Intensity

 Whew.  Just..... whew.  

Life these days is beyond wonderful, but..... it's a lot.  Like, A LOT.  And we knew that when started this mess.  A friend told me once that having several kids very close in age was fun 'if you survive it'.  I mentioned to her that she in fact got divorced, so did she actually survive it?...  I loved her response.  "Oh yes" she laughed.  "Besides that part it was so much fun!" 

The kids enjoy doing puzzles, so we try to squeeze in one or two a week.  

This one.  This one.  There is a reason she's the last one.  She's pretty wonderful and I'm trying to soak up all the wonderful little baby snuggles I possibly can.  She's a little ray of sunshine for us all. 

Poor Grandma C.  Like it or not, we bother her nearly every morning and regale her with stories of chasing chickens, chasing bucket calves, dead racoons in her yard, live opossums in her trashcans.... there is no shortage of stories to tell her ever.  We don't go into the house, but the kids knock on the door, peer in like creepers until she come out and then berate her with stories over and over again.  The lady has it rough I tell ya'.  

Seriously.  This kid.  She's too much. 

My momma tried hard to teach me to cook and I didn't fully appreciate her efforts until I started cooking for a crew of my own.  Maybe I can break the curse?... 

The kids are starting to be great help when it's time to load out cattle.  If we can keep them from sticking their head or hands in the panels and just stay alive then we'll have great help someday.  

Sure, Reese looks cute in this picture, but I love seeing my husband's smile.  Pure joy.  

***

I read someone's blog several years ago and she apologized for her lack of blogging but added in the caveat 'if you don't have a 3, 5 and 7 year old then you probably don't understand'.  I didn't understand then, but I totally do now.  I am currently forgoing a much needed shower in order to get a few of these pictures recorded for posterity.  I feel poorly about letting this blog lay idle as it serves as my kiddos' defacto baby book as well.  I also feel poorly that there are no current pictures of our oldest child, but he is now a full-time student and much too busy to pause for the camera. 

This past week my husband and I celebrated a milestone anniversary and it was simply wonderful.  My mother-in-law watched the kids for 24 hours and I was simply in heaven.  I was able to SIT.  BY MYSELF. AND NOT FEED ANYONE ELSE. NOT BATHE ANYONE ELSE. NOT ROCK ANYONE ELSE. It sounds incredibly superficial and shallow to brag about this, but I cannot tell you how refreshing it was as well.  On Sunday morning when I picked up the kids I felt like I was returning from a one week vacation in Jamaica.  It was heavenly.  No wonder folks get addicted to this 'me time' thing.  

Here's to hoping that I make it a priority to blog a bit more often... showers be damned.  I love looking back on these pictures years later and wondering how in the world we survived.  It is intense these days, no doubt.