Early mornings are not the best time to entertain visitors at our place. We often still have our mattress in the middle of the family room floor, a dirty diaper rolled up along side it. Kids are eating breakfast and one child is throwing food across the kitchen. There is always food in hair, covering faces and spilled on shirts. Mark and I are in and out of showers, while Russ Russ pulls out every toy he loves and has missed during the night. Russell is also completely naked from the waist down, in between trips to the potty. The house and people are often their dirtiest in the morning.


This morning we had visitors at 8 am. We were quite aware of their visit, but were unable to avoid morning chaos. They came to check our height, weight, and take our blood. The first nurse came in, took a good look at the scene and asked if we were going to have more children. Mark responded very quickly, "Yes. We would like a couple more."


Nothing could hide the shock on her kind face as she looked at me and told me he was crazy. I assured her I was in on the plan.


The next man came in, and after some conversation and measurements he also asked if we would have more children.


Again, we said "Yes, we would like a couple more."


He laughed and said, "Wow, and you aren't even Mexican." Which he could say, because he is.


"Yeah", I chuckled, "But we are Mormon."


"Oh yes. Us Mexicans and Mormons, we love having families."


Occasionally I use my blog as an outlet to vent. Being a mother is many things, and sometimes it is frustrating. When I hear a mother say she loves every second of it, I am tremendously curious, because there are some exhausted, tantrum, poop moments, which I do not "love".

But, there are just as many moments listening to the sweet purity of children giggling, spontaneous hugs, kisses and 'I love you's, walking into a room to find Russ and Luke sitting in a dark closet laughing in each other's faces, swinging at the park with Luke on my lap, watching a sleeping child, hearing Russell suggest a prayer so, "Mommy will get all better", chubby legs and cheeks, the exhileration of teaching a 3 year old how to ride a bike, or helping a baby walk, the pride Russ and I both feel when he confidently tells me he has had "dry undies" all day, running through the grass together, reading to two little boys as they sit on my lap, watching with awe the special relationship Mark has with each of our kids.

Sometimes you will hear me complain, but the truth is I love the family life. They make me a very happy women. I hope I make them happy too!