the FUN of a large family.

On President's Day we went to the aquarium.
The kids took turns with Todd, pushing the stroller and pushing me around in a wheel chair.

I'm still embarrassed when Todd asks for a wheel chair for me without giving any reason why I need one.
He thinks it's none of their business why I need a wheel chair.
I tend towards over-disclosure (if you haven't figure that out by now.)
Anyway, the looks I get as I'm being pushed around do make me smile.

During the amazing, dramatic, musical that my children performed for us, Lily got stepped on.
While she was crying, the older children tried to encourage her to move back a bit.
In exasperation she replied, "I CAN'T MOVE!!  I'M A STARFISH."  We all laughed.  i love those kids. 

I have to say, the best part of having lots of kids, is watching them interact with one another.
Sure, my kids fight sometimes.
But they are best friends ALL of the time.

It is so fun to watch them and to see what great parents they will make someday.

I see so much of myself in my older kids.

I hear my voice as they are coaxing their younger siblings into the stroller.
They laugh at the same cute things that make me laugh.

eve doesn't miss ANYTHING. 

In many ways they exceed me in their parenting and negotiating and distraction skills.

my kids love to pose for pictures.
Here, ellie climbed up on a rock, posed like an explorer, and said, "Mom, take a picture."
They are doing this constantly and the random pictures always make me smile.  

I love their creativity and energy.
Having a large family is the best.

We spent a long time at the touching pool of our aquarium.
The sweet grandmother volunteer told me about 5 times what well-behaved children I had.
Looking around, it wasn't well-behaved that made my children stand apart from the other children that afternoon.

These sweet sisters are always together.  They are very different, but so much alike.  

It was that they were adorable and helpful interacting with each other.

When children have younger siblings, they learn to teach and contribute and they become more responsible and patient.

My kids are happy children.

They might not wear clothes that match or have their hair fixed, but they are adorable.

They are funny and kind and it makes my heart swell with appreciation for the sweet children that have been sent to my family.

It is adorable to watch (even from a wheel chair.)
Children are blessings.
I am so blessed.

Leah loves animals.  I wish I had a better picture of her laughing at the underside of the stingrays.  (She loves their smiling faces.)  Here she is watching the sharks swim under her.  I love that active, smart little girl.  

silly lily.

eve loves when they swing her... she won't even walk because she wants a swing.
my kids die laughing as they pull her along.  

Life is beautiful.