A (Really Long) Snapshot

Life is busy, isn't it? Some days I feel as if I have loads to say and not a moment to say it, and others I feel as if I stare at a blank screen and simply think, "Well there ought to be something worth writing about..." Either way, the thing I love most about this blog is the opportunity it creates for me to read back and remember where we were a few years ago. And so, more for my benefit than anything else, a snapshot of life, as it is in January, 2012. (Pictures scattered through the post, so at least scroll through if you don't feel like reading a novel. Because this post? It sort of is one.)

So, here's the thing about this picture...

I felt pretty silly standing in my friend's

kitchen, posing with what feels like an

enormous belly. 32 weeks pregnant, one 

doesn't necessarily feel like smiling for a 

camera. But...it's amazing what a woman's body 

can do. I wanted to capture that. And since my 

friend Destinee is such an incredible photographer, 

she managed, if even for just one afternoon, to 

make me feel beautiful. I'd say every pregnant

woman deserves that. Funny though... Lucy just

came up to me, and said, "Mommy, you don't

really look like that." "Like what?!" I asked 

defensively, as I readjusted my yoga pants and 

straightened my frizzy ponytail. Heh.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, 7 weeks from tomorrow, I'll deliver my sixth baby. My pregnancy has been normal, and much like the others. I'm growing more uncomfortable by the day, but feel blessed to be complication free. I'm willing to endure a few more weeks of wretched heartburn and cracking ribs if it means a baby at the end of it. We're still working on the logistics of where a sixth baby is going to sleep... he'll room in with Josh and I for as long as we can manage it, and then? We've already got three boys in one bedroom and two girls in the other. We've plans to finish out the basement and move the two oldest boys down there, but don't know exactly when the plan will actually become reality. But then, I'm not sure it actually matters. I have no idea how a baby will actually sleep with the noise and chaos of five other children surrounding him in the first place.

I'm still writing. I just turned over 90 pages of novel #2 to my sister and dear friend. The good news is they both like the story, said it has merit and would be well worth the effort to finish. It still needs work though. I haven't quite connected with my characters as well as I'd like and think I'm rushing their story a bit. My plan now is to back track, flesh out the story line and get to know my characters even more so that telling the rest of their story will be easier. The truth is, when you're deeply involved in the writing of a novel, you tend to think about your characters all the time. You dream conversations, you hear their voices in your head, you wonder how they would handle different circumstances, even if those circumstances don't have anything to do with your plot line. Your characters become your friends. I'm not there yet with this book. Growing an actual physical person, in real life, rather than just making them up in my head, is zapping a lot of my mental energy, I guess. I'm pressing forward though, and feel good about where I'm headed. My goal is to have something else to my publisher before book #1 hits the shelves.

To date, this is my favorite picture of my husband... 

(another one of Destinee's) It makes me feel all gooey inside 

and so excited to see him loving on another newborn in 

the not so distant future.

Josh is working hard to support us all, something I am grateful for on a daily basis. I realize it's a tremendous blessing to have the opportunity to stay home with my kids. I hope he knows how much I value how hard he works. I can tell when he's had a hard day because he comes home and his ears are red. I assume it's his blood pressure from a high stress day, which just makes me even more grateful that he's able to hang up his work brain and dive into an often chaotic couple of hours with the kids before bedtime. He's planning for another triathlon this summer and has started training again. I'm jealous. A little. A couple of weeks after baby, we'll celebrate our 12th anniversary. I entertained us a great deal the other night by reading out loud some of my journal entries from our first year or two of marriage. Heh. We've come a long way in 12 years. I do not discount the sentiments expressed. They were real and sincere at the time. But on the other side of a decade, it's nice to look back and see how much we've learned and grown together. I hope it's an even richer experience to look back ten years from now.

The kids? Jordan is nearly 11, and thoroughly enjoying the fifth grade. This year, he is part of a pilot program at his school that selected 25 students and grouped them together for a classroom environment centered around project based, independent learning. He's definitely thriving and loves his teachers and classmates.

