all mine

We had a rare day when all the kids were home.  We sat around our ever growing dining table and celebrated a couple birthdays.  It was fulfilling in the most ordinary way. Though too much time passes between each get together I love how the kids just pick up right where they left off during their adolescent years.  It makes my heart warm to hear their laughter and snide comments.  They recount stories that I never knew happened under my watch.  Where was I?  Maybe folding 5 loads of laundry????  While the older kids have achieved celebrity status with their younger siblings, it is interesting to watch the younger ones interact with their adult siblings.  What they choose to share with them will always be a fascination to me.
We decided to attempt a picture with everyone, husbands and kids and the grandbaby.  Then a few with all six kids together.  It is nice for the younger ones to see themselves in the line up, kind of like where they stand in this family.  Of course the pictures didn't really come out.  It's hard with so many people, it is never possible to have everyone not blink at the same time the camera clicks.  In this case these quick pictures I took as they were trying to line up are just as wonderful to me as if they were all standing perfect.  I love their love for each other.  I love their craziness, their jokes, their happiness, their fierce determination.  My cup overflows.

of sunrises

When I began writing this blog all those years ago I was reckless with my thoughts and couldn't seem to focus on what to share.  I feared sharing too much and yet it felt empty to share too little.  I never really did settle on a theme or even a direction and just hit "publish" when I had the time to write or share anything.  I'm grateful I did that as those were some busy years for me and to scroll back and read through those days makes me appreciate them, most of those regular days I fear I wouldn't have retained all those bits and pieces about.  Since the first post I have shared so much growing....both the physical growth of my children and the growth of me as a person.  The latter was unintentional, but to see my family and myself through the eyes of who might be reading my words helped me to stop being so self deprecating.  To read your comments on days when I needed a boost was so rewarding.  Thank you for that, wherever you are.  All those years ago there were five children, now there are six.  They were all shorter than me, now only one is.  Two are married.  And now the sweetest of sweet things: a grandchild.  A darling little girl that sends me to the moon with love. 

   

                                  

 We went on a trip this summer to watch our daughter get married in France.  It was so lovely and my heart is full of happy wedding memories.  It has been a while since we have been to Europe and though I was very excited to return I felt more nervous to travel than I ever have.  There wasn't a reason in particular just overall jitters at disrupting my daily routines at home that my mind conveniently mistakes routine for comfort.  Yes, I like routines but it is a very nice thing to step away from them for a time, and equally to return to them with vigor and appreciation. But why is it so hard to convince oneself of this before the trip?
We decided a trip to France could also include some traveling to places we wanted to bring our younger three kids to, as their older siblings have many memories of living overseas and these little guys have really only experienced New England. It was a lot of traveling and driving and walking and flying.  But there was so much to see!