Never say Never

Have you ever had those times in life where you say "I will never do that."
We all have I am sure...but have those ever come back to say, "That is what YOU thought!"
When I was in high school I was a go go go person. I loved to be busy! I was involved in all kinds of activities and found great pleasure to go from one activity to another. I did not want to be a stay-at-home mom. That sounded boring to me. I did not want to sit at home all day and watch tv (I knew little about parenting obviously). Well, it did not take me long after my first little bundle of joy came into this world that I knew I needed to be home with her. Now, I cannot imagine myself as anything else! I love being home with my kids...which brings me to my next "never".
Homeschooling. I had a degree to teach and I was planning to teach and have my children be in school with me. I was pretty passionate about this - until my first child became school age. I could not imagine sending her away all day. I truly found joy in being with my children. So, a homeschooling-stay-at-home-mom I became... and I LOVE it! I plan to homeschool them all the way through.
I have never really had a plan on how many children I desired to have. I wanted a big family, but really had not put much thought into it. One thing though, was the spacing. I had decided that 3 years was the magic number. For no other reason other than it sounded good. Nope. None of my children are 3 years apart...and I am so thankful. With each child they are getting closer in age and I love that. My children play together so well and enjoy each other.
As I have more children I have found that many of my little "nevers" have become so, well, little. I rock my baby to sleep sometimes, okay many times. I lay with others till they fall asleep. My baby doesn't wear onesies because she sweats in the extra layer. My children sometimes go days without baths. They always play outside barefooted. They play in the sprinkler in their clothes and take baths in their swimsuits. They stay in their jammies all day. We leave the house with dirty faces, unbrushed hair, and mismatched clothes.
God knows me so well...even better than I think I know myself. He knows me now and later. I am so thankful that He changed my heart on each of these "never's". I feel that I am so much a better mom and person because of them! Being a parent is not an easy task, but it is stretching me to be who God wants me to be.