Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

When I was a young mother I wanted nothing more than to be a stay at home mom. But when you marry a student, a studying-for-the-ministry student at that, the odds of being a single income family are slim. Very slim indeed. And so for the most part it never really worked out for me to be a stay at home mom. We were creative in my income earning endeavors. I worked nights. I had an in-home crafting business. I worked days and worked my hours around my husbands hours so in all those years we only had a daycare provider for just a few months. Mostly, as Dr. Laura used to say - my husband and I were our kids parents. But in my heart of hearts, I didn't want to go to work - I just wanted to be a mom. And I always said if I couldn't be a stay at home mom then someday, SOMEDAY I was going to be a stay at home grandmother.

I never realized how prophetic those words would become.

The last 12 years I have been working at the university that all of my daughters have attended and graduated from. Since Jess will be graduating in May it has made me realize that I now have some options.

And who doesn't like options?

My two daughters, who are working mama's, have realized I have options as well. And they have begged politely asked me to quit my job and help them take care of their babies since they have to work outside the home for this season in time. How I wish I could have had my mother looking out for my babies in those early years - it would have been so comforting to me.

The whole thought of having such an important role in my grandbabies lives fills me with joy and wonderment and in some ways I feel as though "the years the locusts have eaten are being restored to me". Not in the sense that I get to be a mother again, but that I get to enjoy this newest season of my life to the fullest in a way that will be most fulfilling and satisfying to me. I see it as a gift. An opportunity to invest myself completely in the lives of four little ones who have so many gifts and abilities and possibilities to offer our world. They are so amazing!

So, mid-January I will be hanging up my "Career woman" hat for good (I can't believe I am typing those words!) and putting on my Grandmother hat - on a 40 hour a week basis! I am so happy about this.

Do I expect it to be easy? No

Do I expect to be exhausted? Yes

Do I worry if I can do a good enough job? Yes

Have a wondered what I am getting myself into? A little

But overall, I have a peace about it. I have so many plans and ideas I can't wait to try out. I am putting together a little pre-school program for my 3 year olds and am working out a structured schedule to keep every day. I am a strong proponent of stucture and believe with four little ones it will be the key to success! I look so forward to being in their little lives so much of the time. This just feels like a natural progression for me and I couldn't be more thrilled about it.

The future is looking very, very happy to me!