We took a little Craigslist inspired roadtrip yesterday. We had two things on our agenda: a unicycle and a brown bus. The unicycle, because Keats became obsessed after trying one at a friend’s house, and has been driving us nuts for one ever since. The brown bus because Jonny has this big crazy plan to turn a bus into an RV this summer, maybe not so coincidentally inspired by the same friends with the unicycle.
The bus turned out to be not quite right for us, which was mildly disappointing for Jonny because he has had a brown bus obsession ever since first spying this one on Craigslist over a month ago. In fact, he used the photo from the listing as his screensaver for awhile. This bus project will be quite an adventure, and I guess the process of finding the right one is going to be part of that.
The unicycle, on the other hand, is perfect. Keats is still obsessed, but at least he can now work towards realizing this new dream of being able to ride his unicycle everywhere with perfect skill.
Nearing the end of this day we stopped at a rest area for our dozenth potty break, and another round of cooler food. The hillside between the rest area and the highway was covered in Japanese flowering cherries (Prunus ‘Kanzan’ I think) in full bloom. The wind was sweeping through, causing petals to fall like snow, thrilling my kids.
Our little ones were dirty, and some were yogurt covered. Job at some point got a diaper change and his onesie never managed to get snapped up again. We were all a little disheveled.
I was taking photographs when I noticed an elderly man watching me. I could see him considering approaching me, maybe a bit hesitant, and I was admittedly a little nervous at the prospect. I guess it was his hesitance that worried me. Was he thinking about chastising me? Did he disapprove of our family for some reason, for our children racing around the hillside?
I tried to appear open and friendly, because truly I am. I am not typically wary of strangers. The first thing he asked was if he was counting correctly. He said, “6.” I said actually “7.”
He said that it must be hard today to raise a large family these days, that it must be expensive. I noted that we don’t buy much in the way of electronics. We don’t drive new cars. We buy lots of used clothing. I added that we lived on some acreage, spending a lot of time outdoors.
He spoke of a friend who was one of 17, how they never vacationed. I told him of our plan to start traveling in a renovated school bus, the reason for our trip that day.
I could tell that he was weighing my words carefully, and then he noted that our kids looked really happy. He must have noticed that Jonny and I are too.
As we parted he said to me, “Enjoy your special life. You’re very lucky.”
His words spun around my head throughout the rest of our drive. They made me feel warm, and happy, thankful, and satisfied. Oftentimes people don’t view a family full of children as a good thing. But he clearly saw that for us, it is. Easy? No. But, good? Yes.
Enjoy your special life.
I think I will always carry his words with me, a reminder that my life is truly very special.
What a beautiful thing for that man to say. It was a grace for him to see it and a grace for him to say it.
I’m glad you represent happy families, large and otherwise. I know you didn’t sign up to be a spokesperson, and I know things are often loud and messy and difficult and all those things that families are, but your life is your witness and it IS special. and good.
I LOVE your trust in God for your family. I was married in the 70s, and had the prescribed two children (after my first son died in infancy). It took me many years to realize the lie we had been fed of having only two children, “to not overpopulate the earth”. We made ourselves gods, and didn’t trust God. We decided to adopt a severely disabled child from Russia, and would have adopted more if it hadn’t been for my health. Thank you for having an open heart to God’s plans for you!
What a wonderful compliment. Happy kids make a special life!
Dear Ginny, please, write a book!
You can write so beautifully!
your life is so special, indeed, and you make me realise that MY life is also special, in its own way.
I can’t believe that those trees are for real! they are out of this world, so fairy-like. My fav pictures are those with the children playing in the flowery snow. And Bea’s with the dandelion.
Enjoy your special life!
My life is very very different from yours. Not necessarily by choice but by circumstance. I feel very lucky that you chose to share your with us. I can share your very very special life by proxy. Thank you! Truly.
Special Indeed!
fabulous, ginny, just fabulous!
Tears in my eyes too!
Beautiful photos, city and countryside, what a wonderful day!
lots of love
Thank you for the joy you brought into my life this day.
Viewing your photos, reading your story about meeting the gentleman, you made my heart dance with love for you and your family.
Yours is life, a life worth living.
Love you Ginny. Happy Mothers Day.
What a gift he gave you. People often don’t comprehend the impact they can have.
Aww, that is one of the kindest things I’ve heard. I hope you have a wonderful Mother’s Day on Sun. (sjn821 on Rav)
I love your family , they make me laugh and cry and also envy at having all of these children. Children are a blessing from God and you handle it all so perfectly.
