Questions Answered--Family Edition

The question:
Have you and Brad always known you'd have a big family? Was Brad always excited about having so many kids or has he grown to have more patience since each of them have arrived?
I don't think this is a weird question.  I'm often curious about how a family size is determined.  I posted about this last year--here's the link.  It was definitely a growing process.

Here's a question do you ever get bored- and if so how do you handle it?
I do get bored, Jess.  But my problem is this:  If I ever sit still for very long, I fall immediately asleep.  Today I found myself with 45 minutes of spare time, and I refused to capitulate to the gods of narcolepsy, so I pulled out a spray-paint project I've been avoiding.  I always have something to organize or mend or clean or read or do that's hanging over my head.  My challenge is finding time to just sit and smell  the roses like Ferdinand. And stay conscious.

What do your weekends look like?
Short, with not enough time to do anything.  How about yours?
We always manage to fill the time.  Brad loves his yard, and he spends the majority of Saturday weeding, improving, fixing something.  Kids have chores, as I mentioned yesterday, and that includes yard work.  Most of the kids are too young to have friend things at night, but Ben is allowed one night a weekend for friends.  The other night?  He's babysitting for us.  We almost always have a date once a week.  I'll talk about that more in the next post.
Sundays are spent with Brad in Church meetings from 6:30-7 am until about 4:30 pm, on average, and I'm in charge of bathing, dressing, and managing kids through three hours of Church.  Ben helps dress the little boys, Lily helps Evie, and I pack the diaper bag.  Did you hear the angels sing last Sunday?  Evie is now in the nursery!  YEE-HAW!! 

How do you teach your children about managing money?
My kids don't get allowance (see yesterday's "you work here, you eat").  They do have a job, however, and I know we're pretty lucky to have it.  Brad and two partners own an office building, and we clean the offices and bathrooms twice a month.  It takes some time, but they're learning responsibility and how to work away from home.  They also get paid.  I insist that they pay tithing to the Church (10% of their money), then most of the rest goes into a savings jar.  I deposit it when the jar is full, and if there's something they really REALLY want at Target, we talk about it, then we go home, see if there's enough money in the jar, then they decide if they want to remove the precious funds.  Rarely are the funds removed.  It's not complicated, but it does work.  Tucker has saved all his own money for his mission that way, and Heidi used most of her money to buy a car after she and Sam got married.

How do you divide yourself up with your kids sports/activities? I have 3 kids at home, and pretty much we only do one sport/activity a season -- and I still can't find a way to be in three places at the same time. I hate missing watching any of their things...
This goes in spurts around here.  It used to be harder, when Heidi and Tucker were both still at home.  Orchestra, Choir, football, tumbling, piano, basketball, voice, flute, cello, soccer, wrestling, track, t-ball, musical theater, plays.  We've done them all.  I require each of my kids to do one form of music--currently the three kids take piano, Lily's doing flute, and Ben takes choir/voice.  That is something that is non-negotiable.  They can determine which instrument (I reserve veto power), but they have to do music.  Then, we see if we have time for sports or other activities.  It's hard to manage them all, but I schedule piano all in a row. I carpool.  And Brad and I often split on the weekends to see games or attend recitals.  It's hard, and sometimes I say no, we can't play soccer this season or audition for that play.  And guess what?  They're just fine not participating in every single activity.  Brad wishes they did less, but that's another post . . .

Also, for your family pics (like your header) -- do you use a photographer? They are some of my all-time favorites, out of all of the blogs I read.
I'm quite flattered by your compliment.  Those photos were taken by me and Brad and a friend in our neighbor's yard.  Spur of the moment, when everyone was home for Christmas.  I hadn't planned outfits or sittings or anything.  Sometimes you just luck out.

Does Evie ever take a bad photo?
Here's the answer: