Eat chocolate and do the next thing.  That’s how I feel sometimes.  That’s how I feel right now.  Life is full of hard work.  And the more fun you have the bigger the messes. 

If you have big dreams, you’ll have more work to do.  The more people you love, the bigger your heart needs to be.  And the more people around your table, the more dishes you will have to wash later.  The later you stay up talking and visiting, the later you will stay up cleaning the kitchen… or you will have to do it in the morning.  The answer to all this consists in prayer...and chocolate.

Life can be so wonderful, rich and full.  There is laughter and beauty all around us.  There are adventures to take, places to see, and loved ones to serve.  There are children to laugh with, stories to tell, and games play.  There are mysteries to be solved.  There are letters to write. There are balloons to blow up and cakes to bake.  Some phone calls need to be made.  Some new things need inventing.  Some old things need fixing.  Hearts need warming.  Hurts need healing.  Babies need changing.  Tears need to be kissed away.  Coloring books are waiting to be filled.  Homes are waiting to be built.  Trees are waiting to be planted.  Then snow begins to fall, and seasons change.

All the wonderful things in life are just waiting to happen in our lives.  But the best things don't come easily.  If you want to sail, you must leave the dock.  If you want to dance in the rain, you will get wet.  If you want to play in the snow, you will have to find your boots and gloves… and in my case find enough warm clothes for a family of ten.

Isn’t it just easier to watch a movie or read a book or blog about someone else’s adventures?  I think that sometimes we can find our adventures in the stories, books, movies, and role playing games, while our own lives slip away and one day we realize we have spent our days on the couch, lost in books, or in front of a color screen.  Why?  Because real life is hard!  The greater the adventure and the deeper we love the more work we have to do.

We shouldn’t be satisfied to live our lives in an imaginary world when our own world is waiting to be conquered.  Our own treasures are waiting to be found.  Our own children are longing to get out in the rain or snow.  Our own spouse is longing for companionship and attention.  Our own prayers are waiting to be prayed and our own lives are ready to be filled. 

I’m not afraid to say “Yes!” to life, to love...to adventure.  But first I must say no to many other things.  What must we say "No" to?  First of all we must say no to our natural desire to be selfish, lazy, and complacent.  Then we must say no to the busyness that takes us from the things that really matter.  Then we must say no to a desire to have great possessions with little real value.  Spend your life for the things that matter, and welcome the hard work that turns into joy, dreams, and friendship.  By saying no to some things we are saying yes to all the best… and no one ever said that you must say no to chocolate, and other little indulgences.  Just use them wisely.

I have six girls ages 2-10, and most of the time they adore each other.  They are so close in age that it's easy for them to have a lot in common.  I love the way my older girls watch out for the little ones.  I love the way the little ones want to do all the things the big girls do.  Having a house full of girls is so much fun! 

We love to bring our whole family to the local farmer's market.  That's what we did this morning.  When the children were little I lead them to believe that the the only foods available were the most nutritious ones.  If they were hungry they would simply eat what we gave them.  The first foods were often sweet potatoes, asparagus, avocado, salmon, and brown rice.  They grew up loving these foods.  All of my kids eat their greens, a favorite food is Daddy's stir-fried kale with garlic. 

We also enjoy raising some of our own food. Over the years we have enjoyed having goats for milk, hens and ducks for eggs, and lamb for meat.  We now live on Main Street in a small town, but there is room in our backyard for a small flock of ducks (chickens are illegal) and a couple dairy goats.  We also have a dozen fruit trees, and several berry bushes, grapevines, a veggie garden, and lots of herbs.  My two oldest girls Anna & Estera love doing all the gardening, and much of the cooking- all that at age 9 and 10.  Estera, my Aspie loves studying herbs, plants and herbal remedies, so gardening is a big part of the kid's education.