Just Another Phase

This is not the most current picture but one my favorites:)

This weekend has been an interesting one! Who would have thought I am old enough to have my firstborn moving out?! My 20 yr. old is out on his own and it seems like just yesterday he was a tiny tot getting into everything. In light of my son moving out, I have been doing a LOT of reflecting and remembering.

When my kids were very small, I remember thinking "This is just a phase". What I didn't realize was that kids go from one phase right smack into another one! I DON'T mean that in a bad way at all. Some of the phases have been hard, but others have been lots of fun. Over the last few days, I could (and have) very easily sit and think about all the things I wish I would have done differently. I wish we would have laughed more and stressed less. I wish I would have just enjoyed my kids more instead of all the things I felt I HAD to get done. I guess every parent probably goes through the 'wishing' and 'what if's'. I have to remind myself that it is ONLY by the grace of God that my kids have turned out okay. I have not been a perfect parent and I don't think there is such a thing, but I have done the best that I knew how. I am grateful for all the lessons I have learned through raising my children. I don't know how many times I have felt like God was smacking me right between the eyes when dealing with my kids~like, duh, I am doing the same thing they are!!

While I have done a lot of reflecting and wishing, I also realize that this moment is what we raise them for. Our job as parents is to raise our kids the best we can~to hopefully know and love God, to hopefully know how to love and serve others, to know how to earn a living and care for a family and to make wise choices (like not living on PopTarts:). Even if they don't always make wise choices, it is our job to love them and show Christ to them. I can't say that I have done any of this perfectly, but I have given them my whole heart. This next phase of my son's life is an exciting one. It is one that I will see what kind of man he has become. I have invested 20 years into this boy's life and I am not done yet. It may look different now, but he will always be my 'child'.

I still have an 18-1/2 yr. old son at home and my daughter is getting ready to turn 15, so my parenting days are nowhere near over. I still need lots of grace and I'm sure I have a lot more to learn about God and myself through my parenting.

P.S. Thanks to all of you lovely readers who left comments on my last post!! Comments are so fun:) I have also had fun giving my blog a face lift! I wanted something cheery and this template makes me happy:) Can you tell I'm ready for Spring?!