P.S. The kids must be so excited about the bus idea! I am…..can hardly wait for you to find one!
Everything about this post is simple and perfect….love you & your family Ginny.
I simply adore this. It brought tears to my eyes. I get comments about having so many kids, and I only have 3!! I really don’t understand. And so many people just don’t seem to value their kids in the same way that I do. I love my babies and my life. What a wonderful man to say such a wonderful thing to you!
these pictures.. incredible. you are so talented in capturing your “special life” and communicating it through your photographs, and truly you make me long for a big family! we have three kiddos and often people seem shocked that we aren’t “done” yet. anyway.. your blog is probably my number one fav because it is simple, real, beautiful… yogurt stains + unsnapped onesies and all. you help me notice + celebrate my own “small things.”
beautiful when someone else other than yourself sees a large family as a great blessing. We have 8 children and even though hard at times I could not see life any other way.
love those photos. Specially where the kids are dancing on the hill side as the petals fall around them…… good stuff
I have tears in my eyes! What a beautiful story!
Me too. Such what wonderful affirming words of insight!
How wonderful!
I have to tell you, as I was l looking through these pictures I noticed the unsnapped onesie and yogurt and thought to myself, “this is why I love Ginny”. So to arrive at the end and read those sweet words from a stranger…. it was perfect. It’s true, this is not easy. But it is indeed good. This is exactly the way my heart was meant to be filled…. and I know the same is true for you. xoxo
I know how contented that must have made you feel. Once when we had all seven kids with us, we stopped for Mass at a downtown chapel. After Mass a lady came up to us and gave us a fist full of money and just kept saying, “You made my day, you made my day! Take your kids out on me!” So, we all went and had juicy burgers and blessed this very kind lady. It was good for our kids to see how kind people are and also that our way of life does impact others.
This is just such a lovely post. I always think that you all seem so happy with what you have in each other, and it’s something I don’t think enough people recognise – that you don’t need lots of electronic toys and smart cars to be content with your lot. May it always continue!
Just a word of caution on the unicycle, I would recommend a helmet if nothing else for Keats. I used to be in the unicycling scene in the UK, and I’ve seen more than one nasty head injury. You have so much less control when you fall off, even if you think you’re absolutely stable. I wish him the best of luck, though, it’s a wonderful skill to have 😀
You are absolutely right about a helmet. I’m going to to insist on that, which I know he will complain about, but that’s okay. He needs to be wearing one.
that’s really lovely and he is right about that – a special life. those pictures are so lovely and it is beautiful. how fun about the brown bus! hope Johnny finds the one that is just right. God bless you all!
Thank you Ginny. What a beautiful post! Xxx
This is a beautiful post 🙂
My friend with 4 children told me a story once: She was pregnant with her 4th child, and walking down the street with three others. She overheard two clearly elderly gentleman behind her saying to each other: “Look at her”. After a few moments, she heard men saying goodbye to each other at which point one of them called her asking if all those children were hers. She turned and said they were her children and that she was expecting another one. The men was confused. “How it is possible?” he asked. She didn’t know what to answer so she simply said: “I don’t know what to tell you, to be honest. All I can say is that there is God. God exists and that makes everything possible.” The men then answered:”During my whole life, I have worked. I have one son and one grandson. I have a big house and good pension and I am one lonely man.” After that, he departed. I remember her telling me that this encounter – which seemed to be unpleasant in its beginning actually gave her strength and courage as she witnessed a man-clearly at the end of his life, giving his testimony that money is not the key to the happiness.
ps. your photos are just so perfect.
I am looking forward to meeting you when the Kingdom is fully here!
It is a special life, we are indeed blessed. Funny enough since we’ve had baby no 10. I rarely get the negative comments but the positive, it rather bemuses me, it’s like for some we’ve gone hit this magic number or something and now they can say positive things.
Anyhow on the whole those who approach will say positive, particular if you get smart and quickly steer them that way;)
That nice man was sent there to tell you that beautiful message, as in a God-incidence vs a co-incidence. I like the photos of your kids and the cherry or plum blossoms.
That is such a sweet story 🙂 It’s true, you just never know what people will say and it’s so encouraging when it’s something kind! Today I was at a greenhouse getting mothers day flowers and my 5 girls were with me. An older lady was watching us and asked about our family. When I said there were 3 boys waiting in the van she exclaimed, “God help you.” I couldn’t tell if she meant it or it was more in that “better you than me” kind of attitude. I just smiled and said, “He does!” And He truly does. Whether people are friendly and encouraging or negative and condescending, I can proclaim that God helps me! And I know He helps you too 🙂
I love this! Brought happy tears to my eyes.
