Life has been so full lately.
We now have 2 teens, 2 tweens, 4 kids, a toddler, a baby, and one on the way. It has been so much fun having all the different ages and stages.
Life changes naturally happen in our family constantly. New routines, different ways of doing things, new recipes, especially the ones that need to be doubled or tripled, new strategies, and everyone moving in and out of childhood stages as quick as a wave on the sand.
We try to make the most of every moment. To sit back and smell the dandelions picked by my kids. To enjoy the sweet taste of them making their first batch of cookies. To take in the moments where they make each other laugh so hard they fall over. To swell with joy as we watch how tender even the roughest and toughest of them can be while holding and cooing at the baby.
Of course, we also have our fair share of fighting, arguing, tantrums, scraped knees, crying, and broken hearts. Days can be hard and exhausting, but they are beautiful too.
Over the years, we have learned that being intentional with our time has made the biggest difference in our family. We purposefully keep our schedules to a minimum. I take time to rest, and they do too.
I hear the constant complaining about how busy families are, but you do not have to be. You can choose the slow path. You can choose to be under-scheduled and leave room for your kids to just play, experience boredom, and discover what they come up with in their downtime.
You do not have to live bound by the clock.
Our culture has clung to busyness as a badge of honor lately, but is that really how you want to live? What could life look like for you if you did not have every moment scheduled?
For us, we have learned that life has enough fullness all on its own.