These are the days...

So...

Picture the music to be a lilting, kind of slowed down, happy sort of a tune. Smiles are wide and the sun is shining. Feet are in the air longer than on the ground and people are probably even holding hands... 

This was yesterday:

The seven kiddos and I went to Costco. We made it through without much of a mishap. I felt happy. They obeyed. We all smiled. And laughed. But I think our feet stayed on the ground. We got all kinds of looks and stares and comments and our personal lives questioned by curious, gawking, (well meaning, I'm sure) onlookers. We are a very colorful, unique looking tribe, without a doubt! After Costco, we went to the farm co-op store and picked out 25 day old baby chicks. We had FUN!! I treated us all to a cookie. Friends came for dinner and the evening ended with a few girl friends and I getting together to do our ironing and chat!

Now picture that noise that sounds somewhat like the tape rewinding and the record player malfunctioning and everything dying. 

Bbbbeeerrrrrrrwwwweeeepppp.....

This is today:

Physical therapy for one child an hour away at 7:45 am. Appointment postponed until 10am. Babysitter no longer can watch the other 4 children. I decide to run them out to my mom's before the appt which will take at least an extra 40 minutes. I rush the kiddos out of bed and into their clothes. Only a couple have time to eat breakfast. We leave before 8. The van has a problem. It shuts off while driving... What?! We make it to the mechanic. They take a look and provide me with a lengthy, technical sounding diagnosis involving words I'm not familiar with. This equates to the van being unusable today. We rush out to my inlaw's to commandeer their van. We get all the car seats, the cleaning supplies for the church's janitor that need dropped off and the children switched over. The van won't start. Nothing. At all. Wow. I cancel PT. We switch eeeevvvvverything back to our van. Somehow, in all the hullabaloo, Trey's car seat does not get re-buckled into the van seat. Stop sign. Trey, strapped safely in his car seat, LAUNCHES across the van. Much weeping and wailing from the drama of this event. No injuries. Thankfully. We head home. It's only 9:00 am.

From here, this pattern continues... All. Day. Long. 

Boys (playfully- however that works) throwing rocks at each other and a window. Halli falling off her bike and scraping her back, knees and arm. Blood = drama around here. One son runs his bike full on into the shop. Seriously. I think I'll take him for an eye exam. Maybe his head, too, while I'm at it. Two unexpected visitors drop in. Sad news about the sweet girls we get to babysit every afternoon. Child sets a plastic booster seat tray on the hot stove. Someone else steps in dog poo and tracks it in the house. 

Y'all, I can't even make this stuff up. I need more coffee.

These are the days, I tell ya. These are the days. Luke and I laughed. Because what else do you do?!

I seriously love this life I have the privilege of living! It's never, ever boring. My kiddos are fabulous, and I'd never trade them for anything. But more than that, I'm thankful for "reality checks" that remind me to be thankful we serve an awesome God who never changes! The God who is the same yesterday, today and forever! 

The eternal God is your dwelling place and underneath (you) are the everlasting arms.

Deuteronomy 33:27

It's the weekend now... Go enjoy it! :)