That Moment...

when you realize time truly does fly.

That moment when you remember kissing them on their first day of preschool...

That moment when you know that you blinked at some point over the Summer and the days have come and gone.

That moment when you realize your babies are growing so quickly...

(That moment when you acknowledge that your sidebar pictures are insanely outdated.)

That moment when you want to hold them and make them promise to stop growing so stinkin' fast....

That moment when want to scoop them up and hug them for an hour straight after their first day of school.

That moment when they're running toward you and your heart is so full...

That moment when you remember that the days are long but the years are short.

Yea, those mommy moments.

This week has been full of them :).

90 Days Of Summer

90 days of memories.

Summer is dwindling for us, the older 3 girls will be starting school on Tuesday. I can't for the life of me wrap my mind around the fact that I have a 3rd grader and two 1st graders.

Ella is using words like locker, and study hall - and I'm reminding her of the 8 things I want her to remember and telling her stories of back in the stone age when I didn't have a locker till middle school. She asked me the other day if they had phones when I was young.

Nice. I'm only 31, sister.

These past 90 days have been rich. They have been a breath of fresh air a midst the chaos of mothering. The time in the sun and at the pool and on the couch watching the Olympics till way past bedtime has been a gift. The Summer flees so quickly, doesn't it??

Charlotte waved at me from the diving board last week, she's so proud - and I wondered how many more Summers the girls will do that. Before I know it, they are laying out in lawn chairs with their friends instead of eating pb&j's with me.

Mine will be the one's in the modest swimsuits, btw. You don't want to get me started on the teeny swimsuits that the teenage girls are wearing, do you??

One of my favorite memories of the Summer was when Reese told me that she noticed that the notes from the tooth fairy were in my handwriting. Busted :).

Raya's hair has started to finally grow beyond that toddler stage and Kinley's spiral curls have soaked up the natural highlights that the sun provides. My sweet Lincoln has introduced me to the land of busy boys, and taught me that sitting down at the pool is a thing of the past.

Or in general. Sitting in general is a thing of the past.

Look at those guns.

He's running and climbing and pushing the trash can over. And there's also the bathroom problem where he squats down and looks under the stalls while I'm helping the girls.

Makes me laugh now, not so much though when I'm in the moment :). Love him.

In these past 90 days He has shown me that it is so important to embrace where you are and to embrace your unique journey. This Summer I think I struggled with doubt and comparison and fears of what people would think as God confirmed in my heart that we were going to grow...again.

But then I remembered that its not about me, or about them, it's about Him.

These 90 days have been SO fun, but I can all the sudden see Fall and spice lattes and pumpkin patches with our crew on the horizon and it makes me smile. I think Fall is a close second to Summer for me, I absolutely adore it.

So when can we start baking pumpkin goodies and break out the harvest candles?? Kidding. Kind of.

Hope you all are enjoying the end of Summer!

The Next Chapter

Life is comfortable. Life is blessed. And He has shown us much grace as He has carried us through the highs and lows of parenthood.

Years back as Eric and I would talk back and forth about our family and what we predicted it to look like, adoption was just a passing topic. It was something we would talk about, but we never moved forward with.

But then, without telling a soul, we went ahead and started into our foster to adopt paperwork right before little Lincoln burrowed himself into my belly.

And a sweet detour was born :).

We settled in as a family of 8 and breathed in all that newborn baby boy goodness. Life seemed normal and our routine seemed in place when the topic came up again. Foster Care. Adoption. Really?

We talked and prayed and waited.

And then on a whim this Summer, we met up with some friends in Tennessee where we were able to get some insight and answers from a family just like us. After talking and laughing and sharing joys and fears about our already crazy (but grace filled) life, it all started to become clearer. It was time to move forward.

(On a side note, would you mind lifting them up in prayer? They have been through a month of heartache and I'd love for you to pray for peace and healing.)

There are almost 1000 children in our county alone who have no permanent home, no belongings, and no voice.

But we have a voice, and we're ready to use it.

"Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of the orphans. Fight for rights of widows." Isaiah 1:17

I read that truth, but I'm scared.

