It might surprise you to discover there was a time Andy and I decided we didn't want kids. There was too much we wanted to do, too many places we wanted to visit, and honestly, neither one of us were what we considered "kid-people." We decided that having children was a fantastic calling, but definitely not for us.God, however, knew better. He ignored our decision and our ignorance and our selfishness. He gave us Janelle and life was never the same.
Honestly, we were right about some things. Life is a little harder now and a lot more hectic. We have less time for ourselves and less time together. But we never realized that every single second would be worth it. Life is better now; it is so much sweeter.
We call her lots of things... Beans, Nelly, Butterbean, Monkey Toes, Janelley Beans, Nelly Belly... but we named her Janelle Marie Sidelinger. It means "The Lord is Gracious." Today, on her 3rd birthday, we praise the Lord for his grace. He blessed us with a gift that we don't deserve and didn't even know we needed: our Nelly.
ok Jill- that post made me cry, how true it is, life is never the same after kiddos come into it :) Happy B-day to Janelle :)
ReplyDeleteBrandi M.