🌤🕶School is out for Summer🕶🌤

So it was officially Summer, a week ago last Monday, and the kids are all out of school for their break by now. It's great to have them home, don't get me wrong, but after couple of weeks I am starting to feel like an all day, all you can eat restaurant🍽. Plus hearing "I am bored for the third time in one day," would drive anyone a little nuts😜. Also, WHY are they playing baseball inside......when it's gorgeous out??????? Here's a list of ideas to keep the babes busy.....and keep you from going crazy.

1. Join the Summer Reading Program. It keeps them reading over the summer, and almost every local library makes it fun. Moving around we have been involved with many different ones, and they have all encouraged reading with great prizes. My boys have gotten happy meal coupons, Barnes and noble gift cards, books, t-shirts, and more. Plus its peace and quiet for you😉📚.  I try and work their reading time in when my youngest babe's taking his nap😴. Trust me, your teachers next year, will appreciate it😉.

2. Summer activities/camps. Keep those kids movingThere are plenty of summer sports and activities to join.....my oldest boys are in a strength training program through our university, and we are also in the middle of baseball for my son Jax. Many programs are available through universities or the YMCA. I have even found free activities through our community.....and with four kids hearing "free" feels almost like you've won the lottery.⚽️⛹🏼🏈🚴🏼⚾️🏊🏼🎾.

3. Pool Pass. We sign up for a summer pool pass. It ends up being cheaper than paying per time and we can go as often as we like and don't have to worry about how long or how little we stay. With a baby who naps still twice a day this is huge🏊🏼. We save money also by bringing snacks from home.

4. Make a list as a family of fun activities you would like to do for the summer. My boys picked a Twins game, seeing their cousins, football camps, and more. Plus it's a great way to start up conversation at dinner table🍽. We just bought our tickets through stub hub and got great seats for an affordable price by waiting a couple hours before the game💙⚾️❤️

5. Limit Screen Time. We live in a world with electronics, and although nice & convenient to have, they are not good for a kiddo to be on all day. My boys have a limit on how much time they get a day with their iPads and video games. I monitor how much they have been on it by having them sign in by texting me on their iPads and signing out when they're finished. That way I keep tabs on who has been on what for how long.⌛️📱🖥🕹

Lastly, when all else fails you can go on Pinterest and find plenty of free summer activities to do. Plus many things are offered in the summer locally. We have done $1 movies at our local theater. They're not the most recent movies.....but a cool theater on a hot day for that price is hard to pass up. Don't forget to by your movie candy ahead of time (big purses come in really handy). If they're still "bored" I found a great tool using Popsicle sticks with chores on them to pull from......my guess you won't be hearing those two little words again.

Enjoy those kiddos this summer......we are off to the pool......after a snack of course 🏊🏻🌤👶🏼👦🏼👦🏻👦🏼🕶

TOP 10 Reasons it's Great to Be a Coach's kid

Top 10 Reasons it's great to be a Coach's kid🏈:

1. The fact that your Dad's a football coach is cool! Most kids at school think your Dad's job is the greatest. 

2. Games! You get to go to all his football games for free. There's no better way to spend a Saturday for our family in the fall. GO JACKRABBITS!!!! 🍁💙🐰💛🏈

3. We have our own Football family! Other coach's kids can become your instant friends......why wouldn't they be......Saturday's are always spent cheering for our Dads. Sometimes we even spend Holidays together 🎃🏈🎄🐰🍗.

4.The Players! It's not unusual in our house to have 25+ guys over for dinner. They'll  play basketball with us, football, foosball....you name it. Plus the traditional o-line ice cream dessert.

5. Gear! You always get great gear wherever your Dad is coaching at.......even if you are only 2 weeks old👶🏼💙.

6. New places! We travel and get to see some great places......sometimes even while 

on your drive to your next move🏈🚙🛣.

7. Camps! You get to be a part of a lot of different camps in the summer through the university your Dad's coaching at.

8. The Football office! It's fun spending time at Dad's office. Not every kid gets to 

hang out in the players lounge or have access most of the time to the football field.

 9. His time! Even though our Dad works really long hours.....especially in the football season.....and can be gone weeks at a time recruiting. When he is with us he gives us his time. He'll play Madden, baseball, football, drive us to school before his morning meetings, or he will even come to our football games on Saturday mornings....before he has to head to his pre-game meal with the team.

