Do the next thing....

I remember back about 2 years ago. I was pregnant with our 5 child, and we were still working on our adoption from Haiti. At one point, the childrens ages looked something like this:

Zoey 7
Joshua 6
Abigail 4
Karlee 3(at that point we considered her as much part of our family as any of the others even tho she wasn't with us)
Kaitlyn 2
Jorden 1

Something like that. Although I love love love children, and I loved my life, I felt like I wouldn't be leaving the house alone for a very. long. time.
I was a busy mama.
I didn't know how I was ever gonna survive.

But guess what. Two years later  I feel like I am "on the other side". I look back now and wonder what the big deal was.
I am no super mom.
I don't have it all together.

But the last two years I did go away, and our family did a lot of fun things. Our house is still standing, and I am quite sane.

I have LOVED the last few years.
We've grown as a family.
God has been good.

I am here to testify, that God gives grace for those "big things". He gives strength for the hard days.
Some days, when it all looks big, do the next thing.
Sometimes its laying the work aside to read a story. Sometimes its just putting the next load of laundry in. Sometimes its making the most out of naptime by tidying as quickly as possible and sometimes its by taking a nap too. 

Sometimes, it's doing the next thing. Whatever that may be.

I think what helped (and even now, currently ) us was / is routine. 

Routine that is predictable but routine that can be changed with whatever God brings into your day. As our family grew so did the need for a schedule. Children thrive on it, and it allowed us to do things we couldn't have done otherwise. 

Grace will meet you  wherever you are.. and these busy days can be beautiful. Rejoice.. do heartily with love... this mothering thing is precious and important in God's eyes.  

Hats off to all my mommy friends! !!