But not as scared as a child who has been pulled from their home, and not as scared as a baby laying in the hospital with no mother to hold them against her chest and rock them.

I cry when I think of it. In fact, if you're planning on talking to me in person about it right now, you may want to bring some tissues.

My heart. It's literally aching for these orphans.

I'm emotional as God continues to reveal this new chapter in our life. I'm broken as He opens my eyes to how my ordinary life is actually pretty extraordinary. And I'm embarrassed at how so many of my mountains are actually molehills.

Are we ready to give back a child that we have fallen in love with because the court orders us to? No. Will that be really, really hard? Yes. And are we clinging to the hope that sooner rather than later, we'll meet the babe that is supposed to be with our family forever? Completely.

But that's all part of the journey of foster care. And just knowing that God is already in the tiniest details of our journey gives me peace to take the next step.

He knows who is supposed to be in our home, and He knows that every time I do my kid count in the store, or at the park, or just to make my babes laugh, that I always feel in my heart that there could be more - that someone is missing.

There's more to the puzzle, and more to the story. And because of that, we're already well into the process of being able to foster to adopt.

Do we know exactly what this is all going to look like? Or how it will all play out? Or if there will be a handful of downs before there is an up? No. But I really hope that you will pray for us if you feel led, and I'd love for you to join us for the journey that lays in front of us. We're going to need you.

So here's to a new chapter. And here's to His plan, His story, and His vision for our little family.

If Laundry Was A Sport, I'd Be In The Olympics

I'd also qualify for the "how quickly your kids can get to the bathroom door after you shut it" event.

Alright. If you see these pictures and still come back around here, you're a saint. And a great friend, please move to our neighborhood so we can drink coffee and walk to the bus stop in our pj's.

(we don't really have a bus stop but that's neither here nor there.)

I'm a big stay-on-top-of-the-laundry kind of gal. Although, the past 90 days of sweet, sweet Summer has left me a little more relaxed on the housework scene. And while I don't believe that everything should be perfect all the time (or any of the time), I also hate when things get to a point when I can't even find MY OWN clothes.

Motherhood is my sport. The laundry is where I go for the gold.

Life is busy, and the kiddos are very demanding of my time, so a lot of things in my life have taken a back seat to being an insanely full time momma. It's not a bad thing, its really all I want to do - kiss their sweet faces, help them on the swing set, and play Uno with them on a rainy day. Ahhh, its a good job, and all those things sound a lot better than folding clothes or scrubbing the toilets.

For the love of all that is holy, someone invent the self cleaning toilet.

But when I can't find things, or there are so many baskets of laundry that I don't know what is clean and whats dirty, I can start to feel really frazzled and overwhelmed - neither of those things look good on me. True story.

Once upon a time, I hit my breaking point when I was trying to do laundry to quickly because I was so behind, and I washed a pull up. People, have you ever seen the inside of a washer after a pull up has been washed? I have, please don't make me go back and re-live it...

It's too soon. Just too soon.

And while I know we have 6 kiddos and the house is not always going to be running smoothly, I like to feel the accomplishment of being able to run this place like a well oiled machine.

I will, however, still embrace the saying, "Please excuse the mess, the children are making memories"...

What? You're play room never looks like that? Well then just close your sweet little eyes and think happy thoughts. Find a happy place.

Anyway...

My system is simple: I got all the laundry done, there is not one basket in any room with one piece of clothing - it took a lot of blood, sweat, and tears to get to that point.

Mostly tears. And weeping. Lots of weeping.

So now I lay a basket in the hallway, and at the end of the day everyone puts their clothes in it from that day. When all are in bed I take it down stairs and throw it in the washer, and switch it to the dryer before I head to bed. Then the next morning I have a clean load in the dryer to fold and put away and that's it - we're back to an empty basket in the hallway. It feels like Christmas.

Does this just sound like a lot of jumbled words? I hope not. It has changed my life, people.

So I tell you all this so you can pop in sometime soon and say, "hey, remember that laundry system you had going? You still doing it? No? Well get back on it, woman!"

You don't have to use those exact words, you can be more gentle.

