11.4.19 Catching Up

This decade is almost past. That is amazing. In this decade I had 6 more children. I became 6x more busy and we continued to grow and learn. The cycles of life keep repeating and we keep breaking ground on the next phase of maturity. From Greg and I entering our forties to having our kids become teenagers and now almost young adults. We have made lots of mistakes and said a lot of I'm sorry, and because I told you so. As we have learned in this decade life changes so fast and can be over in the blink of an eye. We are thankful for many tender mercies and for a mostly normal healthy life. The fall has changed into winter and the kids are building fence and caring for cows. Inside we break out the pile of sweatshirts and wool socks and endure coolness. The young kids spend a lot of time near the fire and we read a little more, share enforced closeness as outside isn't' as tempting as summer.

Addie is in love with sunsets. I must admit they have been glorious this past week. We are blessed with uninterrupted views of a huge sky framed with mountain silhouettes. The colors are much more grand than my phone picks up but they are beautiful nonetheless.

 Lia loves her big kids. She adores the time they are home with her. Many mornings she wraps up with Harold in his sleeping bag while doing his seminary lesson. It makes me sad to think she won't remember them much but it makes my heart happy that she is so loved and included by them.

Anna and Aliza have been gone for a week and this lady has been my right and left hands. She is capable and loves to be left alone. She also prefers pictures in sunglasses. I so appreciate her organization and her stick-to-it personality. She has recently started piano and dutifully practices every day. While she is a prickly pear sometimes she also reminds me of myself at that age. I pray to parent her as she needs and count it a success when we have whole days of getting along. I'm bracing for when her sisters return.

My three at home watching the new Book of Mormon videos and or baby einstein. While I was pondering what to do with them all day while I did the obligatory work I remembered those charming videos Anna, Harold, and Aliza use to enjoy. They also mesmerized and soothed these busy three.

Oh, a long-awaited happy picture. Alivia has taken off with her reading. I often find her sitting reading to herself sounding out words and working her way diligently through books. This makes me so happy!! She is reading easier, faster, and more fluidly. We still have work to do but the confidence is coming and the desire is there. I never doubted her end success but getting to visible progress is long faith-filled work!

How excited I am for pictures like this again. I have missed my older girls so much. I did not realize how much of a calming influence they are on me. Their ability to just do some of the night time nurturing, corraling, and crowd guidance is so HUGE! I use to get stress headaches all the time, I haven't for years until last week. I realized the enormity of doing all of this solo without the helpful diversion of their conversations and strength is very overwhelming.

Oh our busy end of the day family gathering. As I rode to church yesterday mentally thinking of all we don't do and are not, I realized we are at least in the habit of going to church, reading our scriptures if only out into the air to make noise, praying rote as it may be... but the habit is there. I was reasssured that the habit counts and is drawn upon as situations show need. I have also been struck as different hardships pop up around us how blessed we are to be so absent of really hard times. I'm not complaining or hoping that happens. Helping others is enough. I'm thankful for the days that are mine.

This life is good, for some reason my life work is to teach, train, house, and love these 12 bodies. They are diverse, headstrong, smart, and loving. I am thankful for this path that is mine.