forever blessings

I never wanted a lot of kids.  "A lot of kids" is a relative term, but four (soon to be five) children is a lot to me.  The first two were "planned", and the last three were surprises.  It's easy to let the busy-ness of life and the stress that comes with having little children dissuade me from having more.  I'm getting older, and so I probably won't "plan" any more children after #5 arrives.  But looking back, I wouldn't have planned #4, either (whose conception happened at a very difficult time in life).  And now that #4 is here, I can't imagine life without him.  He completes our family.  That's how it's been each time a new baby arrives.  And so now I know and understand that #5 will complete our family even more.  In fact, with each new addition - planned or unplanned - our family gets better.  Better than we would have ever been able to imagine.  


Life is amazing.  And the thing with life is this - it's forever.  Our family gets better on a permanent, forever basis.  What could possibly be more incredible than a blessing that lasts forever?  It's so easy to get stuck in the here and now and say we can't take on any more family members.  But when we look at the big scope of life, if God wants our family to be blessed with more tiny family members, it will always make our family better.  I'm not ignoring the reality of the struggles and trials of this life, but struggles and trials are temporary and will be there no matter if we have two kids or five.  The blessings of a child is forever.  

my forever blessings - Todd (7), Isaac (3), Peter (1) and Eli (5)

photo by Leslie Elder of Letography

peace and love,
kristy