I could hack it

So now I know. I could hack having 9 kids if I had to. I've been doing it for a couple days and while I'm sure that I would be constantly exhausted, I know I could keep up.

I had to giggle as I was busy this morning.... "I could have done this" I thought to myself; then I was instantly grateful that I never put myself in that situation. I just don't think it's for me.

Here is what this morning looked like:

7:30 AM - start making french toast
7:33 - yell up the stairs for everyone to get up, threatening we are leaving for the mountain in 20 minutes (really an hour, but I need to get them moving!)
7:35 - throw the first french toast on a couple boys plates (food gets them moving)
7:40 - start PBJ sandwiches
7:41 - yell up the stairs again
7:45 - fourth round of french toast comes out, bagging first round of PBJs
7:55 - unloading dishwasher (while making french toast) so we can load breakfast dishes
7:58 - barely rescue french toast that was close to burning
8:01 - add more forks to the counter so kids can keep dishing themselves
8:05 - start first count down warning "VAN LEAVES IN 20 MINUTES"
8:10 - ask if anyone is going to need more breakfast
8:11 - another warning "VAN LEAVES IN 15 MINUTES"
8:12 - "DON'T FORGET YOUR CREDENTIALS!", "OH, AND LUNCH IS ON THE COUNTER"
8:15 - adding breakfast dishes to dishwasher
8:16 - "VAN LEAVES IN 10 MINUTES, DON'T FORGET YOUR LUNCHES"
8:18 - throw last french toast on Drew's plate, that 18-year-old boy is always hungry
8:19 - "VAN LEAVING IN 5 MINUTES"
8:20 - finish wiping down counters, start dishwasher
8:22 - "WHO'S SANDWICH IS ON THE FLOOR?"
8:25 - "I'M STARTING THE FAN. IF YOU AREN'T OUT IN 3 MINUTES YOU ARE GETTING LEFT BEHIND"
8:26 - start van
8:27 - two kids already in the van
8:28 - honk twice
8:29 - only missing one kid, honk three more times
8:30 - pull out for the mountain, SUCCESS!!

NOW - I'm sitting here, blogging, obviously.
Chilling with my one girl who is stuck here due to an injury yesterday. We are looking at flights (she just wants to go home) and I'm wishing I could fly Sam out here. I'm SOOOO ready to see him. I'm jealous that she can just go home when she wants.

Here is a picture of our driveway. The mud out here is rediculous.


This is what all the houses/barns/etc look like out here. Very old, very traditional, very pretty.

Talk to ya all later. Hug your loved ones.