Obedient days... and tantrum days.

This is my little doodle bug at the age of 15 months... 

Maybe it was denial... or maybe I just assumed that's how everybody's kids acted... but just look at the fire in her eyes! This is one of my all time favorite pictures of Evangeline. I captures her personality perfectly. Full of life. Spitfire. Defiant. Never a dull moment.

Now, this is my precious little boy at just about the same age.

This is one of my favorite's of him... it captures him completely. 

Full of life, yet content to sit down and ponder the field of buttercups instead of running as fast as he can away from me. 

He's generally laid back, content and usually very agreeable.

So the other day, something happened that clearly impacted me so deeply that I still can't stop thinking about it. Are you ready?
So... I had just sat down on our back deck, only to glance up at Elliot as he was putting something into his mouth. Now, I instantly flash back to 'toddler Doodle'... this sort of thing usually took all the energy that I could muster just to tackle her down, pry the object out of her mouth... then proceed to deal with the tantrum and discipline that would follow.

But as I sighed and started to get up, my back and tailbone seized up... and the pain kept me from jumping up right away. So decided to try something that never would've occurred to me otherwise. I looked at Elliot and said... "Oh no buddy... that's danger."
He stopped walking and just looked at me. "Thank you..." I said as I held my hand out.
Now here's the amazing part. Elliot looked at me, took the 'dangerous choking hazard' out of his mouth... walked across the deck, placed it in my hand... and continued on as if nothing ever happened.

I was floored! What an angel child! As I bragged to my mom about this amazingly obedient son that I had... she looked at me and said nonchalantly... "Ummm... yeah, that's how all of you were."

I'm sure it's not a big deal to a lot of you... but seriously, after you get used to battling everything with one child... well, I guess I'm still in a state of shock.

The more I observe such a drastic difference between my two children... the more I become amazed at the love that the Lord has for us! I love both of my children so much. I would never love Evangeline less because she throws tantrums and tells me I have a 'big booty'. And I don't love Elliot any more because he obeys and likes to cuddle with me.
I love them because of who they are. Not because of what they do or how they act. They are my precious children. Nothing they could ever do, right or wrong, could change that.

I'm sitting here amazed to know that I have a Savior who adores me on my obedient days as well as my tantrum days... now that's LOVE.