Homemade Strawberry Milk

Have you ever had a time in your life when you feel completely overwhelmed? You know-like you are drowning and no matter how hard you try you just can't get your head above water? That's been my last couple of weeks. I love my life-wouldn't trade it for anything. I love my husband and each one of our children. They are all such a blessing to me. HOWEVER I am one person-there are 5 of them. My job is to take care of them-their laundry, their meals, help with homework, find time for each of them, make sure we read scriptures and say prayers, try to keep our house clean. I drive my kids to school, activity days, soccer, dance, young womens-trying to keep the car clean is almost impossible!! In the midst of all of the responsibility I want "fun" time with each one of these awesome 5 people, too. Date night with Casey and atleast a good conversation or reading a book with each one of the kids is a must. I am in the Young Womens Presidency of our ward-love my girls and the women I serve with-this takes some time even though I love it. Lots of work but seriously the best calling in the world! I am a visiting teacher. Then to squeeze in "me" time-scriptures, reading a good book, time at the temple, down time. It can be crazy!

Yesterday I decided it's a new week so I ran to Costco to get some milk and fresh fruit-strawberries, grapes, peaches, pineapple-we all love it and it sure makes good snacks for us while we are home and to send with Casey to work. I also got a good start on the laundry, swept & mopped the tile, cleaned the bathrooms, glanced at my lesson for Sunday and made some phone calls that needed to be made. I am telling you this for a reason...

Today Alyssa needed to go to dance immediately after school. Shay wanted to stay home and hang out with friends. I cut up some strawberries & grapes and left them in a bowl for them to have a snack while we were gone. When I came home there were 3 giggling girls in my kitchen. They were THRILLED-I knew I would not be from the looks on their faces. (REMEMBER-I BOUGHT FRUIT & MILK TO LAST THE WEEK SO I'D BE PREPARED & I HAD MOPPED THE FLOOR!!!!) The cute girls decided to make homemade strawberry milk. Instead of using the Quick syrup they got out the strainer, mashed a ton of strawberries, mixed them with quite a bit of milk and sweetened the concoction with sugar-lots of it. As they were pouring and measuring and stirring they had a few spills. So trying to be helpful they used about 7 washcloths and 4 dishrags-some soaked in water, some not. The counters were smeared with trying to be cleaned up yummies, my feet are sticking to the floor. My blood is boiling-I can't say anything because I am trying not to cry. I calmly talked them thru why this probably wasn't a great idea-they excitedly explained why it was and tried to give me the glass they saved just for me.

Thankfully Casey walked thru the door right when I wanted to crack. He smiled, then he laughed, then he tasted their awesome drink and said it might need to go in the blender with some ice-he'd help them fix it. Such a relief to have him home to downplay the situation before I flipped. I am so grateful for him-he is so much calmer than me! I have so much to learn from him. I think he's chilled me out a ton-I obviously still have a long way to go. I think tomorrow I'll go back to Costco for more strawberries and milk and then I'll invite these cute girls back over to replay the afternoon-this time I'll enjoy their creativity, their yummy recipes & their smiles and giggles. I will for sure wait to re-mop the floor til they leave! ;)