All These Kids

Do you ever have one of those days that goes on and on and on?  I have them quite frequently and I had one today.  

The doorbell rang early this morning.  We start the day with that.  My husband calls from the bank - where there's an issue.  One son needs a costume for an oral presentation at co-op, (dress rehearsal is tomorrow) his sister has agreed to bring two dozen cupcakes to her class.  Tomorrow.  And our cat!  She told the teacher she would bring our cat to class.  Yes she did.  The laundry is backed up like never before.  I'm trying to cook and clean while working on Math and Language Arts and that's always tricky.  Both vehicles need attention and one of the older boys is off to college and another one of the older ones is helping a neighbor for the first half of the day.  There's this new obsession pet frog at our house who is cute but high maintenance.  It feels like everyone is going in a thousand different directions and one of those persons is a three year old who needs her mama to keep up with her.  

It's funny how I will think there is no way I can possibly get everything accomplished but somehow when the day comes to a close, it's done.  

This is a reminder of God's grace in my life.  

Some women "miss out" on doing this amount of laundry but they miss out on this number of hugs, and kisses, and laughs too.  Some might not want my job but I wouldn't trade it for anything - not even a nap.  Some Mamas have a whole lot more help with their kiddos than I will ever have.  But doing this with just my honey has made us strong.  Some recommend birth control in an effort to "control" the chaos, or financial strain.  I've learned to trust God in what He gives me knowing full well He will never make a mistake.  I didn't always have this kind of trust but God, and encouragement from my husband, brought me to this place.  I'm ashamed to tell you that while I was pregnant with our fifth child I encouraged my husband to have a vasectomy.  He gently explained to me why he would not.  He prayed with me, and for me, and asked me to pray and talk to God about the number of our children.  He ask me to allow God to choose the number.  When I look back at that time I'm once again reminded of God's grace in my life.  He took my fear and grew trust in Him.

Our days are extremely un-perfect.  I burn dinner, get overwhelmed, and forget to return calls.  My house gets messy, my dishes and laundry pile high, and I'm sometimes a grump.  But for the most part this is a happy place.  Our kids laugh all the time and they love each other.  A lot.  All I had to do today was step back and look around and I fell in love with life all over again.  It's loud when guitar is being practiced and lines to the Christmas play are being shouted over top.  It's discouraging when the last square of toilet paper just got flushed and there isn't a speck more in the entire house.  It's sort of shocking when I work on a meal all day and it vanishes in under 10 minutes.  I won't lie, it's intimidating when I look at the school work that needs to be done.

I'll take it - the crazy, the busy, the hard work, the chaos.  I will endure the comments and the judgement and the naysayers, and the lack of sleep.  I'll do it for the love.  The unimaginable multiplication of love.  The joy, the teamwork, the strength in numbers - I'll take that.  Even the busiest days come to an end.  There's nothing sweeter than "a bunch of kids" in their pajamas sleeping soundly in a quiet (yes!) house.  

Thank you, Lord, for this day and for all these kids.  Help me to remember this tomorrow morning when I am wrestling the kids, and the cat, into the van (and help whoever is carrying the cupcakes not to drop them).