He and Sam are both playing community league basketball this season, which has Josh and I scratching our heads and wondering if community sports are actually worth the effort. Nearly five nights a week we are getting one or both boys to practices or games. The season is intense, but gratefully, it's not quite two months long and we're nearly to the end of it. Honestly though, I'm not sure we'll do it again. I could go into how I feel about America's fascination with organized sports for young children, but I'll save it for another post. For now, suffice it to say I'm not so sure playing basketball in the driveway with Dad isn't an acceptable alternative. Let's discuss this another time, shall we? I'd love to know your thoughts.

Sam... ha. What can I say about Sam? He's the most entertaining 8 year old I've ever met. He is witty and smart and so fun to be around. The kid never meets a stranger, and has been known to entertain basketball players on the opposing team with his stories... as they're running down the court. His mind is a constant flurry of activity - questions escaping his mouth quicker than you can find an answer for them. He is a constant delight - a never ending source of entertainment.

And then there is Lucy - daughter of my heart. I don't know where I'd be without her. Lucy is a workhorse. When she puts her mind to something, there is no way she won't accomplish it. She is spunky and tough, with enough confidence to join in on a basketball game in the driveway with her older brother and two of his middle school aged friends. Ivy looks to Lucy as a second Mom and Lucy eats it up. She happily volunteers, for a mere 50 cents an evening, to get Ivy and Henry ready for bed, bath time, pajamas, teeth brushed, she does it all. She is a born nurturer, and has a way of making the little ones feel comfortable and safe.

Lucy and Sam have been in the same school class this year for the first time. In a rare moment when Sam and I were riding in the car together, just the two of us, I asked him if he got to choose, if he would like to be in the same class with Lucy next year, or if he would enjoy it more if they were separated.

He immediately replied, "Definitely together."

I was surprised by his quick response. When I asked him why, he said, "I just like knowing that there is someone around that understand me, that knows how I think. It just feels better having her around."

Indeed. She has that affect on everyone.

Out for dinner for Sam and Lucy's eighth birthday. That's whipped cream all over their face...  part of the special birthday treatment at the twins' favorite restaurant.

This boy? He knows how to do Sundays... though I'm pretty

sure we started the day with his shirt tucked in. Maybe we

made it through the first meeting before it was loose?

Probably not.

Henry? (I know! I have a lot of kids! I promise. Update almost done.)

Henry will be five a few weeks after baby is born. He is just as charming as ever, an easy going kid, with the sweetest nature. He makes my heart melt every time I look in his big brown eyes. He is the best Super Mario Galaxy player in our house, loves to play with his friends, and could survive on Nutella alone. If it didn't cost seven dollars a jar. He's starting school this fall, and more than all the others, I worry about how he'll handle it. He's always been a Momma's boy - and deals with a little bit of anxiety when it comes to new situations that don't readily involve me. He'll be okay though. He's a smart kid, already reading and will adapt well to the structure and routine of school. Or so I tell myself whenever I start to worry a little too much.

I realize she looks a little subdued here, while my 

description of her is all sunshine and smiles... but it's 

too pretty of a picture not to share. Of course...

another one by Destinee.

Ivy is the funniest, most entertaining baby I've ever met. She is talking like crazy, loves to eat oranges, and lives for the moment her father walks in the door everyday. She looks ups, greats him with a "Hi, Daddy!" that sounds like it ought to be coming from a kid much older than one who is not quite 2 years old. She loves the dog, though is quick to express outrage when he tries to lick her hands while she's eating. She is fiercely independent, wanting to do everything her own way and requires a kiss from every single member of our family, even the dog, before she goes to bed at night. When I change her diaper, and in a sing-song southern voice say, "Shoo-eey!" She responds with a just as southern "Weee - shoo!" And then I die a little from the cuteness.

The dog? He's my boyfriend. I let him sleep on my bed during the day. He guards the kids and eats the crumbs on the floor and generally brings joy and happiness to my life.

And that's where we're at, yo. I kinda feel like I just wrote you a really long Christmas letter. I love you extra if you made it all the way through.

Just for good measure, another picture only worth sharing because Sam's hair is totally awesome.