And that, my friends, is my event. Envision me standing on our tallest laundry basket singing our National Anthem while wearing a gold medal the kids made.

Maybe there should be a Mommy Olympics, yes??

We Like To Party (A Very Girly Party)

Remember when I used to post pics of birthday parties right after they happened?? Remember when I was on top of things?? Yea, I don't either.

I just had to post these pics so I don't lose them somehow. Ella turned 8 a few months back and wanted to celebrate with a Spa Party.

In this house where kids are around every corner, birthdays are a big deal. Since we do have an ever growing brood, I try to make birthdays really fun, and I celebrate the birthday kid(s) as much as I possibly can. 

Yes, I have been known to go over the top and spoil when possible. You may remember the popcorn drought I caused for Lincolns 1st Birthday.

So when she decided what she wanted to do I got to work looking for deals and searching Etsy for things to bring the party to life. I love Etsy, it is truly an essential piece to the party. Easy on the budget, creative, and oh so cute.

I bought a lot of my theme goodies on Etsy. They send files so you can print signs, invitations, cupcake toppers, etc. These toppers were $6 I think...

So easy, so cute, so great.

At the door we had a table and sign, nail polish, and a bucket of flip flops...

I bought the flip flops at Old Navy for the girls when they were running one of their sales. It was such a fun party favor, they all wore them to school that following Monday.

At the table I set up each place setting which included a mirror, brush, nail files, and some candy. We had cake pops at Lincolns birthday and Ella loved the way they looked so much that she wanted something like them on her table - so we made Oreo pops. They were super easy and a huge hit, I can post the recipe if anyone would like it :).

We popped some music on and did Mani's and Pedi's on tv trays, you can see one in the background in the picture below. It was actually cracking my helpers and I up because we really felt like nail techs with all these little hands to paint. It was quite a job, but totally worth the memories.

Last, the girls put cucumbers and a "mask" on, it was actually just organic yogurt but they thought it was the coolest thing ever. And we thought it was hilarious...

I love those girls.

I love their joy and innocence and laughter.

And I love celebrating my girl. Not that I don't rejoice over them daily :).

So anyway, just wanted to post this for the memory books. Hope you are having a great week!

A Friday Link (The Mommy Sermon)

The mopping the floors, the ins and outs, the making of the meals, the attitude I have in stressful situations, and if I'm more indulged in a news feed rather than His word.

It's my sermon.

It's the way I listen, the way I don't listen, the way I speak, the way I spend my time, and the way I love others.

It's all my mommy sermon to the kids.

Just wanted to share some words of wisdom that I came across over here. I've been trying to constantly remind myself lately that my daily routine is my sermon to my little loves. Love these words of wisdom...

"Children are mirrors. They do what we do. They don't listen to lectures or sermons. They watch our sermons, which we preach - often without saying a word - in places like kitchens and cars. And even though I had told her a hundred times to never scribble in her books, she had seen me "draw" in my bible over and over again."

The whole post is great, but that specific paragraph is going to stick with me for awhile. They truly are like little mirrors, and are the best accountability I've ever known. So I'm going to keep working on my sermon :).

I needed that reminder this week.

Anyway, just wanted to pass it along. Hope you all have a great weekend!

If I'm Being Honest...

I've been a grumpy mom today.

Whew, it feels good to admit it :).

The kids laugh and play and chase each other loudly around the house. I adore them but it's just one of those days when I'm stressed. You know the days.

The day to day doesn't always paint a pretty picture of this beautiful calling, but it seems that the mommy days that teach lessons and make history in your book are the ones that take the most work.

It's that unexpected bill and that relentless child and some decisions we're trying to make and the fact that the housework isn't going the way I want.

When do I stop and remember that my focus should be on what He wants in my home, not what I want in my home?

Messy floors and wet beach towels and playdoh under the kitchen table are all signs of a full life. Full of wonder and joy and people I don't deserve. Full of energy and love and exhausting memories.

Charlotte sits and reads to the younger girls, the others are playing and things are quiet for a minute. Calm and peaceful just for a moment so I can catch my breath and remember that this calling is full of crazy and full of grace. Lincoln sits at my feet in the kitchen as I stir of pot of mac and cheese and my mommy spirit is refreshed...

