Spring Has Sprung.

Because it's the first warm-ish and sunny day that we've had in what feels like.....years...
And because Kev has the day off...

Sanity....

 

Because I firmly believe that "play is the WORK of childhood"...
And because I'm Head Teach, so I CAN.....

Liquid gold in the near future....

We did absolutely zero bookwork today.
None.
Instead, we lived and we played outside and It. Was. Blissy.

Not to mention loud.
With a few squabbles thrown in here and there.
And some toddler ranting.
Some brothers spatting at each other now and then.
A hubby trying to figure out how to build a treehouse.
A Mama feeling like it was still just a tad too cold to go out at crack of dawn, like he wanted.
Snot flying, coughs wheezing, mud flying, fire building, chickens squawking....

This.....is SO much Happiness.

You know, per our usual norm...
Like I said.....Blissy.

Introducing our babies to the Great Outdoors.

Because your days are what you make of them.

And right now - these days are right filled to the brim with Crazy...
And loud.....and messy....with little down time....and a WHOLE lot of Hoolies right under foot...

With a Mama who sometimes feels like she has her hands in the mix of many many things...
And wonders, at times,  if she's doing a good job at any ONE of those things...

And introducing our two ladies to the 8 little rascals that will soon be joining them.

And so that's where the grace comes in...
And the whole "your day is what you make of it" mentality...

Our days are never perfect.
And our kids are never flawless.
There's always more to be done....and things to do "better."
But.....so what?

I will never "arrive" - and that's okay.
I'll give my kids their own brand of dysfunction to take into their own homes someday.
Kev and I will get frazzled and flustered with each other and need to apologize.  Daily.
London's perpetual messes will make me want to perpetually fork out my eyeballs.
And her little girly emotions will continuously leave me feeling stumped.
The boy's bedroom of blankets that I can't even walk into will make me back away and close the door....

No words.  Just......None.

But this.....ALL of this....
This is a good GOOD Life.
This is a life being Lived, and it's a Life that is Full.

This is a life filled to overflowing with beauty and blessing....and mess after mess after mess...
And I will choose to see the blessing of it each and every day.
Even if I need to get up at 5:00a.m. to greet the day in silence in order to fully adjust my attitude....

Chicken sausages....with my chickens looking on.
Awkward.

And these kids - they're so good at giving us big baths of grace...
They are Naturals at showing us how to "seize the day" and really live...
They're great at discovering the magic in each and every day....
And it's sweet and special....and really fun to see life through their little eyes.

They're crazy.  And wild.  And free.
And Happy.  And content.  And joyfilled -- even amidst all of the messy.

They're good at finding the Joy in the small things of life...like wooden boards nailed into a tree.
And hotdogs and s'mores cooked over an open fire.
Like swinging high....and finding glory in little, fuzzy things.

Sometimes it's good to be schooled by your kids...
Count your blessings, Friends.
Name them one by one...

It's kind of Life Changing.