We have the unique privilege of something that was very common in years past, we live with our daughter and son in law and their 7 children! You might think that they actually have moved into our home, but no….we have moved into their home!

We have our own bedroom to share just like everyone else in the house. We eat together and family worship together most of the time. My husband works from home so it’s almost like being retired.

I can hear some of you already asking: “Seven children? At your age how can you stand that all the time?” So, what is it really like to be all together? In one word….. Blessing!

This is a time where my husband and I find ourselves in a new stage of our lives. Our children are all grown and are either newly married or have been raising children of their own for many years now. There is an element of honeymoon now between my husband and I. We can go out and eat just as the two of us, we can travel together, we can be *just us* like it was when we were first married. But, for us, that alone all the time would be so empty, because the Lord has given us such wonderful children and grandchildren!

Our days are never dull, something is always happening, even though all of our children are not near us. Our son is in the Air Force and he and his wife live in VA.  One of our daughters and her family lives in England.  However, one of the greatest inventions of this century brings us into each others homes quite often—-Skype! We love it and use it a lot!

Then there are those times that they come to visit us, which just recently happened! We had everyone here except our English son in law (we missed you!) All 12 of our grandchildren were here. We took pictures, shared a birthday party together, had sleep overs, lots of meals and became aware more than ever how fast time is passing and how precious they are.

As we had our 12 grandchildren together the blessings flowed from day to day.

-There are two of the boys, one from each daughter that look so much alike that if they have hats on it’s difficult to know who is who. All the boys clung together like glue busy with all their boy things!

-The girls are growing so tall and are becoming young ladies right before our eyes. They were so glad to be together they didn’t waste a minute! The cuddles, the hugs, the laughs, the tears, the love!

I have heard grandparents say that they have raised their children and it’s time for them to have their fun. They work, travel, keep busy with hobbies but spend little time with their grandchildren. I have to shamefully admit, there was a time that my own heart was not in the place it is now. I had swallowed the Kool Aid , as one of my son in laws says. I too thought I was in my time of rest and didn’t need to have any part in raising any more children. But, the older I get the more my eyes become opened.

Actually day by day I am seeing new things that the Lord would have me do during the time I have left on this earth! My heart is actually more in love with my children and grandchildren than ever before!!! God has created us as grandparents to be there when our children need us whether they are small or grown.

William Gouge, a godly puritan minister, said we should slowly loosen the reigns with our children not as we are taught in our modern day to cut the apron strings!

Our older children have been married many years now and we have been through helping our daughters through some very difficult (and I mean difficult) pregnancies, cancer with one grandchild, a daughter losing a kidney right after giving birth to her second baby, seizures with one grandchild, almost losing a grandson at his birth, one grandson being shot in the eye with an air soft gun, lots of wounds, scraps, falls, sickness, etc. and etc.

On the other side, as I type to you I am helping care for our nine month old grandson working at getting him to take a bottle (time for weaning). As I listen to some of our granddaughters singing and playing, I remember the firsts…  the little blue lines on the pregnancy tests, the beauty of seeing my daughters first and subsequent babies being born, caressing them in my arms seconds old, watching them all grow, grab, eat, crawl, walk and become little people.  The gentle lines of life being defined day in and day out of their lives.

These are part of the many blessings that come as love dust down from heaven into our lives from the creator of each of us and them. They are not ours, they are His. We have little time to enjoy them before we will be gone. God, in His mercy has given us the duty of being loving grandparents, it is His gift to us.

So, what is it really like to be living with your children and grandchildren? If you love Christ, it is experiencing, touching and feeling what you were born for and why you are alive! To live to serve others and the passing down of Biblical truth from generation to generation. It is to show them with your life that every breath you take, everything you do is all because of the love of Christ and all is for God’s Glory!

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MamaMo is the wife of one wonderful man (for over 40 years), mother of 3 beautiful grown children and their spouses, grandmother of 12, craft show vendor and Scentsy Certified Consultant. She wears many hats, but her favorite and most special times are with her grandbabies! The oldest is 14, the youngest 9 mo old!  (By the way, MamaMo also happens to be my own dear Mama!)

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