Oh, Lord let me remember these sweet moments in my frustrated times. Help me remember that they are little once and You are always in control and that Your plan is best. Remind me that my worst days are the days You teach me most and sometimes you have to hit a mommy low to remember the mommy high.

If everyday was perfect then you'd have no need for Jesus. Motherhood is a journey of abundant joy, growing pains, and a constant need for Him.

And so I go and kneel by their beds and kiss those worn out babes. I pray to be the mom tomorrow that I wanted to be today.

Patient and attentive and not so busy with my own things.

Tired but thankful tonight that He uses motherhood to mold us. Thankful for those 6 gifts and the chapters He has waiting for us. Thankful for his mercies that are new every morning.

And thankful that He doesn't ask for me to be the perfect mom, He just wants me to be their mom.

Those sweet kiddos can be exhausting, but He always refuels your mommy heart just when you need it :).

The Look

You know how we all have "that one child"??

The adventurous, fly by the seat of their pants, march to their own drummer child?

The free spirit, the creative thinker, the one that insists on walking 15 feet behind me IN EVERY STORE?

Exhibit A...

Oh that look. This is my wild card, friends.

All those lively curls match that lively personality.

She's such a sweet little handful, that's for sure, and she keeps us laughing constantly. Love that mischievous look :).

Things You Need To Know

Ok, that may or may not be an exaggeration. This may just be some randomness, which is always fun, yes?

We've been hanging out at home the past few days because it has been raining. Actually yesterday we didn't even leave the house. You ever do that?

I've decided to rid Lincoln of the pacifier. I honestly don't mind them and I let the my babes use them if they want because frankly, I have bigger fish to fry. But he's waking in the middle of the night and crying cause he can't find it.

Have I ever mentioned how I feel about sleep?

I almost love it more than Target. Almost.

So something needs to change. Lincoln and I could use a good nights sleep without frantic searches for the pacifier. He can't be tired, the boy has things to do.

I have taken them from him during the day and only allowed them in his crib, I call this Stage One. He is doing pretty well, however when he see's them in his crib he let's out a sigh of relief that the neighbors might even be able to hear. Or he may just be excited because I decided to put all the pacifiers we own in his crib in hopes that he will find one on his own in the middle of the night.

It's like Pacifier Palooza in there. Don't judge me.

Stage Two will be cutting the tip of the pacifier. That's what we did with Ella before her first set of twin sisters were due and it worked like a charm.

When I'm not consumed with Project Pacifier, the girls and I have been doing some arts and crafts to pass time on the rainy days. We've been painting pictures and painting nails.

Man, I love a good manicure. From a 3yr old. Who has yet to conquer the skill of keeping the polish off your skin and on your nails.

Ah, memories :). Good ones.

Oh! I've decided to make our own hand soap. I don't even know who I am anymore. I'll let you know how that all goes. 

Hope you're having a great week!

The Mommy Classifieds

I believe this is the classified ad we all circled with a highlighter and then applied for.

Duties and Job requirements are as followed.

- Must abide by the No Privacy Law that goes into effect when you accept the Mommy title.

-  You will need to add 10 minutes to your allotted time for errands because you will now be forced into every public bathroom in every store you walk into. And no, the children don't actually have to go, they just want to check it out.

- You must be able to deal with this situation...

We don't know, we think the dryer is eating the matches. You'll be required to figure out what and where the problem is.


- You are allowed to make phone calls. But the children will start screaming the minute you pick up the phone, and miraculously fully entertain themselves the moment you hang up.

- Picking up unearthly amounts of toys repeatedly will be a daily chore...

Be prepared to organize the toys while the children continue to get out what you just put away.

- There is a sticky, mystery substance in the carpet by the stairs. That's all you.

- You must be able to answer consecutive and never ending personal questions. These include but are not limited to: your weight, why you chose to wear those pants, if you know that your breath smells bad, and anything else the children see fit.

- All meetings will be held at Chickfila.

- The laundry wins. Always. Even though you may be a real go getter, there is no household force like the laundry. Do your best, and when the pile gets taller than you are, just look away.

