Blessings

My mother was a great mom and an even better grandmother. She took the kids (quite often) because she wanted to spend time with them and as an added bonus it would give me just a little "me" time (to clean, run errands, craft, rest, etc.). She was my sanity saver (among other things).

A week to the day after my mother's funeral, I found out that I was expecting my 3rd child. It was wonderful and sad at the same time (the new one on the way helped me cope with my grief, but he/she would never know his/her grandmother).

It was very difficult, I had no one to help me (Frank did what he could, but he worked). After my 4th came along I was getting desperate. I nursed all of my children, but they took an occassional bottle (that gave me just a short while to get out of the house alone). Rance (#4) refused to take a bottle. At all. When I had oral surgery, the surgeon told me that I couldn't nurse him for 48 hrs. and had to pump out all of the "tainted" milk - due to the medicine. I needed to store milk ahead of time to prepare. I was concerned and spoke to his pediatrician about him not taking a bottle (we tried every bottle, nipple that we could - to no avail). He said not to worry, if he got hungry enough that he would eat.

Well he didn't. So after I had recovered and was able to nurse him I knew that I would not be able to leave him. He went with me everywhere. (I live 20 min. from town and if I had errands to run he had to go with me.) I would nurse him in the vehicle before we went into the store and I would have to nurse him in the vehicle again before our trip home. He went straight to a sippy cup from the breast and I 'finally' had him weaned at 14 months.

I say all that so you will understand that I truely do love my children, but every mother needs a break occassionally. I feel that it makes us better moms. I also feel it is good for children to know that even though mommy leaves, she will always come back. For 14 months I did not get a break (at all). During my pregnancy with Rance, Frank and I were introduced to this sweet couple through mutual friends. I will call them Mr. & Mrs. B.

They have been a blessing to us. They absolutely love the kids (they have become surrogate grandparents). Every so often Mr. & Mrs. B watch the kids so I can have some very cherished, and longed for "me" time. I can also ask them (between volunteer times) to watch my kids. Mrs. B is retired and Mr. B takes off work when the boys go over to their house.

Mr. & Mrs. B watched the boys for me today. When I picked them up she had my supper ready (as usual). Can you believe that? She watched my kids and fixed my supper. Wow! Did I mention that they are a blessing? They are what I would call 'A God Send.' She had salad and meatloaf for Frank and me and she sent a pizza home for me to bake for the boys! [It's almost too good to be true.]

Every time they watch the boys, she fixes my supper. When they were living near the school (where my 2 older children attend) she called me one night and told me to come by after I picked the boys up from school and she would have us some vegetable beef stew for us for supper. (She also had bread, a salad (with all the toppings), and salad dressing.) The next day school was closed due to snow. She brought supper to us. I was going to go get it (the roads weren't bad and since she no longer had kids in school I didn't think that she would know school was closed), but I didn't have too.

They get the kids birthday gifts, Christmas gifts, and even school supplies when school starts. They are fantastic. They have had one of my tires repaired for me (when I came to pick up the kids once I had a flat tire and Mr. B took it and got it fixed for me).

Do you want to know the best part (if there is a 'best' because it is all good)? Before we met Mr. & Mrs. B, I was talking to my Aunt on the phone and she said that she wished she lived close enough to help me. I said that I wished the same thing too. I said that I had several people that would watch my kids to help me out, but I wished that I had someone that 'wanted' to be with my kids (not 'just' to help me out). Mr. & Mrs. B are exactly that. I know they want to help me, but as an added bonus I know that they want to spend time with the kids too. They are an answer to my prayers.

God does bless us. Even though losing my mother was a tradgedy, "All things work together for good to them that love the Lord."

Be a blessing to someone today.