These Three Call Me Mom...

When my husband and I married, I had two more years of undergrad school and he had at least three years of seminary to complete before we would add children to our family.  We agreed to wait five years before having our babies.  And so it was though I longed to be a mother and at times begged my husband to agree to a change in our plans.  He could not be convinced and I knew he was choosing wisely, but still I counted the months until we could have a baby.

John Groves Worden, June 12, 1971

I know that I am very blessed.  Not all women are able to conceive when they want but when the agreed upon time arrived, I became pregnant and our first son was born the day after I turned in my keys and completed my third year as a librarian in a middle school in Racine, WI.  I was thrilled.  He was perfect and the deep desire of my heart was being fulfilled.

James William Worden, September 4, 1973

Our first church was in Loomis, NE and that was where our second son arrived two years after his brother.
Again, I was thrilled.  He, too, was perfect and he was another answer for the deep desire of my heart.

Our second church was in Brooklyn, NY.  

Sarah Joy Worden, December 10, 1976

From a town of 320 people in rural NE to a borough of 3.2 million in NYC, we were adjusting to major culture shock and busy toddlers when we learned baby number 3 was on the way.  I was secretly hoping for a girl this time and again, the deep desire of my heart was fulfilled.  The church we served was bilingual - English and Norwegian.  My husband was the English speaking pastor and another man from Norway served the Norwegian congregation.  I have some Norwegian blood in my veins from both my father and mother so relished the opportunity to learn more about my heritage while we lived there.  Some kind ladies of the church loaned costumes to my daughter and me for an annual Syttende Mai (Seventeenth of May) Parade and we took advantage of those bunads for a portrait when Sarah was 18 months old.