10. Championship games! If you have a good enough season you get to travel to a championship game with the team. You stay in a nice hotel, eat good food, and get to be a part of the football events with the team. Who wouldn't love a police escort to your hotel?🏈🚓

Happy Father's Day to all the coaches out there who can also call themselves Daddy ❤️🏈

No bad hair days

Call me vain, if you must, but I think one of the hardest things about moving around is finding a good hairstylist I love💇🏼. I wear my hair blonde with lowlights......And making blonde look "natural" can be really difficult. You can ruin your hair quickly if your stylist doesn't know what she's doing. I have had some terrible things happen from trying out new places in a new town.......I remember many years ago wearing my hair in a scarf like Aunt Jemima......NOT a fun memory for me or my husband for that matter😱😫😭👳🏻. I will say.....I know I am picky....having a cosmetology license makes me that way I guess.

Here are my tips on finding a stylist you'll  love anywhere:

1. Ask around!!! We all see people out and about with great hair from time to time. Ask them where they go to get their hair done......I don't care if it's a random stranger....I ask. Who doesn't love a compliment anyway. I also will remind you I've had some HORRIBLE experiences....just trying a place out on a whim....and it didn't end well. I have gone to some of the best stylists just by asking around (miss you Jamie, Danielle, and Kelle.)

2. Don't be cheap!!! I am not afraid to pinch pennies and try something when it comes to products. One of my favorite liquid eyeliners is by elf cosmetics and I thinks it costs a couple bucks.....LOVE it. I truly believe, however,  with hair......you get what you pay for. DON'T buy box color either.....it ruins your hair!!!

3. Pictures! Pictures! Pictures! Did I mention pictures??? I have two Pinterest boards that's called "My Idea of Blonde" and  another one called "Beauty and Hair I'd Wear." I have pinned an abundance of cuts and color to show any stylist the idea I am after. I have even gone to desperate measures by taking a picture of a back of stranger's head at a baseball game........all for the sake ofgood hair👩🏼📷. Your stylist's idea of "natural blonde," or whatever color you're after, could be different from your own.

4. Know your formula. I always ask my stylist to write down my formula before I move to a new place. This way I know exactly what they did with my hair, and I can give my information to the new 

stylist📝💇🏼👍🏼

5. Don't settle. If I haven't found a suitable stylist........I will literally wait to get my hair done. In the past I have I've planned getting my hair done around a visit to see family. This way you can see a stylist you already know and trust (thanks Krisa for always fitting me in❤️). I'd rather suffer through some roots then hate my hair entirely.......its ombré right? I am not afraid of stylin a messy bun for a few weeks.......nobody got time for bad hair LOL.

I Hope these 5 little tips can help. I am off to get groceries for 4 babes (kiddos) who eat me out of house and home👶🏼👦🏼👦🏻👦🏼.......and I'll be looking out for great hair at Walmart (still in search of a great stylist in SD.) I know what you're thinking......Walmart?!?!? Miracles can happen😉.

👰🏼🏈Being Married to Football......14 years today💍📦

I have been married to my husband for 14 years today......and I've often have felt like I am also married to football. Being married to the game comes with a lot of great memories......but not always the easiest of times either🏈

The day after we got married we packed up our little red Honda Accord (cat and all), and headed to our first football adventure.......University of Colorado in Boulder.....GO BUFFS👰🏼🏈💍. He spent two years there as a graduate assistant (GA), and we also welcomed our first born son Quentin. Overdue, and worried I'd go into labor alone during the away game the following weekend, we were induced on Monday. We went in at 9 am and he was born later that evening in late October. 

His first full time job was at the University of Idaho.....go Vandals. We had another surprise for us coming and got pregnant shortly after we moved there. Jaxton, our second son, was born late December. Two boys two years apart......it was a real adventure at all those football games 🏃🏼🏈👦🏼😜👦🏻. We spent three years there......the longest we have ever lived anywhere in this football life. 

After three years, a new head coach came in, and we had to make another move. We moved to Winona, MN. I went back to school to do hair, because my fashion marketing degree has never worked moving around with his profession. I finished school as quickly as I could and started working. Working full time with a football coach as a husband........I must say is stressful. I was late to daycare regularly, and I not only had to work, but keep the house running. The kids activities, daycare pick ups, groceries, etc. We bought a home in Winona, and were there two years. Then my husband was offered a job at Ball State University. More money and back to a division one football program was exciting to both of us. We lived apart for a few months, as husband left to start work, while my oldest son finished Kindergarten and I worked (also I might add.....packing up the whole house at the same time)🏃🏼🏈🚛📦💇🏼.

