I agree with UncleBob. Kids are for the young, but not too young. My DW gave birth to our first child when she was 24 and I was 23. We had three more after that. Like you, I have always loved children, and had a great time raising mine to adulthood. Yes, they did take up all of our time. Yes, they were (and still are) somewhat of a financial burden. But they are your family. They are a part of you. And if raised right, they can be your best freinds, and the people who you can trust above all others (except for your spouse of course).
In my opinion, people look at children as property, as baggage, something that holds us back. If one feels that way about children, then that person shouldn't have them. They are not pets, or pests, or little brats. Children are a part of you, and should be given all of the time and resources you have to give them. If this is done, with love and respect given and expected, then they are part of a unit that is truly eternal, the family. A successful family will provide you with more satisfaction and joy than any other endeavor you can undertake. It is what makes you whole, and complete.
Make your family the most important thing in your life and you will have a wonderful life. Cars rust away, or fail. Physical bueaty fades with age. Money can be lost with a quick turn of the stock market, or loss of a job (usually through no fault of the person losing the job, i.e. factory closes or lays off workers). All things become corrupted through time, except familial relationships that are nurtured continuously.
Of course you must be able to provide a reasonable life for your family, which means that you prepare through education, training, building, and hard work. You learn to organize your life to provide maximum resources while allowing time to truly enjoy your spouse and kids. Go camping. When you eat steak, feed them steak. When you eat bread, they eat bread.
In the house i grew up in, the best was researved for my stepfather. He was the man of the house and desearved all the respect we gave him. But in my house, the best was researved for my wife and children, as I was the primary provider and it was my choice who the resources went to. I didn't go without. but I made sure that each member of my household knew that they were the most important people in my life. It has paid off in spades. I have amazing relationships with my adult children. I couldn't ask for a better family. And I would do it over again every time if I had could go back in time. But I would invest heavily in MicroSoft in the early 80's.
Oh, and as you are remodeling/rebuilding your house, now is the time to do a bit of research into alternative energy sources and techniques for reducing utility loads. Specifically, look at periodicals such as Mother Earth News. Look into house design, into Evacuated Tube Solar Collectors (amazing product), and other money saving technologies. Look at ways to use natural lighting to limit the use of electric lighting, and compact flourecent lighting as well. There are a host of ways to provied air-conditioning and heating for your home at virtually no cost, and to reduce your hot-water and refrigerator energy loads. Typically, the cost to put in the technologies is low-cost, and virtually maintenance free when done right.
Seeeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North
... It scared us at first, being so young and expecting, but you make adjustments to work everything out. But like I said, that didn't work out for us. We never planned any of the pregnancies. We didn't avoid them, either, haha. That's what life is all about....you make plans and then things happen to change those plans. It's how you react to those changes that defines who you are.
