On the cusp...T-minus 2 days!

We are currently 2 days away from having our second son, and no I'm not going to announce his name in this post!
However, being on the cusp of something monumental has us looking and reflecting back on Brendan's birth.  If you need a reminder read http://the-smart-family.blogspot.com/2010/03/13-minutes.html.
Since Brendan has joined us he's been everything we could have hoped for and more!  He's funny, energetic, joyful, loving, compassionate, and a genuinely good kid.  It's been a fast 2 years, too fast maybe.  Soon he'll be riding his bike around the neighborhood begging me to stay out 10 more minutes.

Soon our blog will turn from a report about a family of 3 to a report about a family of 4 - and that's got some weight to it.  As parents we strive to parent "with the end in mind".  This is something that doesn't come easy for anybody, but especially two people that aren't naturally reflective and contemplative.  We have great examples in our life in Pullman of this goal - reflectors and guard rails of admirable parenting.  Parenting that's not child-focused, but child-empowered.  Parenting that gives boundaries without fear of making mistakes.  Relationships that evolve and change as God continues to mold us.   We will struggle, as any parent will I suppose, to maintain an open and transparent atmosphere where it's okay to not be okay, but not okay to stay there. 

It takes more than will power to be a good parent.  We would contend that it takes parents who are praying for their children.  As hard as it is, we want to be open-handed with our lives and children.  Only God knows what the future will hold for us, who are we to think we should sit behind the wheel or try and navigate.

We're excited for who this little man to come will be.