Remember that time I used to have time?

Time. What a concept. So much of it, yet so little. Always scrambling for time. That's I how I feel. I feel like that as a wife. If only I had a little more time with Ryon, to laugh, to vacation, to actually talk. If only there was more time to hold a sweet baby. To cuddle, to sing, to rock. If only time would slow and keep them small and sweet just a little longer. Or at least fitting into the same clothes longer than a week. If only I had time to go to the skate park every time Mason wanted to. Or time to shoot hoops at 5:00 when he wants to the most. What about time to sit and play trucks, trains and puzzles with the two year old. Oh and that sweet 5 year old could use a little mama time reading, building legos and cooking in my kitchen together.
A mother's time is priceless. I have often prayed in the last few weeks for 4 more hours in the 24 hour period, because maybe then I'd feel caught up. Maybe then I would have gotten to do those little things with my kids I so badly want to do. Maybe then I'd want to talk instead of immediately falling asleep when my chores are through, only to be woken again a few hours later by a little one.
As a mama to 4 little ones I don't know if I'll ever get it together enough to carve out time for myself, or do the things I want to do. I want to read a book right now. But I also want to bake a cake for us. But instead I find myself with a coffee still in hand at 11:00 checking a blog I haven't looked at in 6 months. I am quickly realizing that if I take a small "break" from the necessities then something else suffers. I'm desperately trying to figure out my balance between house, cooking, laundry, kids, and just life. I have missed out on lunches, friends, dinners, working out, doing anything for me for a long time now. It's not because I "can't." It's simply because I can't figure out how to fit that into my life along with getting everything else done. If only I had a little bit more time.
So my prayer for 2018 is to make time. Somehow. Make time to do the things I love. And to figure out what can "suffer" as a result of that.
I'll post a few of my favorite pictures reminding me of what my days look like.