Life Will Never Be the Same

My parents have a timeshare, and they took Nathan and Grace with them to enjoy a week of fun in the sun. This particular timeshare had an indoor water park, which the kids enjoyed immensely. According to Mama, they liked the water park with all the water slides, lazy rivers and whatnot, but what they really loved was the pool near the cabin.

They had the best time swimming and playing together, without having to listen to me yell at them to be careful and stop running. I was not there to yell at them to stop having a good time running, because I was at home with Trevor enjoying the sound of, well...no kids running.

We ate out every night and came home to a house that looked exactly as we left it. No stray Lego pieces on the floor. No random parts of a dollhouse under the kitchen table. Just furniture and 2 cats.

Two sad, lonely cats I might add. We are clearly not as entertaining as the kids when it comes to keeping the felines happy.

While I'm on the subject of sad and lonely, I suppose I should include myself and Trevor. We enjoyed our time together, but the life we had before children is gone and we like it that way. Sometimes we moan and groan about never having a moment of peace, and about how we can't go out at the drop of a hat, but the truth is, we wouldn't trade it for the world. Our house is not home without Nathan and Grace in it.

People always say with a tone of great foreboding that your life will never be the same once you have kids. I always say it with joy and happiness to newly pregnant friends. Of course your life will never be the same. Just like when you left home for the first time, or when you got married. Life was never meant to stay the same. God intends for us to grow and expand, so that we can be used by Him.

Do I miss the days of deciding to see a movie at 9pm Friday night and just going? Sometimes. Do I miss being able to read (or sew, or visit with a girlfriend) all afternoon with no interruptions? Of course. But the joy of having a child love me unconditionally far exceeds the fleeting happiness that comes with those other things. Given the choice, I'll take those sticky hands and dirty faces any day of the week.