Did you always want a family so young?

Have I always wanted to have a family so young?  My answer? absolutely.  My husband's?  Absolutely not. 

My husband comes from a family where you don't have kids until you're completely settled.  His mom and dad adopted him when they were already in their 40s and knew that they had the means for him and his brother.  I come from a fairly large family.  A family that realizes the time you have today is not time you can use tomorrow.  A young family. 

My mom was very young when she had me, and you know what?  I have always been thankful.  I've been able to have meaningful conversations, go see movies, and learn to garden with my Great Grandmother.  I've been able to spend every day with my grandparents, and they are still able to do just about anything with me.  Wanna go jogging? Sure, why not!  Wanna go walk around the mall? Let's go!  Want to sit down and make a puzzle? Which one should we make? Can you help me with this bacteria model that's due tomorrow?  Get your shoes! We're going to Hobby Lobby!

And my mother?  When I hit my teen years, she hadn't forgotten what it was like to be a teen.  Her high school memories were still so fresh that she knew EXACTLY what I was going through.  It's true, more times than not my mom are more like best friends than mother/daughter... but most of the time, that's better for me.  I have someone I know I can turn to, for anything, anytime.

Now that I have kids of my own its only gotten more awesome.  Unlike many other people my age, I have a brother my son's age.  Is it weird from time to time?  Yes, no doubt.  But the other 90% of the time, its pretty fricken awesome.  My son always has someone to play with.  My mom and I can hold meaningful conversations because we're going through similar things.  It bonds my mother and I in ways I never thought possible.  And it is amazing.

What's even more amazing?  Watching my Grandmother still play with my kids.  Hop through the grocery store over every line.  Dance in the kitchen, just because we can.  To see them snuggle up to read with her on the same recliner where she held me as I cried over starting Kindergarden.

In addition, last week I also had the privilege to watch my uncle wrestle with my boys! To listen to their conversations, and receive funny pictures of them while I was out on a rare date night with my husband. My uncle has always meant so much to me, and now he's going to mean a lot to them.  This is a never ending circle of love... and I'm loving it.

We are able to be such a closely knit family.  Is it hard to have a family before we have everything laid out, and perfect?  More times than not.  But the rewards are far greater than any house a college job could buy.  And this is time I could have never could have had back.  Memories that might never have been made it I had waited 10 or so years...