A Sweet Reminder

This post wont have any pictures. Odd for me, I know. On saturday night when Robbie was at the Priesthood session of conference I took all three kids with me to Kroger for a big grocery shopping trip. I was a little nervous and even thought about waiting for Robbie to get home. I knew he would be tired and it would be late, so we just went. As soon as we got there the boys were off! They said they were going to look around and that they would be right back. I seriously heard them playing from afar as I strolled down the isles with Molly in that HUGE HUGE HUGE car buggy thing. I pretended I didn't know them! hehe! They weren't being bad or running around or anything...I could just tell by the giggles that they had found something very fun. A little after the meat section, I turned around from trying to decide which Oscar Meyer lunch meat to get, and about jumped out of my Sperry's! Carter and Brayden both had on the most hideous Halloween masks. Molly, of course, became very dramatic (I know, imagine that!) and started to pretend scream...which sounded like a real scream...which, if the masks hadn't already, cause a little more attention towards our colossal buggy than I would care to have on a normal trip to the Kroger. I decided well, they aren't really doing anything wrong. And that Halloween isle is obviously there to attract such hoodlums. So ,I just stopped with the buggy, let Molly out, and let them play. And I stood there and watched and commented on which mask I thought was the most scary. Even Princess Drama joined the scary mask fashion show. As I stood there watching them I noticed an older, very classy and beautiful and well dressed lady a few feet down the next isle over (the chip isle!). She was stopped in the isle, looking right at us. She was not looking at chips or sodas that were on that isle. I thought to myself oh no this lady is irritated with my little Coots show and is going to march over here and tell me how bad of a mother I am and that I need to control my kids and that back when she was younger she would have been heat with a switch behind the outhouse for that behavior. I was all ready for her approach with a plan in my head to smile and say that I am sorry we interrupted her shopping and then gather up my chicks and hang out heads low and head to the dairy section. But, that is not what happened. She did approach me. Rather swiftly, actually. She came very close to me and said, with tears in her eyes, "honey, please forgive me for crying, but I have been standing there watching you and those sweet children and I was prompted so strongly that I couldn't stand still to come and tell you something...please enjoy every second of this because I promise you with all my heart that you are going to miss this...you are really going to miss this...my boys are 27 and 29 and I would give anything to have back what you have now...it goes so fast, their childhood does...so please promise me and yourself that you will enjoy every minute...let them play, let them be kids, and love on them like there is no tomorrow!" I thanked her for her kindness and told her how much I love my kids and she continued down the chip isle. I will NEVER forget that. Ever. I wanted to put it on this blog and have it forever. So thankful for special reminders...even when they are right past the meat section at the Kroger.