The Struggle and the joy

I love having a really large family. But along with having a big family we get to have big joy. But on the other side of the coin When things happen that would not be a big thing for a small family effects us in a BIG way.

Today about 4:00 PM my kids are all (well not all or them but 8 or 10 or them ) are playing football in the front yard while we are building on our front porch. Now we live in an old farm house built in the early 70's. So it seems there is always something needing worked on or replaced. As my kids are tackling each other for the football, they hit the faucet sticking up out of the ground and the pipe breaks off at the ground. Water is spewing up like a fountain. Kids are all yelling it wasn't me. Husband yelling OH MY GOD (you would have thought they set a match to the house). Then as he is knee deep in mud digging up pipes they keep coming out one by one to keep reminding him what happened by saying things like  " I want to bake cookies but there is no water" or " Im dirty from our football game can I go ahead and take a shower"
or my favorite "I went to the bathroom and it wont flush down"

So what does this mean to a big family? Right at dinner time. Kids with food issues and we cant cook dinner. My teens are in the house melting ice in the microwave to make Roman noodles.
Can't wash dishes. (Kids loved that part) Laundry stopped (that usually runs at all waking hours).  Son with OCD and cant wash his hands.

On the bright side one of my daughters dates a plumber so a quick call to him and he is on his way. (Trying to explain to my other single daughters that they really need to date a carpenter, electrician or mechanic. ) So he comes over and replaces the broken pipe. When he replaces that pipe the old galvanized pipe breaks further up the line. Another trip to the hard ware store and he finishes repairs by car light.

Now I have a house full of dirty sweaty kids lined up to take showers. Most of the towels are dirty because we have missed washing laundry most of the day. Dirty dishes are piled up everywhere. Mud has been tracked in and out of the house from digging up the yard.  I have a mud hole in the front yard and a half built porch. I have a house full of blessings and running water. :)

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