Shopping ✽ I love my big family

We're walking through Bi-lo, getting some snacks to eat before we go into Hobby Lobby, and I see a dime: "Josiah, look!"
*stares*
"Hey, look Joey!"
*stares*
"Do you see it?!"
Josiah: "Yes." *stomps on it*
"Donnnnn't you want money?...."
"No." *stalks off*
Whatever, sass monster. I gave it to Peter and he's been carrying it around ever since, lol! They are so different...

We get back out to the car with our snack. Tori: "This fish cracker bag smells like stinky feet. Not the fish crackers, just the bag."
*gag*
A pause, and then, Mama: "What smells like wet dog?"
*smells the fish cracker bag and gags*
?!?!?!?

Also, we met two ladies who had grown up in large families -6 and 8 siblings. That's not very common to run into, especially two in two hours, haha :). Everybody you meet who grew up in that setting though is always so supportive and excited about it. It truly is a blessing to grow up with so many siblings and to have those moments of learning from and with each other and strengthening those bonds <3. Right now Abbi is doing a study on Ephesians with Mama and I; Peter is on this kick of having to lay in Tori's bed with her for a few minutes every night or two to look at her pictures and lay in "a bed that matches his eyes"; Josiah is keeping us all well supplied with love-gifts of scraps of paper he has cut out and stabbed with a pencil, which he calls "doors" (the stab marks are the doorknobs , hahah!); Us older ones' current obsession during the little one's quiet time is Monopoly Deal, and it is becoming very obvious that Tori is the champion (but it's pretty much a game of chance?! I don't get it!!!!). It's the little things that make up life, and each person contributes in some way to making daily life what it is. People who haven't grown up like this assume that it's difficult and annoying to have to deal with so many different personalities all the time, but when you live like this, you don't think in numbers.  Each person is just that; a living person, a close friend, with their own hopes and dreams, quirks and struggles, obsessions and gifts. You divide out the work, you learn to put others first, and you constantly have a support system around you.

And having less children/siblings does not mean no fighting. Also, young children fighting when they are little does not mean they are sworn enemies for life. To this day, Tori and I laugh about the blue cup that used to be our biggest divider. When we were little, for weeks (months?) we argued about who got the dark blue cup. Mama eventually asked us, "When you are on your death bed, will it really matter? Will you lay there and say to yourself 'I wish I had had the blue cup one more time?'  No, you won't even think about it. So you need to stop fighting about it, because your relationship matters more than that cup."

We realized she was right, and we don't fight about the cup anymore... but we do laugh at how silly it was. And we've both vowed to think about the blue cup on our death bed if we are at all conscious, just for, haha! But we're best friends, and we've got lots of new little best friends, too, all of whom stick around no matter where we are :). Also, brothers who share your love for popcorn and siblings who will listen to music with you all night and give you an excuse to read children's books or watch children's shows are pretty handy ;). I love late night chats with my sisters; one of the best parts is when there is silence from all but two of you for 20 minutes and you think everyone else is asleep, and then a third sister answers a comment with a completely intelligible answer, and you are like, wait, weren't you asleep?! And then nobody, including the newly awakened sister, knows for sure, but it just sparks even more chatter and laughter... hahaha! Some nights it feels like a never ending loop of who is awake and talking and who is dozing off, and so many memories come out of those nights!

I don't know where that came from, but there it is... haha!

 
Also, I made a bunny to go with that bunny set, because Gramma shared a pattern that I thought was cute just hours after I finished the set, and I was still in the mode and couldn't help myself, haha.

Tori: *weird squeal while she stares at the dinning room*
Me: *holds Noah tighter, backs up really fast and stares at the wall trying to find out what is going on*
Bethi: "What is wrong with you, Bri?"
Tori: *laughs* "She's waiting for a fifty foot long roach to come running at her."
Actually, that's pretty much what I was thinking. And I think her acting might be a little dangerous for my health ;).

Happy Saturday!