My 21 year old son is a nut. We have a semi-independent living facility here, a doublewide trailer on our property; I bought it very used and very cheap. We’ve worked on it a lot, it has caved in at times sort of, but we’ve fixed it up. It’s where half-grown kids over 18 can go to live rent free if they so desire. My family rules still apply, but the 50 yard distance really helps our relationship when they’re in the ‘too big for their britches’ phase.

Two of my daughters lived there through college with a brother who didn’t last too long in college. Just staying out of jail back then was challenge enough for that hard-headed, ornery young man. Now he’s a dad to a sweetheart who just turned three.

My 21 year old son never ever misses church, he doesn’t drink or smoke, he has a steady girlfriend who’s a nursing student. She’s a few years older than him and still lives with her very strict mom. My son definitely still needs his mama for guidance.

After church today he brought some tools over and helped me in the front garden while my 11, 13 and 14 year old sons went to one of their older sister’s house to cut her entire acre with a push mower. One push mower, three brothers taking turns, we’ve worn everything else out this long summer.

My 24 year old ornery son brought his hard-headed three year old who is pictured here, sitting in the house with a son-in-law who has two darling daughters, watching football while my kids played with their younger nieces and nephews, coming in to cut her birthday cake later.

This is how I imagined a large family would be. My 27 year old daughter is cooking dinner at her house to take to my 33 year old daughter who just gave birth. I’d originally envisioned this kind of cooperation and friendship between the siblings. I’d told my oldest daughter years ago that these once bothersome sisters would turn out to be her best friends. A big ‘I told you so’ has been in order lately.

I went through a great deal of issues with my older children; I just didn’t blog back then. I can hardly remember how tough some of our struggles were, I’ve put it out of mind just as I hope I can do at some point in our lives with these last 20 kids that are just about wearing me out.