Bed Time, Prayer Time

  Bed time is our family's sweetest time of the day....unless it's a night like tonight where there is a refusal to go to sleep by one or both children ;)  But, seriously, it is filled with so much preciousness and sweetness!!  Our bed time routine is a family affair.  Sometimes Jacob gives the girls their bath, sometimes I do, sometimes we both do.  Then we let the girls pick who they want to dry their hair, lotion them up, and put their pj's on.  Most of the time, they both want daddy so it pretty much becomes a "who's turn is it for daddy" kind of thing.  Oh, well. 
  Their faces are just so sweet after a good bath.  And soft, too.  After everyone is pj'd up, we gather in Lynnsie's room to say prayers.  Jacob usually leads us in prayer - and that is an answered prayer of mine because I always wanted a husband who would lead our family in prayer and in Christ.  For the past several nights, though, Anna Beth has wanted to say prayers by herself.  She mostly thanks Jesus for our food - the same as her meal time prayer.  We are carefully teaching her that she can pray for more than just her food, although we do not want to discourage her and make her feel like she is praying "wrong".  It is precious to hear even the simplest of prayers from our children.  Lynnsie, too, likes to say her own prayer.  She says, "Thank you, Jesus.  Amen."  Such sweet prayers from sweet babies.
  After prayers, again it's a "who's turn is it for daddy?" and they get to be rocked by daddy that night.  I get to rock the other one :)  But always, always, always...Jacob goes and snuggles with Anna Beth in her bed for a few minutes and then sneaks back into Lynnsie's room for a quick kiss on the noggin'. 
  So, bed time is my favorite time of the day - not only because it means I can crash, too - but because so much goes on with our family at that time.  A lot of teaching, a lot of learning, and a whole lot of loving.