31 years of blessings

Today, I've been alive for 31 years. I am happy to say that after everything I've gone through, happiness, heartache, achievements and failures...everything in my life lead me to where I am now. I don't have a perfect life, but I am very blessed with a wonderful husband and 6 (almost 7) beautiful kids.

I was very fortunate to be raised by loving, supportive parents. They taught me to always have faith in God. Even when life seems hopeless at times, God always has a way of giving me a little gift. I have had to use this foundation of faith MANY times in my life.

Heath & I never "planned" on having THIS big of a family. We always wanted a big family, I just didn't think it would happen this soon or be this big. Had we not had the faith to just let God give us the gift as they came, I really don't think we would be as happy as we are today. Sure, we don't take the big vacations and have a huge house or really nice cars, but we have a bunch of kids that we wouldn't trade for anything in the world. That is so much more valuable than any material possession we could ever dream of. We will have time to travel and have time to ourselves after the kids are grown. Plus, we will have a big, loud, fun, loving family to share the rest of our lives with.

I really believe that everything works out a certain way for a reason. I met Heath when I was out celebrating my 21st birthday at Old Chicago. He was our server. He had just graduated from college, but was having trouble finding a job in his field. We talked a little that night and I thought he was cute. Then a little while later, he moved to Miami for an internship with the Florida Marlins. I didn't see him again until a year later. I had started serving at Old Chicago and he moved back a few months after I started there. We ended up in the same place at the same time one night, and from then on, we were inseparable. I knew 2 weeks after I met him that he was probably the one. He said he knew too. He even told a few friends that he thought I was the one after a few weeks, and they thought he was crazy. Less than a year later, we got married.

I am so fortunate to have a husband that is not only open to life, but willing to help out. I really feel like we do most things 50/50. Sometimes, he is able to give a little more than I am and sometimes I am able to give a little more than he is. The good thing is, when one of us is overwhelmed, the other is able to step up and give the other one a break. We just work.