Ten days.
I get a whopping, ten days.
I get exactly ten days to have all thirteen of my children under the same roof.
That's it.
And that's not nearly long enough.
Look familiar?
Elder Crosgrove is packing his bags as I type and will be home (and sleeping in a bedroom that didn't even exist when he left) by Tuesday. This mama wants to hug him so much my teeth hurt! I decided to be sane and forget about all the hoopla and just get to the airport this time. Wish us luck.
Our efforts have been focused on getting enough beds for everyone. My baby girls have just sort of floated around at night for the past year. Their big sisters take turns snuggling them to sleep and they just stay there. Well....Miss Ivy sleeps. Miss Iz just hangs out. If the truth be spoken, she has been going to bed with whomever draws the short straw each night. No one can face daylight after spending more than two nights in a row with her. Myself included.
We decided to finish a bedroom in the basement and do some changing around. I actually have a nursery for the first time in eight years (and six children). It's taken us awhile. My brother actually built an entire house in the time it's taken us to finish this room. But it's finished!!!
Miss Nichole and Miss Brianna have been sharing a bed since Nichole moved home from her own mission and school. Thats been interesting. I won't share the best stories because of retaliation concerns, but let's just say they will have memories to giggle about when they are old. Especially all the late night talks and early morning alarm clock throwing. It will be sad for me to have that chapter of their lives come to a close. (Wiping away a bit of a tear, now.)
And that brings us to the ten day dealio.
Miss Izzy was born after Sir Spencer left. They meet each other on Tuesday and I get to finally have all my babies together for the first time in this life!
And then a few days later...Miss Nichole will become Mrs. Nichole.
And she decided to prolong that change in her life until her brother was able to be here.
Actually she didn't.
She was really thinking that a three week engagement was plenty and was hoping to have been married a month ago. At this stage in the game.....I'm regretting that I asked her to wait.
Yes, I just said that.
I feel a lot of life coming at me in a very short amount of time and I could have had every excuse to enjoy a beautiful ceremony, kiss them both on the forehead, and then wave goodbye. (Can I insert a 'bless her heart' here for instant forgiveness in voicing that?)
So what does a big fat hen do when she only gets a few days to have all her chicks in a row? I think that decision has already been made. We'll be making a wedding happen.
I've given this quite a bit of thought, however, and even if I could load Moby up and go on one last epic trip together......I wouldn't do it. I would pass on every dream vacation I have ever had. I would even pass on the re-do of the Oregon coast trip that holds some of my favorite memories.
And this is why.
I'm getting older. I've witnessed enough water flow under the bridge to be able to look back on our lives thus far and see relatively clearly which events that have had the most profound affects on our family's happiness.
Disneyland didn't even make it on the list.
Know what I think is at the top?
All of those itty bitty things that we've done every day. Simpleness really. Those priceless tidbits of our lives that no money can buy and no travel agent can arrange for us. Those swiftly fleeting smudges of time that add up to overwhelming proportions of joy.
For the next ten days I will be doing my best to make sure we work together. I will cherish every moment that we spend seated around the table together. I will hold close to my heart the sweet songs we sing and the scriptures we discuss together each night. My prayer of gratitude will go up with theirs as I peek at us kneeling together at the end of each day.
And on the tenth night, when my thirteen will have become fourteen, (here come the tears again) I hope I get to witness my children celebrate and dance together.
And now I have to stop blubbering and go to bed because it is already tomorrow and that means that I get to hug my little boy again TOMORROW!!!!
