From College to Diapers

Our family is larger than Erik and I ever dreamed. We had our oldest at a young age and we thought after 4 years of life with just him, that he would be it. Then, along came our daughter. When she came into the world we thought our family was complete. We had a boy and a girl and we even had our boy first so that he could be the big brother. What more could we want?  

Well, there was a surprise for us 6 years later, another girl. We were pretty sure at this point there would be no more children for us. Three is an uneven number but that was ok. It made us a family that was a bit larger than average, but three children really isn't that many. Then to our surprise.....BAM! Number four came just two years later. A boy, and that made our number even. Two boys and two girls. 

Erik and I never really wanted a big family. He and I both wanted larger than life careers and we wanted to travel. Children never were something we imagined would shape our lives and our paths. Boy, were we ever wrong. When it comes to being wrong, I guess we have the market cornered because anything we've ever thought we have been right about, has pretty much turned out to be wrong. Or, if we are right, something eventually happens that makes us have to change our view and see things from a new perspective. 

The initial plans that we had for our lives weren't bad, and neither is the route that our lives have taken. For some a life without children, or one, or two children, suits them just fine. Then, there are those of us with larger families, and it suits us just fine as well.

 Sure, it can be trying to have four children ranging from college to diapers. (The daily needs that must be met are so different. One needs scholarship and career path guidance, while another needs us to feed him and change his diaper. The differences can mentally give me whiplash, but it also keeps me on my toes.) Our oldest just registered to take some courses at the college where his father and I met. Life comes full circle, in a beautiful and spiraling way. One day we may have the path all figured out, and then before we know it, we're back where we started. Life is challenging but it's beautiful.