In the future...

I have a box for each of my school-aged children that sits by the desk in our kitchen where I toss little treasures thoughout the year.

Sometimes it's artwork. Other times it's little notes they've written to me or their Dad or brothers. The box is also where I store projects or assignments they've worked on in school that I want to save.

I do this because I'm a big, ol' blubbery mess about their creations and if I didn't have some sort of container that required me to pick and choose and {sigh} - toss some of them in the trash, they'd take over every nook and cranny of my world and I'd be a paper-collector worthy of an episode of Hoarders.

Last week, Jack came home with this project he'd done in school. The title of the project was, "In the future...."

Can I tell you what I love about this one?

He writes about his dreams. His hopes. A little window into what he wants to be and who he wants to become.

- A LEGO engineer. This is the only thing he ever talks about wanting to be when he grows up.

- A good artist. He loves to draw. And, he works hard every day at becoming a better artist.

But, what makes this one particularly special to me is that intertwined in the uniqueness that is our Jack, he sees his hopes and dreams for the future in our family.

My house will have a basketball net.
I will have children.
I will have five children.

I don't expect that my boy will make the same choices we have. I don't expect that any of our boys will do that.

But, seeing that my Jack loves our life as a family now enough to want it for himself?

Well, I treasure that.

And, it warms his Momma's heart.