When we were at Ball State I decided to stop working. I love my children, and with all the moves, I have always felt being there for them worked best for us. Plus I started having babies on the brain........and that never takes long LOL👶🏼❤️. Our second season we were pregnant with our 3rd son. While pregnant, We found out that late November, they would be hiring a new head coach.......here we go again🙄. I was due in January, but after finding out December 23rd we were not being kept on the new staff......Palmer was born on Xmas Eve. The stress of it probably put me into labor. Thankfully, he was the sunshine on a dark day.

Less than month after he was born my husband took a job in VA, and we had to live apart for 6 months and pay for another move. I was alone with three kiddos....and packing up another house. To top it off, couldn't sell our home, and decided to rent it out to a college professor and his family. Being together, we believed, was most important for our family. 

Once we moved to Hampton, VA we experienced a hurricane that August and we were forced to evacuate our home......but we were together. After only one season with the Pirates......living there just six months....my husband was offered a job at Western Illinois University. Being both from the Midwest, we thought it would be a good move for our family. So three kiddos and not even living in VA for a year.....I was packing again 😳📦🚛🏈. 

My husband picked out our place in Illinois. Flying four of us to Illinois to look for places was out of the question. Having him pick out a place.......BIG mistake!!!!!Although the place looked good on film.......hearing the mover say your furniture won't fit up the stairway is enough to make any coach's wife batty🏃🏼🚛📦😫. We were forced to put everything into storage, get the kids in school, and the baby and I had find another place.......while my husband worked. Married to the game.....right???👰🏼🏈📦👶🏼👦🏼👦🏻💍

At Western Illinois we had a really rough season and our head coach was 

unfortunately let go. We all know how this story goes. We found out again that December we would not be kept on the new staff.......Merry Xmas☃🎄🎅🏻. Thankfully, we had a good contract which allowed my husband time to look for a job. Another move to pack up and pay for.......yay🙄👍🏼. We left in June to move to Mankato, MN.

We still had not sold our house in Indiana, so rented a townhouse, but spent a month of our summer living in a hotel because our place didn't open until August 1st. Three kids and a cat living in a hotel for one month......is NOT fun.......EVER🐈👦🏼👦🏻👦🏼🏨. We finally moved in and had an amazing first season at Minnesota State University. The following season we made it to the national championship game.......and although we didn't win......we brought home our own trophy. We found out we were pregnant again with our fourth child and would be due that September during the football season!👶🏼🏈🏆. 

My husband was offered a job at Montana State University. I will say it was one of our hardest decisions we ever had to make. We loved Mankato, but Montana State was also a great opportunity for my husband's career. Our kids had a lot of friends in Mankato and I was also pregnant. We could make more money and and the school was paying for the entire move (packing and all.) I am not going to lie, with all the years of unpaid moves and doing it mostly by myself (kiddos and all)......a fully paid move......almost seems like winning the lottery😍💰🚛💵💃🏼. 

We made a list and with a lot of hard factors steering us in both directions....should we stay or should we go........we decided to leave and head to Montana State University. We found a great place and dove into our new football adventure......GO BOBCATS!!!! In fact, last year we spent our anniversary with a moving truck unloading in our driveway.......

We started our season with a win after the first game......GOLD RUSH!!! Our fourth son, Maverick Montana was born, the following Saturday after (the bye-week)....like a good coach's kiddo👶🏼🏈💙. Our biggest week of the season against our rival team, my cat had to be put down, and being a football wife I knew I had to go through it alone. Unfortunately we also lost our biggest game of the season and our head coach was let go.......followed by most of the assistants.

So that brings up my most recent journey.......of being married to football for fourteen years to this day. We have been living in Brookings, SD exactly one month now......GO JACKS🏈🐰. With the four babes (kiddos) I am not nearly unpacked as I would like to be. Unpacking with them is like brushing your teeth after eating Oreos.........a slow and rigorous job LOL.

With 14 years being married to my husband and this football life......it has brought a lot of ups, downs, and in-betweens. We can look back at a lot of stories now and laugh.......feel nostalgic when we are in our football room looking at all the family pictures on all those different fields, but there have also been some very hard times that can still bring me to tears. It makes me think about a quote I saw once:

"What we see often is only a fractional part of what it really is."

