goof Ball #2 = Mr. Mud

I sure adore my boys. They are silly, different, fun, challenging, quirky, interesting, intense, and oh so very unique. And I love them, just as they are.