Busy...

Time has been flying by again and I haven't had a chance to blog. Now that all my kids are in school I should have all this free time, right? Not so far. This has been a crazy first week of school and I think next week will be just as busy. There is always so much to do and only so little time. I do spread myself a little thin but I try to make sure my family is taken care of first and foremost. I have been trying to remove the clutter from our house to help make it easier to clean and keep clean but after living in this home for over 7 years we have managed to collect quite a bit. What do I do with my time? Here's an example of what my day is like:
6:15 am Wake up for family prayer and scripture study
6:30 am Make breakfast and pack lunches for girls while encouraging them to get dressed, take their vitamins/meds, brush hair, put on shoes, get their backpacks, brush teeth, etc.
7:00 am Send two oldest kids to the bus stop
7:15 am Get myself ready to walk two youngest kids to school
7:30 am Walk girls to school and then run 3-5 miles depending on the day and how much time I have.
8:00 am - 2: 45pm Here's where I have to try to accomplish as much as I can, such as: exercise (I run, cycle, lift weights, yoga and am currently learning how to play tennis), clean house (dishes, laundry, vacuum, scrub, wipe, organize, mow & weed), pay bills, buy groceries and other necessities, car repair and maintenance, doctor and dentist visits, visiting teaching appointments, blog, my church calling, cut coupons, shower & get dressed, eat lunch, prepare for dinner, work on house projects (currently I am refinishing a dresser and painting our shed)...
2:45 pm Walk to school to get youngest kids or pick them up on way home if out running errands
3:00-5:00 pm Help kids with homework and getting prepared for school the next day
5:00-6:00 pm Make dinner
6:00-8:00 pm Eat dinner and clean up afterward, get girls to brush teeth and go to bed after picking out clothes and shoes, visit with husband after he gets home from a long day at work
8:00-11:00 pm Work on any projects not finished earlier in day... depending on the day I have basketball, my daughters have church activities, PTO meetings, BYU Alumni meetings & Church calling meetings as well.
11:00 Get ready for bed and hopefully get to sleep by midnight. I love to read so sometimes I am tempted to stay up late to read a delicious book but I know I will have to pay for that the next day so I try to be careful.
I'm sure I've left things out as this was just a quick example of all the things that I do. Life as a mom is very rewarding but a lot of hard work too. I'm often amazed that my mom did it with 8 kids. I am busy, but it's worth it. I love my life and my family. I thank my Father in Heaven for the opportunities to serve Him and for all the blessings he has given me. If only he would give me the blessing of being able to slow down time just a little bit. Just until my girls are grown. :)