Month of Thanks -- Day Seventeen

I got married on September 12, 1987 and became a mother on

June 14, 1988.

(I'll do the math for you -- that's 9 months and 2 days later.)

Was it surprising to us when we found out we were pregnant just a month after being married?

Yes.

Were we more than a little excited?

Heck yes!

Was I scared?

Oh, yeah. I was only 19 years old!

Was it what we had planned?

No, we were told (by many people) "you need to hold off having children for a little while so you can get to know each other better and enjoy being a married couple for some time." I don't know if people were scared for us because we were so young and pretty much had a whirlwind romance. Or maybe it's because they already knew how hard marriage alone was without adding children to it. I don't know. So, no, we weren't planning on having a child so soon but couldn't have been more happy about it!

Was it easy?

No.

Did I ever wish it were different?

NO WAY!

Even though it was hard at times, I loved being a mother.

And I still do.

It's really all I ever wanted to be.

(I jumped around studying all kinds of random things with no real goal in sight but I think that made me a better mother. But that's another post for another day.)

I sometimes stop and think about those trying times when they were all little.

Oh, it was exhausting!

Exhausting but fun.

I miss those times.

I loved watching them when they would discover something new or learn a new skill.

It was fun to see their personalities come out.

Yes, I miss those times.

Yesterday, while Emma was at school and I was all by myself, I got teary-eyed just thinking about it.

I don't have anymore babies and I won't be having anymore babies.

It's a weird feeling.

Some may count the days till they are in my season of life.

But, for me,

it's a little sad.

Obviously, I'm not done with being a mother -- a mother's work is never done!

(Just ask my mom who I still call almost daily for mothering!)

Sometimes I just miss the days when the biggest problem my children had was that their brother took their toy and broke it.

But, although it's a different time for me now, I'm going to try not to waste it away constantly longing for the past or worrying and dreaming of the future.

My challenge right now is living in the present.

Yesterday is history.

Tomorrow's the future.

Today is a gift,

That's why it's called the 'present'!

(Cheesy but true!)

I am grateful to have the opportunity to be a mother.

I don't take it for granted that I have the opportunity because I know a lot of women who don't have this opportunity in this life.

I am thankful my Heavenly Father has trusted me to take care of six of His precious children.

I have been blessed with six strong, healthy, smart, talented, good children.

I am thankful to be their mother.