When you're a newbie....

....everything is simple and you sort of know it all. {or at least think you do}
We did. We had it all figured out.


Clean house {or cute little apartment}?
Yes! I mean seriously, you could swab my floors and not find a trace of bacteria.
You couldn't find a thing out of place even if you wanted to. and laundry..Never piled up!

Organized schedule?
Of course! Because we had Jeff's little black day planner. We were excellent managers of our time...
....because we had loads of it and nothing to do! But don't tell us that...we were so "busy" ;)

Stressed?
Not really. Well, there was this one time...
...the movie we wanted to rent on VHS wasn't in stock at the video store? So stressful.

{old photo}

Fast forward a hundred years and six kids later....

Clean house?
If you catch us at the right time of day.
No matter HOW hard you work...and no matter HOW hard you try,
unless you're willing to put 75 hours a day into cleaning,  your house won't be perfect.

*Side note...I swore my house would ALWAYS be clean!..just so you know... ;)

Organized schedule?
Hahaha...Managers of our time? We don't have any extra time to manage!



Throughout life you will go through different phases.
It's ever changing.

Sometimes I long for the days when we were all alone in our little apartment
with brand new towels! and sheets! and dishes! ..where we could talk and no one was listening.

That day will be here again...
....but today, when all my kids {except Frankie} were gone at a party...

...as I was leaving to take a walk and no asked to come along...because no one was here.
I realized how lonely life would feel without all this activity.

These days...the days of constant dishes in my sink and eternally empty toilet paper rolls...
...I will surely, surely miss.

{unless Jeff and I are eating our way through Europe..then I won't care...Joking!}

Find Joy in whatever phase.trial.situation.circumstance you are in.
There is always something wonderful to be found. Something you will look back on and miss.

XxOo