Dream Big Little Ones.

Happy New Years Eve! A new year is coming which means new dreams, new experiences and change. Change can happen anytime throughout the year but somehow we have learned that a new year means new beginnings. Although I am over the whole "New Year resolution" thing, I do like to set goals for the year to come and have dreams about what the year will look like. I have been a dreamer for as long as I can remember. My parents say the same thing about me. Being a dreamer, I create so many visuals and images of what the future will look like. I think that can be both a bad and good thing. Being a mother, I have dreams about my children and what their life will look like. In my blog today, I am sharing the dreams that I have for their life and also some advice that my mom gave me when it comes to the dreams us mothers have for our kids.

The moment I met each of my children at birth I immediately dreamed of what their life would look like. I want their life to be filled with joy and love. For them to love others and to be kind and humble. To be strong, have endurance and work hard. To find the joys in life and to fight through the tough parts in life. I will always encourage my kids to try EVERYTHING just like my parents did with me and my siblings. As they grow and they make choices of what they want to do and try, I am here to cheer them on and encourage them, whatever it may be. You can't control what their journey is. You can only help equip them to prepare for what may come in life. I believe that they are not MY children. As my mom explained to me, "They are God's children and he uses us (parents) to nurture, to love, to care for and to discipline." I couldn't agree more, mom. She further explained discipline meaning to train not to punish. Although, as a parent we have to punish our kids as well. By training our kids, we are called to prepare them for this world so when they are out of our homes and in their own homes with their own friends or family, they will be equipped to make it through life with what we teach them. Teaching them self control, how to be kind, being patient, to work hard for things and other life lessons along those lines.

When I have visions of my kids, I don't vision who they marry (if the choose to get married), how many kids they'll have, where they will work, what kind of car they will drive, what kind of house they will live in, who their friends are, or what community they are apart of. I have visions of who they are as a person and what qualities they have. To love people the way God loves us, to give and serve to those who need it, to treat others with gentleness and compassion and to support each other as brother and sister. Also, to be strong and use wisdom when it comes to making big decisions, to seek God in everything they do, to bring things to the cross and ask for healing when they feel broken. Those are the kind of visions that I have. I know that if they are following Gods path and making good decisions and learning these life skills they will be surrounded by other loving people who will also encourage and lift them up.

Of course there are things that I want for my kids. I want them to have an education, a career that they are passionate about, a life partner, someone they can travel with and experience the joys of life with, to play sports and dance, to learn music and have a love for it like our families do (We have musicians on both sides of our families). I want them to graduate high school and have good friends that don't get into trouble. I think thats pretty common for most parents to have those dreams. I have always said that I have dreams FOR my kids until recently. When I asked my mom what dreams she had for us when we were born one of the first things she said is "Don't dream FOR your kids, but encourage them with what you see them do." I love that. Instead of putting an expectation on my children's life, they WILL dance or they WILL play a certain sport, I will see what they are interested in and encourage whatever that is and go with THEIR dream. Almost like I'm dreaming with them. Since I was little I have always been a dreamer and artistic. My mom and grandma saw how artistic and creative I was and always encouraged me to do art. When I graduated high school and decided to go to beauty school they knew that was my dream. Instead of saying they won't support me going to beauty school and will only help me if I wanted to go to regular college, they dreamed with me and made that dream come true for me. I will do the same with my kids.

I asked my mom what her advice was for me as a new mom when it came to the dreams and visions I have of my children's life. Her response was, "Encourage your kids' life skills and help them develop those skills." She followed with the an example of how she can already see skills developing in Joshua at 2 years old. My mom talked about the way Joshua will try things over and over again without giving up until he figures it out. Thats a great life skill to have. She reminded me to help him grow and continue to teach him the importance of that. At the end of the conversation she added one last note and that was the dreams that she has for her grandchildren. "I dream of traveling with them and discovering the outside life. Taking them camping and scuba diving and showing them all the beauties of this world. I can't wait to show them ALL of the cool things life has to offer. I can't wait to share the childhood stories I shared with you guys as kids and the stories my mom shared with me as a child. I have so many visions of experiencing life with them." Of course, that left me in tears.

I can't wait to see what this year has for us as a family. How much stronger mine and Patricks marriage will become, how much love will develop between Joshua and Annabelle, how many things we get to explore and how much growth we will have in our journey with God. I am thankful for all this past year has brought us. We found our new church that we love being a part of, we had our precious baby girl, Joshua turned one and I made a friend out here in CO that I can call a sister in Christ. Although 2017 had its challenges, Im grateful that we overcame them and are off to a good start for 2018.

Have a great New Year and my your year be full of dreams coming true and finding a new joy.