big family life

Ever wonder what it feels like to be part of a big family?

My kiddos and I got to experience just that when we went to visit Darcy's China brother...and his four brothers and five sisters (and their parents of course!) over spring break.

You're just not living in a big family until you go to a restaurant and tell the host ~ who you feel the need to notify that his mouth has dropped open ~ that you need three adult menus and fourteen child menus.

we got to celebrate a birthday "big family style" while we were in town

We didn't venture out much in search of entertainment.  Fourteen kids in a house and backyard provides entertainment 'a plenty.

While rain kept us indoors a good bit of the time with cars, trains, knitting, movies, and eating, there were a few breaks in the weather for swinging,

spinning,

and roller coaster riding.

And we did leave the house a few times.  Once for church on Wednesday night ~ where our posse filled nearly three pews.  Again Thursday through the day to finally meet our social worker from our agency.  She was hugely instrumental in getting Darcy and Daniel home and is now working with us again to add Natalie to the fold, so it was nice to finally hug Karla's neck and say thank you in person for all she's done for us.  And the bonus of holding our dossier the day it was headed overseas...with Laine holding hers as well?

Awesome!!!

We piled into vehicles again to go for the birthday dinner celebration Thursday night.  Tex Mex dining at it's finest.  And then back for birthday banana pudding.

That saying...time flies when you're having fun...it's true.

It was a blessed time filled with fellowship and sharing the love of Christ with one another.

But all too soon our visit was over.

Lots of rounds of hugs later ~ how many hugs is it anyway when four kids and one mom need to hug ten kids and another mom? ~ we were finally getting into our seats.

an extra hug from my buddy

And as we started to back down the driveway, I actually had two kids in my van shout, "Wait, Mommy!  You should take a picture of our friends waving bye so we won't miss them so much."

Not sure that it makes us miss them less, but it does give us another picture to remember our big family experience.

And to think next time we see them ~ holding out hope it will be at the Garden Hotel in GZ ~ that the kid count will be 17 between us...