“Sunshine before the Sunrise”, this is how I need to think of our children sometimes. Life with children is an adventure. A true adventure is something that is not planned. An adventure has excitement, the unknown, high points and low points. Remember the plot of any adventure book you may have read as a child? Were there not many moments when the main characters didn’t know what hit them, didn’t know what was waiting for them around the bend, but also fun times rewarded for excepting the challenge, and usually a twist of a love story in there ? Hum……doesn’t this sound familiar? Heading out the door already late and a huge mess that can’t be ignored and needs to be taken care of, or the new born baby needs to be changed again when she was just changed 15 minutes ago. Then there is the unexpected trip to emergency, the child playing in mud puddles when told not to, the broken down vehicle on the side of the road, toys put in the toilet, and the list goes on. We cannot control most situations and after having children our sense of feeling out of control in our life is heightened. But from the moment we knew our baby was growing within us we began to fall in love, and began a new adventure that would challenge us in many ways.My second daughter is an early riser, always has been. One summer morning, during a time my husband was away all summer for work, my youngest daughter awoke much earlier than normal. I was already naturally exhausted from my husband being gone. Usually she rose with the sun (our little rooster). This particular morning she awakened extremely early and the last thing I wanted to do was get up and be positive about it. In a moment of grace a thought came upon me. She is like the sunshine herself, usually awakening with the sun, but this morning she was my little sunshine before the sun rose. This thought got me through the moment, got me through the day, and helped me through days to come. This is what it is all about. Our children bring us so much Joy and yet so many struggles. Without these moments there is nothing to learn……we need new situations from which to learn. If life remained the same old same old then how do we grow? I believe our children can teach us much and force our hearts to grow through the beautiful and difficult times. This is why I am naming my blog “Sunshine Before the Sunrise”. As our families grow we need to find tips to become more organized in our home, in meal making, time management, along with finding ways to enjoy one another and have fun. I hope to share crafts, fun things we have done together, meals or meal planning tips, organizing tips, and any helpful ideas regarding faith and teaching. I am not an expert in any of these areas and have an extreme amount of learning concerning all of them.
