Mothering is...

Mothering in this season is early mornings gathered in the living room for study & prayer as a family because it is the only time in the entire day that you will all be together.

It's getting six children out the door each morning for school with homework and a decently healthy lunch packed by them.

It's leading, guiding & gently correcting.

It's realizing how much you miss the younger years when everyone was home & together all the time.

It's navigating different age groups and multiple emotions with as much grace as you can muster each day.

It's a well lived in house, messy kitchen & full bellies.

It's "Mom, can you please bring my math binder when you come pick me up?" texts.

It's coordinating schedules and loading and unloading children multiple times a day. 

It's giving them independence while also realizing when they could use some help.

It's spending my days laughing & creating with these two rays of light.

It's up all night multiple nights in a row with a sick babe and then waking up and putting on a smile even though you’re weary to the bone.

It's twelve loaves of fresh-baked bread each week.

It's warm homemade cookies on the counter after school to entice conversation.

It's cheering with the littles at various sporting events to show how much you love & care.

It's reading stories by the fire together.

It's sticky notes by the front door when they come home.

It's driving home from a basketball game with the interior light on while your daughter does her math homework in the passenger seat. 

It's glowing with pride when you see the good they are doing and the way they are juggling everything going on in their lives as they grow.

It's knowing when they need a hug instead of a discourse.

It's late night chats at the kitchen island where you listen more than you speak while you laugh & smile to yourself in disbelief that your children are this old.

 It's even later nights at the kitchen table helping with homework, even though you have no idea what your doing and end up playing more of a moral support role.

It's falling asleep each night hoping you gave it your best, then waking each morning & trying again because these little souls mean so much to you and you couldn't imagine life any other way!