This brought tears to my eyes. It is indeed a special life. And such a beautiful witness and blessing for others to behold the joy.
We, too, are trying to get a bus (but not to convert) in Virginia. OY! The insurance quotes are killing us!!! 🙁
I hope you are able to find what you need. We have a unicycle in our shed we should pull out…
Great pics and sentiments!
so lovely… the images and the words…!! my daughter started up with the unicycle about a year and a half ago!! once you get it, i think there is no going back!!
Oh my gosh. This made me teary! I’m going to remember that phrase, especially on the days when mothering feels so hard.
These photos are so beautiful. I know I say that every time you post, but really, they are amazing. My favorites are the one of Beatrix and the dandelion, the one of Keats below that, all the ones with the cherry-blossom-snow, and the one with Larkspur in a tree. Wonderful, and very special indeed. I’m so happy you’re sharing all of it with us :).
PS. I love that you guys are looking for a bus to turn into an RV! That’s like my dream, haha.
Wow, older people can really have some wise words come out of their mouths. That’s beautiful. I read your blog every day and can see that you have a special life, for sure. Makes me wish I had had more children. A beautiful story. And I do hope your husband finds that very special bus too. And tell you son to be extra careful on that unicycle! It looks so dangerous to me.
I was recently at an indoor playground attached to a kid friendly restaurant…you know the ones full of tubes and sweaty loud kids?! I took my 3 year old and his little friend while the big brothers were at school. I had my knitting, sat in the middle of the kids and craziness, I was talking to the kiddos that were playing and generally enjoying myself in the midst of chaos. Anyway…I left the room and a very old man called towards me and asked me to walk over to him. He told me,” I was watching you and you were meant for motherhood. If you can sit there in the middle of all the kids, knitting and smiling, you were meant to be a mom.” I took this as the biggest compliment I could ever receive. His words stayed with me and when you wrote this story, I remembered that day. You do have a special life. And we all enjoy watching it through your posts!
What a beautiful thing for him to say! And it’s true.
I love big families very much, and even though mine is currently pretty small, I still love seeing others with big families. And I love seeing the siblings playing together. 🙂
I hope you will remember his words forever. What a gift.
Beautiful.
I love the picture of Job and Johnny’s fingers just barely touching.
What a wonderful meeting. Good luck with finding a suitable bus. That brings me back to the 70s, when I was in my teens and worked with a girl who was living in a renovated school bus – I have a vague memory that it was very pleasant.
Beautiful words to tuck in your heart for hard days.
Oh Yes a bus – a must have! I look forward to reading of finding the perfect one. Our son has a unicycle too – maybe it is a homeschooling thing?
Enjoy your special life – LOVE it!!!
Love Leanne NZ
Leanne you must know about busses turned into other things
I live in Maine, but grew up in NZ and one summer travelled around the South Island with my husband and my brother. We had a tent and he had a retired school bus that he had beautifully renovated inside and he was very happy living in it
Seems that there are plenty of people still doing that in NZ, some are works of art
Ginny
we have friends in their 80’s who had 9 kids
all their best stories are of “the summer we piled everyone in to the camper and went to ……..”
Of course they didn’t need seatbelts etc back then and they could get 9 kids in the backseat, well almost 😉
Such a beautiful moment. This is great inspiration to really look at people before judging and to bless someone with kind words that may be remembered for a lifetime.
It sounds like you had quite the adventure! And you do have a special life, and I am so glad that you are willing to share bits and pieces of it here. It is a joy to share in this little slice.
I love the photo of Beatrix and the dandelion. I tried to get a picture of my Liliana blowing on a dandelion the other day and didn’t realize she was at the start of a cold; she nearly passed out from the effort. Whoops!
Your special life. I really like that. I think it’s very high praise.
Truly we all have a special life if only we could remember that…
“Special Life”, I like that Ginny and am glad you have it, just as much as I know I do too. Your family is beautiful and one of my joys is getting to watch them grow, even if it is only on the blog, it is still a joy.
I also meant to tell you how awesome I think it is that you guys are looking to travel in a bus.
I am trying to convince My Mike to sell everything and buy a sailboat to live on and travel the world,
I’ll keep you posted.