Being a parent has been one of the hardest, most rewarding things I have ever done. I am a mother to 14 children. I have 12 children left at home. My husband and I have a blended family. For five years now, we have had custody of all of the children. In the past five years, I have given birth to four of the 14 children. I have always dreamed of becoming an OB Nurse. For years, I thought that I would never be able to achieve that goal. Having children, especially so many, is a full time job and then some. Seven of our children left at home are in sports. We have a football player, two soccer players, three softball players, and one race car driver. There is never a dull moment . I have always felt like I had to put what I wanted on hold. I was always told that the children are first. I do not disagree with that, but at some point, decisions have to be made. Do I really want to spend the rest of my life wishing I had gone back to school? It took me years to answer that question. That answer is no. I do not want to wish. I want to do. I want to be. I will be. I know that going back to school will be a huge change for my family. My children are used to always having their mother there to come home to after school. It will be very different. My little ones have never been to day care or a babysitter. That is going to be quite the adjustment. Fortunately, I have decided that all of that change will be worth it. I want to be a role model for my children and other women who have waited to better themselves. Nursing, for me, is not for the money. I am an empathetic soul and I feel that it is my calling to do what I can to help others. Becoming a Nurse will help support my family in many ways. It will help financially, but it will also show my children that anyone can catch their dreams if they are willing to work hard enough. It will give them a sense of pride in who their mother is and what she has done for our family and others. Seeing me struggle just to study for the TEAS exam was enough to have them sit back and take a look at the effort I have already put in. Imagine what they'll think once I have my BSN in hand. It will be an extraordinary feeling for all of us. I have big plans for my future. I am setting aside the time for me to accomplish what I have set out to do. It will be a hard, grueling four years, but I can do it. I have the support of my family to get me through. Nothing beats that.