Ideal Timing

Before you get a job you should have a college degree.  Before you get married you should have a good job and a house, maybe a condo.  Before you have kids you should have stock options, money saved, own a home....

These are all things the world tells us we "should" do.  You should have all your ducks in a row before you make any life changing decisions.  Norm and I laugh in the face of what the world tells us we "should" do.  Now I'm not saying you shouldn't try to be prepared or that you should be irresponsible in making major life choices.  I'm just saying that we've never done life quite the way society thinks we should and we certainly have never had "ideal timing".

We met in college and got married before we were done, our honeymoon was only 3 days in Vegas because we had to get back in time to start the new semester.  When Kieren was born Norm was in Seminary and we were renting an apartment but after a little while we couldn't afford it so we moved in with my mom.  When Zoe was born Norm was still in Seminary.  Yes, being in school and working and having kids is freaking hard, but we did it and I don't regret one day of it.  It has shaped who we are.  In recent years we have discussed the probability of "being done" having kids.  Norm has recently gone back to school to get his Mdiv and finish this verrrrrrry loooooooong journey we've been on of him becoming a pastor.  We decided that although we longed for another child, it probably wasn't the responsible thing to do with him in school again...wow what kind of stress would that add?  I admittedly was pretty sad about it but accepted it.  School so far has in fact been stressful but we have re-arranged our work schedules to make study time more possible and Norm is slowly but surely figuring out how to do this whole distance learning thing.

In the past couple weeks I had started wondering if I might be pregnant.  Honestly I was pretty freaked about telling Norm because of what it would mean in relation to having just under 3 more years of school left...yikes.  We went out the night before I took the test and he told me "Sure, it's not ideal timing but I think at this point I would be disappointed if you weren't, and c'mon...when have we ever had ideal timing?"  Well, sure enough...I am!  We were surprised and shocked but very happy and so were the kids when we told them.  Kieren said, "so we're going to have a bigger family, I've always wanted a bigger family!".

A lot of changes are about to happen...we need to find a bigger house (and we're praying it has a space for mom again), a bigger car...and figuring out how to make it all work with Norm being in school; but hey, it's not like we haven't done that before.  ;)

The world tells us how to live the ideal life but the truth is, life is not ideal.  It is crazy, busy, beautiful, unpredictable, heartbreaking, joyful and fulfilling.  We didn't plan on this life change but we are embracing it wholeheartedly.  I am about 7 weeks now and I know some people think that's too early to tell, but you are all very special to us and we couldn't wait to share the news.  Keep us in your prayers, that I will have a safe and healthy pregnancy and that we can go with the flow on all the changes that are to come.

We love you all!