Here we are.

Intermittently we lament how fast time goes, how moments ago Daily was a tiny baby and Franklin was just born -- what was it? a few days ago?

Or that somehow we have been stuck in a decade of "NOOOOOOoooooOOOOO" and "Those clementines are TOO SPICY" and babies dumping out 60-piece puzzles just at the moment you turn around to check on the muffins in the oven.

So, we are here in this mostly beautiful stage of completely amazing, insane, frustrating, uplifting, sweet, irritating, renewing, depleting part of raising kids. This might be the all of raising kids, but right now it's... it is intense.

I remember when I was training to work in the Intensive Care Units at work, feeling just wrecked by the gravity of cases, the stories that were so sad, the patients who were so complicated, the possible outcomes that just sucked. I read an article that I still reference today (it's in my work email inbox so I can just peek at it as needed).

To paraphrase, we have room in our hearts for whoever needs it.

And we do.

So, we trudge on and enjoy the moments of everyone happily destroying the living room or finally delighting in a delicious breakfast (despite the spicy fruit and eggs that were yucky but now are quite good).

Photos from bottom up: Daily at Foster Avenue beach during an unseasonably warm morning literally, it got cool during our drive home, but such a treat to get a little fresh air and look at that lake!). Franklin & mama time. Who would yell about food or throw a plate across the room? Not these children.