My great-nephew, Jaxon, turns 5 tomorrow. It’s so hard to believe that he is 5 already. I remember when my niece was pregnant with her first child, Carson. I remember her telling me that she had some news to share. She was so nervous to let me know that she was pregnant. She has always been like a daughter to me, so she thought the news might disappoint me.

I wasn’t disappointed but I was worried about her future. She was 17 when she told me and was a senior in high school. That was 11 years ago. She had Carson in December and was back at school in January to finish her senior year. She has grown into such a responsible adult and now has two beautiful children. I admire her so much and am proud of the woman she has become and the amazing mother that she is. She loves Carson and Jaxon so much and so do I. They bring such joy to our family.

Though none of us were ready for her to have a child at that time, we are all so blessed for the beautiful gift that God gave her and our family. And then a 2nd gift came years later.

We all learned that the best things in life are not always planned.