Student Choice

Since this past July, I have lived with 7 children. The ages range from 17-3 years old. I started out as their babysitter, but now they are my family.Three years ago, I was babysitting for another family and I thought my time as a "babysitter" was over. I was getting burned out and was looking for other jobs. Then I met my currently family and the rest was history. We're now roommates and they are all my best friends. The love is unconditional.  Every single day is crazy, but the amount of fun we have always outweighs the bad. Just last night, we had 6 fifth graders in the kitchen reciting the Constitutions Preamble during dinner. Every single day the kids get smarter and learn something new. With such a big age gap, one minute a kid is asking to drive my car while another needs me to tie their shoes. Seeing the world through a child's eyes has helped me so much in my life. Before I moved in, I went through hard times. I wasn't emotionally or physically healthy and these kids stood by me and helped me get to the place I am today. They took me in and have treated me as one of their own. A child can teach you so much about life. They have taught me to see the joy in the little things. Like seeing a child's face the first time he has tied his shoes on his own, or when a kid aces a test. Life is going to be hard, but it's about enjoying the ride with the people you love that makes it count. These kids have also taught me that it is okay to ask for help. It's okay to not be able to do everything on your own. Sometimes it takes a village. Back to the other night, the twins had to memorize The Preamble. The assignment was a song given on Youtube for them to listen to, memorize it, and then recite it to their teacher the next day. Let me tell you, all 10 of us in our house now know the Preamble. We didn't turn that song off until the twins could sing it on their own. The next day we watched as two excited twins came sprinting and racing each other home from school telling us that they nailed the Preamble. These kids have given me my strength and happiness through their little joys in life.

I'm 24 years old and I used to be so focused on being older that I forgot about all the amazing life accomplishments that make you who you are. This past year we have celebrated playoffs, confirmation, 1st day of school, 2 high schoolers learning how to drive and getting their licenses, ear piercings, college acceptance, birthdays, holidays, and so much more. There has been commitments to schools and important life decisions made by all. We have faced challenges but we've come out stronger because of them. I cannot wait to finish out this year so I can continue to watch each kid grow and succeed. We're looking forward to an eighth grade and high school graduation coming up. I also can't wait for a summer of baseball games and quality time with each kid. God truly has a plan and I count my blessings everyday that I have the people that I have. Here's to many more great things to come.