Patience

I figured it out. I've spent the past few months trying to figure out what God was trying to teach me in all this. I mean, really, triplets? Babies #7, 8 and 9??

I figured it out. Finally.

If you ask me for a list of my faults, I can give you a list. It's not huge, but I do know where I need to focus on being a better person. I don't feel the need to list those things, as I'm sure you don't really care to read it. But at the top of that list is

Patience

It's not something that comes naturally to me. Oh, I wish it did. Now, your thinking, "Right. The woman has NINE kids, she must have the patience of a saint".

Not so much. It's a daily struggle for me. From the littlest things like the 2 year old "I DO!" phase to listening to my 10 year old tell me a story about school (if you knew my 10 year old, you would understand. She is very detailed)

So, instead of making a list of my negative personalty traits. I've decided to make a list of the things that I work on daily to be patient about. It's not a super long list, but nonetheless, it's a list. And it is a daily list for me. Daily. And to top off the list is the biggest struggle. The I DO phase.

Letting Annie and Lilah climb into the car and their carseats by themselves. Even in the pouring rain. Patience.

Listening to a story about "that girl" on the playground.

Helping the babies learn to fall asleep on their own.

Listening to Aaron talk about soccer, his passion.

Housework. It will get done. Eventually. Try telling ME that. Patience.

Napping. 20 minutes or 2 hours. A nap is a nap. Right Gwendolen?

Hearing about the soccer game 3 years ago. For the 52nd time.

A 17 year old's venting about people. That annoy her. Alot. (Wonder where she gets that from?)

People. total strangers, and their curiosity with the triplets.

When Annie gets excited, it's hard to understand her talking. Takes awhile to figure out what she is saying. A looonngg while sometimes.

Kids will be kids. They don't jump in to help automatically. They have to be told.

Crying babies. Alot of crying. Alot of babies. Patience, patience, patience.

Letting Lilah "I DO" when it's time to make Bunny Juice (another time on what Bunny Juice is)

Letting Annie make PB&J's all by herself.

Being able to sit and knit for just 5 freakin' minutes without wiping a bum, getting a snack, getting a drink, changing the channel on the TV or babies crying. PATIENCE.

So you see, it's quite the list and I'm sure I've left off a few things. And it's quite the task to focus on every single minute, but what else can I do?

Patience is a necessity when raising nine children. Heck, it's a necessity when raising one child.

Thankfully, opposites attract and Patience is the one thing that Aaron seems to have an endless amount of.