Ch-ch-ch-changes!

I am currently experiencing a season of change. Change is a wonderful thing sometimes and very difficult sometimes. Our lives changed dramatically when Marley was born and even more dramatically when we had Laney just eleven months later. But those were good changes. When the company where Lewis worked for ten years shut the doors because of a law-suit and immediately re-hired their staff through a temp agency without their benefits--that was a bad change.

I think that the changes we are experiencing at this point are good changes and ones that will make us happier in the long run. For starters, Lewis will begin working at a new job on Monday. With it comes a substantial pay raise and lots of benefits he does not currently have. We are hopeful that this will mean not only financial security for our family, but the possibility of being able to buy a bigger house within the next couple of years.

As with any change like this I am both excited and nervous. I know that having more money will be nice, but I am also aware that if something should happen to this job, it will hurt to go back to the salary he is making now. But I know God is looking after us and we will be fine whatever happens.

The other big change that is getting ready to take place is the retirement of my boss. She has been in charge of the office where I work for the past 6 1/2 of the 7 years I have worked here. I am excited about this too, although I'm not sure what changes this will bring. Without being ugly, I will just say that I am not fond of her. I wish her well in the future, but I'm glad she is leaving. I hope that things will be better around here now.

My children are always changing and growing. We had pictures made over the weekend. When the preview of Marley's came up on the computer screen it took my breath how much older she looked. I know that baby-hood is far behind her now and that Laney is right on her heels. By this time next year all the traces of baby will be gone from both of them. No longer tiny and fragile, they will be little girls--beautiful and strong. Though I still have a lot to show them and teach them, there will soon be an independence in both of them that will pull them away from me.

I believe that we are closest to our children just after they are born when they need us the most. After that, there is a constant pulling away. It's a little sad, but at the same time if they never changed from their newborn days, we would never know the people they become. Parenthood is like a never-ending introduction. You're always finding out something new.

I am excited to see what the next few months will hold.