We all have a story. My marriage is far from perfect. We've bought homes and sold them; been forced to rent when our home didn't sell, we've had winning seasons and losing ones. Our income has gone up and then gone down, and we spent more money on moves than I would ever like to admit. Sometimes our family vacations are just traveling to our next football journey, we've had winning seasons and some losing season. Being married to my husband and this football life for 14 years is not easy.......but the good far outweigh the bad. To me that's marriage......rolling with what life brings to you.......for better or worse......and also seeing some great games along with it. I love my family and being married to football #Team Eck🏈📦🚛🏃🏼💍👶🏼👦🏼👦🏻👦🏼👰🏼👫

🍼👶🏼Do We Let Our Babes Fuss to Sleep😫💤

My youngest babe, of my four boys, will be 9 months soon. I had been dealing with months of him sleeping terribly. Nights even waking up hourly......I was seriously starting to feel like a human pacifier 😳🍼🐄🍈🍈.

I couldn't make sense of any of this......I thought I was an expert......I had 3 other boys that were amazing nappers. His naps during the day were worse.....15-25 minute catnaps during the day and then he would turn into a bear at night from being overly tired. I thought I was going to lose my mind......seriously😜

I read every article I could get my hands on. Plus a bunch of moms, I don't know, wanting me to buy their book for sleeping advice. I tried sound machines, light projectors with floating stars,  an incline, dark room, night light, diffuser with oils, and so on. You name it......I probably tried it. I would've probably jumped through hoops to get that kid to nap. Thankfully a friend of mine (with years of childcare experience and 3 grown babies of her own) gave me advice I needed to here......let him fuss. Thank you Gaye😉❤️.

I was worn out and we were both grouchy. I started with night time. I just let Maverick fuss/cry it out. The first night or two were long, but guess what, he eventually started
sleeping through the night. I turned my baby monitor off......that way I didn't wake up to every little squawk. I also got a rain app on my phone to help.....he's close to our bedroom.....and I wake up to a pin dropping 😳(Yes, I am an EXTREMELY light sleeper, one of the many things that happen when you become a mama).

Nighttime was MUCH easier than figuring out his naps.......LORD HELP ME🙏🏼.........I literally thought I was going to loose my marbles 😜LOL!!!

Let's just say he's a stubborn one.......he must get that from his daddy LOL😉. I decided to log my week of experience for reference to help all you moms who might 
be struggling with this and I am here to tell you that you don't need to buy a book to 
get it figured out:

Monday: Maverick went down for his morning nap a little after 9:30 after a morning of play, tummy time, and his baby cereal. He nursed and slept for about 25 minutes......let him cry for about an hour (I told you he's stubborn.....typical man LOL.) finally he went back to sleep for only another 20 minutes🙄. I then went to get him because at this point he is getting hungry  for lunch, and needs a diaper change. After lunch I changed him, gave him some play time, read to him, nursed him, and put
him down for round two of nap time. He was wide awake so I decided to use that light show I thought would answer all my napping prayers 🙏🏼. He fell asleep for a good 35 minutes, fussing for about 20 of them, but then going to sleep.

Tuesday: A 35 minute morning nap.....not great. I was forced to get him because my 5 year old son has preschool and I needed to go to the gym. At 12:45 we got home I read him two books, nursed him and laid him down at 1:15. He, of course woke up 30 minutes later crying. I let him cry/fuss for 20 minutes and he went back to sleep......for another 39 minutes......ugggggg. Fussed for only a couple minutes then I watched him in the monitor while his eyes got heavy and fell back to sleep.....omg......making progress🙏🏼

Wednesday: Morning play and breakfast. Put him down at 9:15 for his morning nap.......another 30 minutes minute nap🙄. I let him fuss for a little while to see if he would go back to sleep. Went to get him after 20 minutes to run our errands before lunch. Fed him lunch, read him books, nursed him, and laid him down for his afternoon nap. Pretty much a terrible nap, and even though I let him fuss, I was forced to put him to bed early tonight because he was so overtired and didn't sleep much more than an hour combined.....uggggg.

Thursday:  Morning play, breakfast, and books. Went down around 9:15 and slept for an hour......progress💃🏼?!? Went down for his afternoon a little after 1. Woke up 25 minutes later fussing.......I am not going in there.....he's tired and needs to sleep 

more. Not a successful afternoon nap and was forced to put him to bed early again because he was overly tired.

