There are a few people in my life I keep so close to my heart — my most well-kept secrets — people who deserve more credit than I’ll ever know how to give.
Lisa is one of them. She has been caring for our children one day a week for the past three years. She was introduced to me through a mutual friend when Gracey was around 18 months old. Lisa decided to leave her full-time social work position years back to stay home with her children. She then began caring for others’ children as well in her home, treating them as if they were her own. She came into my life at a time when I knew I needed it most. I remember sitting in her living room, Gracey on my lap, Tommy by my side. We were discussing the possibility of Gracey coming to her home once a week so I could continue working. I knew immediately Lisa and I were two in the same. The day we met up, I cried on her couch because I hadn’t yet put Gracey in any type of childcare, but I knew I needed to in order to continue growing my business. Lisa understood entirely and quite truthfully, has never stopped understanding.
She is someone I trust implicitly ~ someone who I see eye to eye with in this crazy journey of parenting. When I think of my toughest moments through the past several years, Lisa has been a constant. She’s listened as the tears rolled down my cheeks after we received a grim diagnosis during the twins’ pregnancy. Gracey was in her care the day I got into a car accident, which was the day the twins were born. She’s been a sounding board for me as we raise our quiet, sensitive little souls and attempt to make the right decisions, day in, day out. She is the first person (outside of family) who any of my children have trusted or felt comfortable enough around to be themselves, and to grow. Lisa and her husband have three children of their own ~ B, R and J. B is Gracey’s idol, R is Gracey’s buddy, and J just may be the girl my boys fight over in 15 years. 😉
My business wouldn’t have been a success if it weren’t for this strong, amazing woman. As a mama, I look up to her, and I’m so thankful to call her my friend. A few weeks back, she asked me to take some photos of her family and my answer was yes, yes, YES. <3 Check out these beautiful kiddos …
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