A reflection after 17 years of marriage

Ariel messaged Neil and I a belated anniversary picture she created for us today. Three days ago marked 17 years of being married to my sweetie.  Can you believe it?  17 seems like so many years; yet it seems to have gone so fast and I truly do feel so young still!

I look at us here and wonder what we were thinking...

Like the 5 kids I was wanting became 9! Would I think my future self was CrAzY or blessed? Somedays I'm still in awe, like is this our life?  Pinch me; it's too good to be true.  Not that it's been easy or is easy.  Because it's not!  It's far from it - lol!  Large family living is tough.  Homeschooling is tough.

Like our new house that we wanted to build would become buying my brother-in-law's family house that HE grew up in?  No brand new house where we get to pick out and design everything.  Nope.  Nada.  God planted in some very important wisdom that came from my mother-in-law, "Do not consider Katie's salary into your house price.  You know once you start having kids, she won't want to go back to work".  She was right!  And thank God, we listened!!!  (and thank you, Jean, for speaking up!!  You are a great mom!!  Then and still today - we are SO blessed by you!).  Our dream house that we were wanting to build became an older house that has been added onto once and renovated multiple times to accommodate our growing family.  And it's SO close to our families whom we treasure so much!

Like would we have thought I'd quit working after less than a year of teaching.  Even if I hadn't been in an accident in March and forced to quit my first year early, I wouldn't have gone back.  Baby numero uno was on his way!!!  And, my mother-in-law was right - I didn't want to go back to work.  But, WORK is what I did and still do today...  I run a household of 11 people, homeschool 7 of our 9 children, balance being a mom of teens, pre-teens, a toddler, a baby, and a few in-betweens.  There's never much quiet to my job.  There's always some place to run, something to do, someone who needs extra love and snuggles, and on and on.  It's not a job that many brides dream about.  Nothing that seems life-changing and world-altering.  But, man-oh-man, is that stereotype SO wrong!!  I am forming 9 souls for Christ to send out in this world.  The 1+1 (+1 being Christ) = 11 !!  We became a family of 11!  That's great WORK I'd say.  A Magnum Opus, if you know what I mean!  ;)

And then I look at us here.  Two smooching lovers (well, actually 4 smoochers - I had a double wedding with my sister!!  They're pretty cute too, eh?).  And, I think of my own kids...  what will their future hold?  Will they experience the beauty of Holy Matrimony?  Holy Orders?  Only God knows.  Neil and I will continue doing our best to foster all vocations and trusting our children into His hands and the hands of Our Lady.  And then to never never never EVER forget that we did our job.  Our children do have free will.  They may stray.  They may make mistakes.  And if they do, then Neil and I need to let go and trust even more.

++Thank you, Lord, for these last 17 blessed beyond all measure years married to my groom.  Please continue to live in us and through us as we love each other and lead each other to Heaven.++

A reminder to my future self... (guest post)

"Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of children is their parents."   

~Proverbs 17: 6

Today's post is brought to you by an anonymous mystery guest poster!!  

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This is a great reminder for us all to learn from your experiences and to always want the best for our own children someday. 

**Moms who are in the trenches right now** - read and take note for your own kids/grandkids someday.

**Current grandparents** - read and take note on how you can best help your own son/daughter right NOW.

(also tying this in with 7 Quick Takes, since this includes 7 tips for my future-grandparent-self)

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Right now my husband and I are in the trenches of raising a young family. We have all the busyness that goes along with that. Some of the kids are of school age. Some of the kids are too young for school. Some kids do soccer. Some do baseball. Some do swim lessons. Some dance. You get the idea.....we are a busy family. Running here, running there, trying to have suppers together as a family, trying to keep our Domestic Church thriving.

So, I'm writing a note to YOU, my dearest future self. I'm helping you from here, the distant past, to help yourself. How thoughtful of me, huh?!

Remember when you were raising a young family? When life didn't revolve around just moving YOURSELF around. Remember when you had to buckle many precious lives into the car BESIDES yourself?
So please hear this advice just for you my dear grandparent self .....

1. Come over. It's harder to move a large family of many members compared to moving 1 person. AND don't always wait for that formal invitation. It may not come. You have to just ask, hey, can I come over?

2. Kind of like number 1. Come over and pick a child up and spend some time with them. It's tough to get everyone in the car to drop a child off at your house. Moving you, 1 person, is easy peasy. Just come over and pick up a kid. Spend time with them. This time doesn't have to be extravagant. Just be! Create memories! How else are you going to get to know these wonderful grandkids of yours if you aren't willing to spend time with them!

3. A trusted babysitter is priceless. Offer to babysit for date nights and even for vacations. Remember how much it costs to pay a babysitter to watch many many children? AND grab a movie AND dinner? Yeah, date night doesn't happen very often for us when my husband and I desperately need a night away.

4. When a new baby is born and you want to cuddle that new precious soul, ALWAYS come bearing food and gifts. You may not always be welcome.....BUT when offering gifts of food or toys, it's hard to turn you away.

5. Oh, this also goes along with number 4. Call or text before you come over. It's just a small common courtesy. It's nice to be presentable and have my teeth brushed. It's not hard. It just says, I respect your time too. 

6. Remember when all the kids were home and you tried to do your best and be fair? You didn't take one child that you favored to Disney world while you left the rest home. Right? So, this goes along with grandkids too. BE FAIR! What you do for one, make sure you do for another. You may have favorites. But soon enough THEY will know and sense that. These grandkids of yours are smart. If you take one shopping, by golly, make sure you take another shopping (or hiking, or swimming, or out for ice cream) the next time. 

7. And last but not least my dear future grandparent self.....ASK how you could be better. Ask these precious children of yours, who are now parents, what YOU can do to be a better grandparent. What do THEY want you to do? They and their children and their children's children will be the ones visiting you in the nursing home.....or not. 

It's up to you.....

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Feel free to head on over to see some more "7 Quick Takes" by clicking the image below....