This is part of why it works

[Mom, this is for you!]

The tree outside our dining room window, glowing in the sun last night against the cloudy sky.

Our life with seven, soon to be nine, children, is always very busy, often chaotic, but never boring. I can't tell you how many times I've had someone ask me how I do it, and there are plenty of days when I can't seem to get anything done, or plans really don't go (at all!) the way I'd expected because of the many unforeseen circumstances that can arise when you're juggling ten people, but there are also days like today to balance it out.

 The day was warm, despite being mid October.

 Reuben was home from school working off the tail end of a cold.

 And sometimes you just have to take advantage of the right time and have Dad put his work on hold for the rest of the hour and all go outside and play in the leaves for a while before lunch.

 Grandma thought we were "raking." It only looked like we were raking (well, because we were all holding rakes and using them to make big piles of leaves, so I guess it was understandable!)

We were all out there just to play. ;) Throwing, running, giggling - the only thing missing from a perfect morning was that Krassimir was NOT too sick to be at school, so he wasn't with us, and our B and T aren't here yet to enjoy the excitement with us.

Our life may be encumbered in many ways, many things are tremendously more difficult for our family than for a smaller family, or a family with "normal" children, but we also have flexibility and freedoms that we try to take advantage of when the occasion arises! And life is good.