Friday: Our morning routine followed by an amazing morning nap. Went down a little after 9 and slept till almost 11👍🏼. His afternoon nap was the same as Thursday. Less than 30 minutes and crying. Let him fuss again, but never went back to sleep. Fussy again and overly tired.....went to bed early....sigh 😔. Making progress slowly.

Saturday: He got the flu.....nooooooo🤒

Sunday:.....followed by the whole family (except Daddy who was working in another state).......

Monday: ALL our routines out the window......survival mode😫

Wednesday: Our moving truck arrives 🚛📦😳🏃🏼.....did I mention that the routine was literally out the window.

With several nights traveling, and all of us overtired....our baby finally figured out sleep is a good thing as we were getting settled in South Dakota. I think letting Maverick fuss it out helped him learned to self soothe. He still nurses himself to sleep (which many books told me not to do), but that works for us. He officially has a great nap and night routine. He occasionally wakes up fussing, and now I can happily say he puts himself right back to sleep 👶🏼💤

I really wondered through this process why my other three were such great nappers.....I felt like I knew it all. Then Maverick  came and I couldn't figure it out.....why? My 2nd born, Jaxton, had colic and it was basically survival mode everyday. Having a baby with colic and listening to 3 hours straight of crying (from 8-11 at night).......they were going to nap......period. I think with, Maverick,  I just got a little too soft LOL. I went in for every peep and he didn't know how to self soothe. Anytime he fussed in his swing I was right there picking him up.

So to sum it up for all you mamas out there......it's ok to let you babe fuss themselves to sleep. Sleep is important for them to grow, and learn to self soothe.......plus it makes both mama and baby happier. Sometimes that routine has to be put on hold if their sick and really need you, but having a schedule will help you develop a healthy sleep schedule. You'll know what works best for your routine (if that means nursing your babe to sleep-so be it.) You got this mama 👍🏼👶🏼🍼😴.

📦🚛Moving a Happy Football Family🏈

I have had many coach's wives ask me over the years how my kids are so well adjusted after moving around for this football life......9 times in 14 years of marriage isn't exactly easy👰🏼💍❤️👶🏼👦🏼👦🏻👦🏼👫🛣📦🚛.

I try as hard as I can to follow these basic rules:

1️⃣. #1 and the MOST important.....stay positive. Kids follow your lead. It's not easy to find out you're not being kept on a staff when a new head coach comes in to a school. My husband and I first talk about it, then have a family meeting, and then get excited about our new adventure.....wherever that may be if we don't already know🛣🏈. We stick together.....there's no "i" in team right😉👍🏼. 

2️⃣. Start packing early. I started packing one day after my husband left to start work at SDSU and we moved 3 months later (I have four kids remember👶🏼👦🏼👦🏻👦🏼). We have had fully paid moves, moves that haven't been paid for, and mostly partially paid moves over the years. It's very easy to get stressed when you're paying it all on your own, and doing all the work yourself. I have boxed up 7 of our 9 moves myself-having my husbands help only for the last day or two before the truck actually arrives (if I am lucky.) Start to pack early (crucial with a house full of babes).....I mean it. Things won't seem as stressful (for you or for them) and you can purge and get organized at the same time 📦👍🏼.

3️⃣. Unpack the kids bedrooms 1st. I always get a shower curtain up, utensils out, etcetera, but my babes (kiddos) rooms are always the 1st to unpack. My 5 year old, Palmer just told me last week that his room feels like home now ❤️👦🏼🏡. I do it all: hang wall decor, place furniture, and decorate ASAP. It's comforting to them🔨📦👶🏼👦🏼👦🏻👦🏼❤️🏡.

4️⃣. Rome wasn't built in a day. I really like to set up my homes fast, because I hate boxes laying around. I also try to work on things room by room. .....I like seeing the results. Usually most wall decor is hung last-it gives me time to think things out. Just DON'T forget to get away from it all for your sanity.....and your kids sake....nothing good ever comes fast. Everyone deserves a break with a little fun.

5️⃣. Enjoy the Area. Having a big family we don't do a lot of vacations, but we do try and enjoy the area we live in with every move. We have taken our boys to the Pro football hall of fame, countless children's museums different places we've lived, professional sporting events, the ocean, Mount Rushmore, and last summer we went to Yellowstone national park and hiked while we were living in Bozeman, MT.....all because football took us there. Take in the land around you.....and your kids will have happy memories with each move🎢🏔🏖🎡🏙🏟

6️⃣. Move when it's best for you/your kiddos. Some wives swear by moving before the school year is out while others wait till it's over. I really think you have to do what works for you. We have done both. This most recent move to South Dakota-we moved 3 weeks before school let out. I think it's been great for them to meet kids before summer Vacation. Plus I like knowing that I am getting a little settled before the school year is over. Another reason, my son Jaxton is in baseball, moving this way helped so he could start right when his season began. I don't prefer moving right away. This way they still have a few months to say goodbye to friends and adjust to leaving.....which I also think is
extremely important. It gives us all closure. 

