Once upon a baby doll….

This baby doll was given to me at about my 5 or 6 birthday from my Grandpa and Grandma Nelson. I can still remember being in their living room and opening it. It came nestled in a pink checked cardboard cradle with a pink blanket. I still have the blanket, but not the cardboard part!  She is the one baby doll I loved and cherished and helped me to dream about the day I would be a mom  🙂
The fun part now, is that my girls love to play with her, as do friends kids. They have been given other dolls, but this is the one they always love and play with. She is well loved!

It brings back good memories and also makes me laugh, since now we have six beautiful children and another on the way!  God does have a sense of humor!  I used to mock and laugh at our neighbors that had TEN children – TEN can you believe it! – after all I came from a family with three kids, much more “normal”.  HA!  See God does have a sense of humor  😉 (Do you think we’ll be blessed with 10?)

  When I was little I always wanted to be a wife and mother.  I didn’t always feel as though that was supported as a child. When people ask “what do you want to be when you grow up?”- responding with a wife and mom gets furrowed eye brows, or “that’s cute, but what JOB do you want to do.”
I hope my girls  and other young women I know, feel encouraged that if that is where their heart is drawn, that they are not frowned upon.  We are all born to do and be different things in this life, and being a wife and mom is a privilege and honor – not always easy – rewarding and heart wrenching all wrapped up in one!

I believe all women are born with a mothering heart, so if you’re not married, or don’t have children, find someone to love, nurture and encourage – it’s part of who you are.  If you have  little ones, smile at them, play a game, truly take some time to ENJOY them without being distracted by the to do list. Be truly present.

This baby doll makes me smile and remember my past, and she makes me smile at the future. God willing she’ll be my grandchildren’s favorite doll as well!