"I'm Not Looking Forward To My Kids Being Home For The Summer"

is something I have never said or even thought.

I’ve always enjoyed being with my children. And by “always” I actually mean “most of the time” 😂 because we all know that they come with challenges and test us in ways we didn’t know we could be tested.

I’m not going to pretend things are all butterflies and rainbows around here all the time. If I’m being 100% truthful, our children challenge me, test me, and have me asking God for patience EVERY. SINGLE. DAY!!!

I have called my husband angry to vent about the sh*t they did, I’ve called him crying and exhausted begging for answers as to how to deal with behaviours or situations, and I’ve called him feeling completely empty just needing his strength and reassurance that I can do this!

But with all the trials, bumps and learning curves followed by endless prayers, this is a life I’d trade for nothing!

Because on top of the chaos are so many blessings. Spending time on the couch reading their favourite stories, watching them love, help and comfort each other, endless snuggles (even when I’m all snuggled out), the tears I get to wipe and turn into smiles and the little drawings with notes saying, “I love you so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so much mom!” (And sometimes they compete with who can write more “so’s” 😆). I could go on and on because there really are so many blessed little moments in each day!

When I was working I missed my kids. I thought about them constantly and wondered how they were doing. I was worried they needed me and I couldn’t be there to hug them if they were sad or blow on their owie to make it better. (That works better than bandaids in our house). I looked forward to the day ending so I could go get them and just be with them. Their hugs at the end of a day felt better than I can even put into words here on this blog.

So when people would tell me about how much they were dreading their kids coming home for the summer or how they couldn’t wait for school to start again to get their kids out of their hair, it was something I just couldn’t relate to.

For me, I would dread summer ending and us having to be apart again. I dreaded not getting to spend my days with them, hear their little voices or hold their tiny hands.

God has blessed me so much more than I could have ever asked for and I am so beyond grateful for the life He has given me and the path He led me to.

Giving up a career of 13 years was not an easy decision (you can read about why I made that choice here), but it was the best decision.

Our time on Earth is limited.  And although I have no idea how much of it I get with my family here on Earth, what I do know is that I don’t want to waste a second of it wishing it away.

I pray for God to give me the strength, patience and wisdom I need to fulfill my roll as a mother and wife with gentleness, clarity and grace. I pray for Him to guide me through how to raise my children to know and love Him first and always. And I pray for him to help me always count my blessings and not the struggles.

The calling of motherhood isn’t easy. In fact I think I can confidently say, and I’m sure you’ll agree with me, that it is the HARDEST calling there is. But it is also the most blessed and rewarding if we’re willing to allow the challenges to shape us and form us into the person God is calling us to be and if we’re willing to change our perspective on how we view our day-to-day.

So with all of that said, I won’t ever dread the time I have with my children. I may have hard days, weeks or even whole seasons, but I know God has called me to be their mother for a reason and He will always be here to walk me through the challenges and guide me into the many blessed moments filled laughter and snuggles!

Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to spend with me here, I beyond appreciate it!

God Bless,

Sarah ❤️🥰❤️