So Much In Both Pictures

A mama and her boys.

Party of five.

My boys and I.

What you don't see in the top picture (2004 - boys ages 1,2,3,5) is Kaydon's GJ feeding tube tucked in his shirt, three of the four are still in diapers, Jackson was in intense therapy, Colton was still catching up after being born 2 months early, and Braxton really was the happiest kiddo. It took everything in me to get us there, in matching clothes, clean diapers, no puke from Colton and no stomach acid spilling out onto Kaydon's clothes. I was a mess. Shiz show mess.

14 years later and that second picture came to pass... (2018 - boys ages 15,16,17,19).

In between those pictures were shenanigans galore, People. School changes. Moves. Surgeries. Dates. Principal office visits. Black eyes. Jackson doing his "reading" whilst sitting on the roof (call to my office by a neighbor). Braxton almost getting his arm chopped off with a chainsaw. Kaydon shooting out a neighbor's car window with a slingshot whilst waiting to leave for school (another call to my office). Colton cutting the neighbor's prized horse's main with our otter pop scissors and stealing the homeowner's riding lawn mower and driving it to Hooper whilst trying to visit Mommy at work. Jackson begging me for a turban whilst on wisdom teeth anesthesia. Braxton stealing batteries and a finger brace from the grocery store. Kaydon gathering his brothers together to find "treasures"...aka dumpster diving. Colton being suspended for drawing (anatomically correct) body parts on the white board in black magic marker.

Heartbreak. Exceeding joy. Frustration. Rolling laughter. Loss. So much gain. Love eternal.

I'm the luckiest. I wouldn't change one thing.

In these two pictures, both of them, I see SO much.

I love the girl in both pictures.

Of course, I am in love with the boys in both.