Bottom line. Kids will react a lot to you.....my kids were born into this football life and I want to make sure they are happy about it. It's easy to think a football family is the best when you're going to national championship games or the thrill of a winning season. I think it's most important how you react in the hard times......with a not so "perfect season".....that is sometimes followed by a move. 

So it has only been a few weeks since we began our new football adventure in Brookings, SD. We already are members at our local children's museum, have had baseball games, track meets, and have been to a handful of parks to blow off steam (remember the four boys.) Right now the kids are off to school, the baby is down for a nap, and I probably need to go unpack a box some where. 

You got this mama.....stay positive. Plus home is wherever your football adventure takes you.......GO JACKRABBITS 💙🏈💛🐰🛣.

Not quite "All About the Mama" on My Mothers Day......but blessed

After my Mother's Day weekend I really thought about how....no day is ever "perfect" or really "all about me." 

Our moving truck had unloaded a little over a week ago. Less than 24 hours later.....my husband went on the road recruiting......the life of a coach's wife📦🚛🏈😳.

Thankfully, he made up for it, when he came home last Friday. Surprising me with a DQ ice cream cake (my favorite) and also had big bouquet of flowers (someone read my blog)💐😍.

On Mother's Day, I put our youngest babe, down for his morning nap (must stay on schedule🕗!!!!) Then we all got ready to go to brunch. As soon as we all sat down we ordered our drinks kiddy cocktails for kiddos, a beer for my husband, and of course a Bloody Mary for me......I love brunch!!! As the waitress set the drinks on the table  my littlest babe reached, in his high chair,  for the beer.....which then poured directly into my lap......uggggg. My dress was actually dripping. I, 100%, smelled like a frat house......happy Mother's Day to me😩.  

Thankfully, my dress dried during brunch, so that we could go to Costco and run an errand (yup...I went smelling like beer......this girl goes the extra mile for a large pack of diapers 😂). We, like always, needed things for the house.....food, wipes, dipes, milk, and with a family of six......so much more. Our baby, not being the greatest shopper and needing his afternoon nap, cried most the time in the store (uggggg......we didn't stick to the schedule🕗!!!!!)

On Mother's Day, I didn't want it to be about unpacking either, but of course having just moved in, there was things we just had to do. It is what it is🏃🏼📦.

Did I mention, on this mama's day, I also helped my husband wash....hang.....and load his car to be ready to leave the very next morning for recruiting.....remember  what I said about that life of a coach's wife🏈👰🏼.

I guess, I have to chuckle when someone actually says to me, "I hope your boys spoil you on Mother's Day." 🤔

My Mother's Day was far from perfect, I don't think the day was really "all about me," or I was really "spoiled." I do know, however, all they wanted was for me to be happy. When my oldest said to me " I am sorry you had such a rough Mother's Day mom." It really made me think.....

There's always something......it's just part of a being a family. From the moving/unpacking, to laundry piling up, a diaper explosion, something broken, a baby off schedule, naptime, someone fighting over something being "not fair," errands to run, unpacking, someone sick, or things getting spilled.....even on my lap. It's just everyday life🏃🏼🚛📦💩🤕😴

My family made me feel loved any way they knew how to on Mother's Day. No one complained when I set out "fancy" clothes to wear for brunch (fancy in the Eck house=not a football jersey or an under armor hoodie), they all gave me the most wonderful cards, my 5 year old told me at least 20 times throughout the day "Happy Mudder's day mama," and they even got me that mani/pedi I so desperately need (whenever the boxes finally get unpacked.)

So as I sit, with my baby in my arms, nursing him to sleep.....I know I am blessed. I know how much they tried any way they could to last weekend to make me feel special/loved. I love Mother's Day.....because I have all of them. A big family is far from perfect and often chaotic....but I love them. I will always be there for them.....no matter what day it is......craziness and all. Some day I know I will miss that crazy. Plus

there's no use crying over spilled beer (or I guess they say milk) 👶🏼👦🏼👦🏻👦🏼👫❤️.