Life Is Beautiful

We are into week three and it's like she's always been here. Dad is back to work and we are finding our new normal. I'm positive I have a few more grey hairs already from heart pounding panic of trying to keep track of six kids who tend to scatter during these beautiful warm weather days, but for the most part it has been smooth. That is, if you don't count the water being dumped on the computer (this happens about twice a year for us) and a near kitchen fire on day 3 of solo parenting that nearly gave me a heart attack. All that to say - we are surviving. More than that. We are happily getting along just fine.

I managed to get out for a little bit on Saturday morning and finally took stock of the state of absolute neglect our yard is in. Yikes. I'm not much of a gardener. I don't really enjoy it at all, but it was a lovely day and the littles were playing around me so I made the most of it. It's amazing how the world tends toward the natural state of things. My Mom always said weeds were a sign of a sinful world. I'm not sure if she was serious or not, but upon surveying our yard, I tend to agree. No wonder Jesus did parables about farming. You can hardly step outside without getting a firm lesson in what happens when you neglect areas of your life. Your marriage, your children, your faith - even yourself. While I worked, I thought about each of these areas and covered them in prayer. I suppose that's another nice aspect of gardening - mental space to silently work something out.

The last few weeks have been lovely. I had my best babymoon yet - feeling amazing so quickly after she was born in large part to the love and care I was given. Even easing back into doing this daily parenting gig myself has been much easier, I think in large part to getting enough rest right away. It is lovely outside and the kids are soaking it up. People keep asking - So how is it really. No, really, how are you doing, how can we help, etc. And I keep answering - it really is life. Beautiful moments and tricky moments and heaps and heaps of grace all over the whole thing. I couldn't ask for anything more.

There will always be weeds to pull in all areas. Things that need my attention, things that go for a little too long without it. I'm realizing that finding a balance might just be impossible - everything is always in too constant a flux to pin down. It's seeking balance that makes life as smooth as possible, but perhaps surrendering to the knowledge that I'll never truly find it can help me live life content. Pulling one weed at a time, watering my flowers and enjoying the sunlight.

It's June, I've got seven beautiful children and can't think of a single complaint. Not because life is in perfect harmony, but because life is abundant in work, love, play, grace, pain and healing.

And it's beautiful.

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