A Middle Aged Woman in Really Cute Shoes

                                                                  

                There was an old woman who lived in a shoe. She had so many children; she didn’t know what to do.  That nursery rhyme always made me roll my eyes. I used to wonder why anyone would choose to live in a shoe. I also wondered why on earth she had so many kids. I figured she had to be out of her mind.

           I just wasn't one of those girls who went all "ga ga" over kids.  As a teenager when all my friends were babysitting, I did my best to turn down every offer to watch children. It just wasn’t my thing. As a young adult my passion for children still wasn’t sparked. When I would see children misbehaving in restaurants, I viewed it as proof for the need of a “no children” section.  I avoided serving in the nursery at church like the plague. When Randy and I became engaged, we talked about everything except children.

            After we were married we enjoyed a comfortable life. We bought our first home before our first wedding anniversary and filled it with lovely new things. Randy and I were both working and enjoying life together. Each afternoon he would call me at work and ask where we were going to have dinner that night. He often said, “Leslie doesn’t make dinner, she makes reservations”.  We were the picture of D.I.N.K.s (Dual Income, No Kids).

            Then, two years later, the Lord abruptly changed our hearts. Before my 25^th birthday, we were expecting our first child.  In March of 1990 Shelby Raye arrived.  I became a stay at home mom.I cooked and made menus instead of reservations. Everything changed, in a good way. Three years later we were blessed by the arrival of  Ashley Amanda in September of 1993. Life was good, we were happy, and pretty sure our quiver was full.  However, in the summer of 1998 we were surprised by another pregnancy. Sadly, we lost that baby in my second trimester.  Through the pain of the loss we realized that our heart’s desire was another child. The Lord blessed us with Carly Rose in June of 1999.

            At this point our quiver felt full and so did our small house. Certain we knew best, we proclaimed our family complete.  Eight months later I asked Randy to come home for lunch and told him we were expecting #4. I will never forget the way he gripped the table as the blood drained from his face. A few months later we moved to a larger home and in November of 2000, Matthew William arrived.  Our new home was a hub of activity with two children in elementary school, a toddler, and a baby! We settled in and continued down the road with our four children.

            Two years later we were greeted with two more pink lines on a test stick. In July of 2003 Jacob Jordan, our 12 pound bundle of joy arrived. (No C-section-had to add that because it is my claim to fame!).  We were now the parents of 5 beautiful children!

            While there are certainly larger families around, we still are larger than the average family. Having more than one or two children these days is really another road less traveled. The D.I.N.K. life we once lived is forever gone. Our home is full of people and very noisy. Our once lovely things are now well worn and our kitchen is open 24/7. 

             Twenty six years ago I would have never imagined traveling down this road. Now, 26 years later, I cannot imagine having traveled any other way.

            The girl who rolled her eyes at the old woman who lived in the shoe is now a middle aged woman, homeschooling her children and wearing really cute shoes!

Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails. (Proverbs 19:21)

                       Wishing you blessings on your journey!

                                          Leslie