400!

This is my 400th post!  Hard to believe!  I'm quite behind in my blogging as usual but am pretty pumped and proud of myself for continuing to persevere despite the seriously intense levels of busy, mess, and chaos that exist in my world.  It feels as if free time is non existent these days and I've come to realize that I really should write more because the opportunity to reflect on the daily grind allows me to see things as they really are.  To see that time passes quickly and babies grow too fast.  Writing allows me to keep a tinge of the spiritual and eternal a little more at the forefront because I can take a few steps back from the monotony of my hard days and remember how much I truly love my family and the life I choose every step of the journey.  I have to keep our blog books up high because otherwise my terrors of children would rip them to shreds, but the other day I got out an older one to bring to a church activity.  Upon finding it on the counter the next morning the kids clamored to read and study the story of our lives.  It really stopped me in my tracks.  Although I couldn't help myself from loosing my temper when several pages were detached from the binding, my heart sings to see those grubby faced kids enjoying the memories we make.

In a minute here, I'll go back and catch up on the last few months.  When this year's blog book is bound we won't pay attention to when the posts were written, just that they were written.  For today, on this 400th post, here's what I'm up to:  I'm relishing and dreading the days of summer, struggling to occupy and entertain seven children while teaching them the value of hard work and the joy of togetherness.  Ben is busy.  That word hardly even scratches the surface of what he's got going on.  I visited him for a minute in his new office at the new high school today.  They just moved in this week and students will soon fill the halls much sooner than he's ready for, I'm sure.  He's drowning in school work for his doctorate program and has yet to turn in an assignment on time in the last two years of course work.  I'm still serving as Young Women President and am gearing up to go to girls camp next month.  Ruby is learning to walk and talk while I'm clinging to her babyness.  Ammon is opinionated and strong willed.  Again, those adjectives don't quite seem intense enough to accurately describe him.  Today I got to literally wrestle him to sleep at nap time because he was delirious and I'm going to be out late.  Seth is mischievous beyond belief.  This morning, with a smile on his face, he woke up Ammon from a sound sleep for no good reason.  We're pretty sure he's plotting against us every single day.  Yesterday Liam and I had a battle of wills over piano practice.  He ended up choosing to miss the opportunity to swim because he refused to practice.  Fun times!  Yes, I lost my temper, yes I said sorry.  Sariah is blossoming in responsibility as of late.  Thank heavens!  The freedom of summer has been good to her, but it's still early in the game.  Eli is uber responsible and uber emotional.  I swear that hormone spikes are far worse for the boys than girls.  Meilani is settling into her teenage role nicely while I'm a little frustrated with the sass, sleep habits, and general entitlement that comes along with it.  To top it all off, we unintentionally adopted a kitten a few weeks ago!  And yet, we trudge on leaving chicken nugget crumbs and crushed cereal in our wake.  Happy 400th post to me.  If anyone is really still reading (which I doubt because even our family doesn't check in anymore), stay tuned for the nitty gritty details of our authentic blend of crazy.