 

Look away, I tell you. 

- There will be a bonus and a "Employee Of The Month" plaque made with your name on it if you can go 3 solid hours without raising your voice. Talking through your teeth to the children still counts as a "normal" tone. 

 - Remember when you used to sit down and eat? That's going to change.

- Experience in waitressing is not required but encouraged. You'll never survive meal times without some previous work in an industrial kitchen. Oh, and the customers don't tip.

- Also, be prepared to accept that the customers will say that they don't like what you are cooking before they even try it.

- There are no breaks, lunch hours, or solo bathroom stops. We assure that you will have a bladder of steel by your 6 month review.

- Must accept that you will soon find it ok to leave the house in sweats and no makeup when needed. It will be these times that you will run into an old boyfriend, your nemesis from high school, and the "perfect" mom.

- All the pre-child clothes in your closet that are waiting for you to get back into by 3 months postpartum will need to be removed. We support reality.

- Target has popcorn and Starbucks. It's a combo necessary for your job and sanity. Utilize it.

- Must be ok with the fact that it will be near impossible to get any work done due to the sweetness you live with...

- Must be open to taking leaps of faith, loving fearlessly, and learning to let go of control.

Even on the longest days, I still remind myself that I wasn't qualified for this job. It is all grace.

And it's by far the best job we'll ever pursue.

Hands down :).

Love This

Tonight after baths I caught Ella reading a bedtime story to the younger girls while I was throwing clothes in the washer and feeding Lincoln...

Pretty sure that sight trumps the chaos and the day to day craziness that comes with motherhood :).

Love, love, love those kids.

Tired, but blessed.

Kids Take Time

We went van shopping today.

I know, you can't believe we've waited so long. I've had my reasons, alright :)?

But anyway, we drove an hour out of town with the kiddos to see a van we were sure we were going to buy, but it ended up not being what we thought. We were frustrated and annoyed so we made the best of the day and decided to surprise the babes by taking them to the infamous Build A Bear at a nearby mall.

And let me just say, what a racket. But a genius one.

On the way in Eric was walking ahead of me with two girls holding each hand, and my heart was full. I couldn't help but thank the Lord for our little detour in the day and for that vision in front of me that shows His love for us so clearly.

The girls picked out bears (within a set and strict budget) and we moved on to the other good stuff.

We stopped at the sound station because apparently a bear isn't a bear if it doesn't sing a Justin Bieber song when you squeeze his hand.

By this point we had had our normal questions, "Is this a birthday party? Are you a blended family? Are they all yours?". And we answered and laughed with other bear makers.

But there was this one guy.

He was just flat out put off by us. And worse, by my kids. He was taking deep sighs and rolling his eyes because we were clearly holding his little girl up at the sound station.

"Maybe we should move on, because clearly this is going to take awhile...geez."

And in the midst of our busyness and in the midst of a chaotic mothering season where I don't need reminders of how crazy life can be, I felt blessed by his comment.

He's right, this is going to take awhile.

Because this much grace and this many gifts takes time. Sweet, attentive, loving, and fleeting time.

So I will not rush, Sir.

We made our way through the store and headed outside and I couldn't help but feel proud of my group. We may take extra time, but that's ok because kids take time. God patiently spends time on my needy self, and through that He teaches us how to patiently spend time on those needy little Love's He entrusted to us. That's how it works.

We aren't perfect and we are making mistakes and we are learning as we go. But we are giving it our all, and we are making memories - both messy ones and time consuming ones. So I am going to quite apologizing and hurrying the kids along.

"Sorry, guy behind me. I've got kids that are excited and a growing girl that will probably soon think that this isn't cool anymore, and that makes my mommy heart ache a tad. So I'm going to take my time and add stuffing and give bear baths as long as I can. Ok? Ok!!??"

I didn't say that. Oh but I wanted to.

I pray that one day when our kids are grown and I pass the new age Build A Bear, that I will lean over and tell a young mom that I wish I could switch spots with her because these sweet, sweet memory making moments go so fast.

I pray that when I am old and gray I hug a mom in the freezer section at the grocery as she's apologizing to fellow shoppers for her kids.

