Priorities...

I met my husband at a younger age.  We were still in our teens.  Late teens but teens none the less.  We didn't start dating until I was nearly 21 though.  He had a girlfriend when we met.  It was kind of funny though... I knew from the moment I met him that I would love him and I wanted to be with him.  I was even fairly sure I was going to marry him.  Imagine my surprise when I realized he was 'taken'. I resigned myself to being his friend and dated other people.  Though none of them ever came close to what I imagined it would be like to be with him.  One day it happened.  He broke up with his girlfriend and we slowly began to date.  One thing lead to another and with in a year we were living together- then married.  Then to our surprise within two months of marriage we were pregnant.  It was a whirlwind of changes.  Wonderful, life altering changes.  What you have to understand is, all of this took place between ages 21 and 23 for me.  Him just a year older.  We were not 'grown up' yet.  Adults? sure.  Grown up? Not even close.  We made some good decisions and we made some very immature and maybe even stupid ones... but marriage and parenthood were not one of them.  I often wonder how different things would be if we had waited a bit longer to have children... Maybe we would be more stable.  Maybe my husband would have finished college.  Maybe we would be more financially equipped...  Tough as much as I think about this from time to time I also understand it does no good to question decisions that have already been made.  We have to work with what we are given... or accept the consequences of what we choose... make the best of it.  We have to face our life and our choices head on and keep moving forward.  It is one thing to learn from the past it is quite another to wallow in it.

I know our choices gave us many, many ups and downs in our lives.  We have never been super financially stable.  Okay- once but it didn't last.  We are on our way back to that comfortable range.  You know, the one where you can breath a little more and not be so scared to look at the bank account.  Not every time anyway.  

But despite these ups and downs in our financial situation I have made one thing abundantly clear.  My kids come first.  I have always made sure they have the best of everything I can offer them.  I don't mean Nikes and Gap Jeans.  I don't mean Ballet lessons and Soccer Teams.  I don't care so much about them having those things.  They are nice.  If we had the money I would more than love for them to do them but what is important to me is that I give them experiences.  I want them to experience as many things as possible before they grow up.  Things like, the zoo, hiking on a trail, cultural festivals, music, dance, art... everything.  I just want them to be well rounded by hands on experiences.  Not only do I feel this is so important for them as developing individuals but I also feel it brings our family so close together.  Sometimes it feels like the only time we aren't arguing is when we are out together enjoying what life has to offer.  There are so many things out there to do and see and I want them to get to do and see all of it and I want us to do as much of it together as a family as possible.  It may seem silly to a lot of people that I feel this way.  I know many family have game nights, or they go out to eat together, or they do a vacation once a year... this is just our way of doing things I guess.  Our way to connect to one another outside of day to day life.

It doesn't always have to be expensive things either.  We are blessed to live in a community where these are a lot of family oriented free or very low cost events.  Things that do cost we manage to save for, use coupons, or once in a while, if we are particularly lucky, win in contest.  So even though we are the definition of a working class family we make it work.  I am able to offer my family exactly what I have always wanted to offer them.  Sure it takes planing and I only have one pair of jeans in my closet and our couch has seen better days... but those are things.  Things that I know one day we will be able to replace.  Right now I want to focus on my kids.  Raising them to see everything.  To understand people, the environment, other religions and cultures...how they can help people.

In there short years, they have already done more than I ever did at their age.  They have been to the Aquarium, Japanese festivals, Scottish Festivals, Greek festivals, watched ballet at the library, sat on a lawn at the park and watched a movie, been to the mountains, gone to a tea party, swam in a lake, been to minor and major league baseball games, been to NHL games, rescued a squirrel and taken it to a rehabilitation center, spent weekend after weekend at the zoo, raised money and walked for Autism speaks, seen the inside of a vets office and how it works, my son has even seen puppies that were only moments old.  They have ridden horses, picked apples, blueberries, strawberries and pumpkins.  Collected fresh chicken eggs from a farm and flown a kite. Been through a corn maze and even watched jousting in a dinner show.  Some of these things sound so simple but I am just so proud that I was able to take them to do these things and enjoy it with them.  I know what you are thinking... I am living my childhood through them.  Maybe a little but honestly does it matter?  The important thing is I know I am at least getting this part right.  I know I have screwed up so many times as a mother but this, this I know I am doing right and that feels so good to me to know that in my heart.  Despite the fact that we are not rich by any stretch of the imagination I am able to share these amazing experiences with them and I know there are so many more things to come and I can't wait.  Maybe I should make a bucket list...?
                                           

Braves Game

Pickng pumpkins

picking apples

Walk Now for Autism Speaks

Tea Party

Medieval Times

In there Zoo Atlanta member t-shits