6+2=8?

Simple math for a simple mama tells me that if you have six and add two more you get eight. Eight is the number of legs on a spider and the number on that hard, black ball that you poke with a stick. It's the number of notes in an octave and it's the number of toes on my husbands feet (figure that one out).

Eight...seems like a small number if I'm talking about years of life, or ounces of water I drank today, or the amount of money I've spent on groceries. But my perspective of eight changes when I look at it through the lens of how many chocolate chip cookies I ate today, or how many pounds I gained this week, how many hours in a car with kids, or how many times I wake up in the night.

Eight...
Eight???
Eight!!!

Don't know how eight makes you feel, but this number, lately, can leave me staring at the ceiling at 3 a.m. or it can kick my butt until the last phone call is made and the last paper is signed. 6+2=8. Most of you are familiar with the six - Matty, Stac, Jade, Taiter, Libby Lou, and little Binny. But the two will remain a mystery for a few more weeks, months or even the next year as we sign, stamp, and fingerprint our way through this process. Adoption agencies have given the thumbs up to proceed towards the two, but US Immigration will have the final say. For now we take the next step and prepare our minds and hearts for a family of eight until we're told otherwise. Excited? Yes! Scared? Yes! Worth it? Yes!

...Because they matter!

January 29, 2010
The day we became 6!

Just Another Manic Monday

Life is always unknown but for some reason we live in this pseudo-culture of control. I was quickly reminded of that today when I gave the car in front of me a bumper-shot, slamming him into the the next car. I turned my head to see why my child was crying in the back seat and the rest of the world stopped - collision. Police report written, apologies given, curses from the other drivers, court date set, every one drives away. My scheduled Monday turned chaotic. Their scheduled Monday turned chaotic. Just like that.

Silly that I thought I knew what today would hold. So thankful I didn't know this would happen yesterday.

Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes. -Jesus

Why blog and why the title?

Braids and Battles accurately describe my daily routine. You may think I wrestle and wrangle my girls to fancify them with ribbons but actually the bathroom conversation this morning began with Jadyn handing me her brush while saying, "Could you do something really cool that you've never done before." Quite a request to give a swollen-eyed, contact free, knotted morning-haired mom. I could barely focus on her hair through the annoying right eye that was twitching due to lack of sleep. But in a matter of minutes my mission was accomplished and she walked out of the bathroom ready to face another school day. The brush was passed to Liberty as the relay race of morning routine continued.

Meanwhile, down the long hall I hear growls and warrior voices from my boys as they try to occupy themselves while waiting to load the purple van for school. Without guided play they'll be wrestling, sword-fighting, or chasing each other with obnoxious passion that usually ends in one or both crying. Love shared between little boys looks messy to me, a girly mom. But, I'm trying to figure out how to fuel the energy and keep them busy before sleepy neighbors find a broom and bang their ceiling in hopes of silence.

This is my life. The movie "UP" says it best: "It's the boring things in life I'll miss the most." Routine sometimes brings feelings of boredom, but in reality I love these moments most. This blog is my attempt to celebrate this gift of life through the beautiful moments and the simultaneous hiccups.