Take your time, soak it up, and take in all that childlike faith and joy.

It's a gift, and it's the good stuff.

But...

I should be catching up around the house after vacation...

but I have nails to paint...

I have laundry to do, windows to clean, carpets to sweep, and dishes to wash...

but a day at the pool with my crew sounds better...

There are clothes, shoes, and closets to organize, and a million ideas on (the anti reality site) Pinterest to teach me how...

but I think I'll let my kids be kids and my house prove that fun and love and chaos reside here...

I could change the sheets, mop the floors, prepare fancy meals, iron some clothes, and clean out the cabinets...

but making memories sounds SO much more fun...

I could do this, that, and the other thing...

but I think I'll be a mama first :).

Can't say it enough, love these Summer days!  

Sweet Friends, Lot's Of Kids, And 1000 Memories

So we took a trip. And it was great.

We spent a handful of days swimming and boating and waiting. Waiting till the end of the week for the real party to start :).

Well over a year ago, I crossed paths with Jessica. Every time I would read her comments I thought, "seriously, this lady really gets me....not to mention the fact that she cracks me up!". I made my way to her corner of the blogesphere while my belly was still swollen with Lincoln and I was instantly hooked on their story. I found a friend...who was just like me in so many ways.

I saw a family that was on their own unique journey that led them to a busy season much like we were experiencing. I saw little kids as far as the eye could see, and a mom and dad trying to survive this sweet life full of kids whining, mountains of laundry, lost socks, and more snuggles than your heart can take. I saw that that she understood my madness, and I sensed that we shared a unique and necessary passion for laughter and sarcasm :).

And so a friendship was born.

Somewhere between then and now we decided to meet up and have a weekend together with all the kiddos. Yep, we decided to stay together for the weekend even though we had never met in real life before. We're risky like that.

And when they pulled up to the lake house and hopped out, it was like hugging an old friend from college.

For the following 2 days we took Tennessee by storm and made lot's of great memories. The kids immediately loved each other and Eric and I soaked up every minute of conversation we had with this sweet couple. And oh yea, Jess had me laughing so hard I was crying by Saturday night - that means she's a sister for life.

We talked about our days and our futures and things we love and fear. Eric and I went to bed both nights talking about how we were so encouraged and that this was clearly a meeting set up by the Lord.

The "big kids" had a sleepover one night and it was such a hit. They all lined up in sleeping bags, and we popped in a movie and then proceeded to listen to little giggles late into the night.

I can't tell you how blessed we were by the weekend and how thankful I am to have spent time with them. We were encouraged, challenged, and refreshed. Saying goodbye was rough, and knowing that they are leaving the country soon just made me want to hug them a little tighter. You see, Jessica and her crew are moving to Kenya soon to share Jesus with those who have never heard of Him - it's an amazing story.

I 'm thanking God for the gift that this friendship is, for the fact that He bridges relationships even across the miles, and for this big 'ol group...

I love how He uses this bloggy world to bring us mama's together :).

Hope you all are having a great week!

We're Going To The Lake. With 13 Children.

Yes, it's going to be a tad crazy.

And maybe really loud.

And I'm thinking that sleep won't be in abundance.

But hey, whats a vacation without some adventure, right?

As you can see, Lincoln is down here sporting his new little life jacket. No, you can't have him. But yes, you may squeeze those chubby cheeks.

We are here to relax and meet up with a family tomorrow that I met in this big bloggy world - fun, huh?! Jessica from The Making Of A Mom has become a good friend of mine, and I can't tell you how excited I am to hug this woman in person. They have kids the same ages as ours plus one new babe - and they have a story and a future that is full of serving Him. I just love 'em.

You can pray for our sanity as we are about to find out how 4 adults control 13 kids under 8.

Whew, that kind of makes your stomach do a filp flop, doesn't it?

Send chocolate. And Caffeine. Lots of it.


So anyway, we are excited. I am just thankful to have had some time away with our little family, its a rare occurrence and it was much needed. I'll try to upload some pics of the biggest slumber party we've ever seen as soon as I can :).

Hope you all are having a great week!