More of the Good Stuff

Somethings are harder with a larger family-- more food prep, more laundry, more places to be.  But somethings are better.  More laughter, more hugs, more joy.  More people to love on little ones is probably my favorite thing about a large family.

More hairdressers

More makeup artists.

More delightful companions on a girls outing for the General Women's meeting for Conference.

More gratitude for being the luckiest mom on the planet...

...and the luckiest dad.

More family to give you a lift when you need it.

More friends to share a snack with.

More company for a late night talk and walk.

More friends to build forts with.

There is always a sibling around to join you in a project.

It can be a real challenge to balance the needs of the older kids with the needs of the younger ones.  I am grateful for the help that each are in helping to raise the other.  I am so grateful for the older ones and how they help nurture and take care of their younger siblings.  I love how they younger kids soften and teach the older ones patience and kindness.  

Over the years the house will get emptier.  Older kids will leave-- Clark already has.  They house will get quieter and it will be easier to keep clean.  I feel kind of bad for the younger kids that they won't always know the exciting, somewhat chaotic joy that constantly reigned in our house when they were littler.  

When Clark was about to leave on his mission I felt so sad because I felt like that time of our lives was as good as it could possibly get.  To have all of our children at home.  It somehow seemed that we had maxed out to joy.  We were at the pinnacle of how good it could get.  I really went through a kind of mourning for what we were losing.

As it turns out, there have been amazing, wonderful, delightful, joyful happenings in our family with Clark gone on his mission.  I am convinced that even if we feel sad at the loss of something we have enjoyed so much, there is always something better to come.  There is so much joy and goodness to be had-- even if we have to pass through hard times and sorrow to get to it.  When something is bad or sad, just wait.  It will get better.  That is how God works.  He is a God of good things and happiness and joy.   So while I think it is sad that the littles won't grow up with the same experience the older kids had, I trust that there is a joyful blessing-filled  youth in store for them too.